Hi all...

Well, I have booked my tickets to get us to the US in November... I have my visa and supporting docs, we're all set (we may be coming back to the UK 2 weeks later depending on certian things, but we've already been told that this is fine... I can come back to the UK on my stamped visa and still get back into the US providing I maintain a bona fide US domicile and go back within a year... it will actually be more like 3 months)..

I was however wondering, how long does the whole immigration prcess take when we get there?

We have direct flights to Seattle, but I need to book a connecting flight to our final destination (Pasco), but I'm not sure how long we will be in the interview or filling out paperwork... so booking it is impossible right now.

How long did it take you guys?

I'd allow a few hours - I think Keith had a little over 3 hours - and he was running for the connection. Of course, he was in JFK which is busy, but still...

All depends on how busy they are during the day. Some are through faster than if they'd just been through the non-residents queue. Others have said it took them ages.

If I get there I am going to allow 4 hours just in case I think.

4 hours... wow... Still, I guess it's worth it in the end!

Our flight arrives in Seattle at about 16:10 and the connnecting flights leave every hour till abotu 23:00... I should just book the last flight of the day... That should give us plenty of time.

If we have any spare, we'll probably want some dinner by then anyway!

Well when your final destination is CVG, the internal flights are about 2 hours apart...so for us it's probably either 2 or 4 hours, so we will have to go for 4 hours most likely.

I doubt very much it would take you more than an hour or two unless it's busy.

Rob, the connecting flight is probably Alaska/Horizon, and they'll accomodate you on the next flight, what ever that is. Maybe book yourself on a flight 2 or 3 hours after arrival, to give yourself a buffer, but there's no way to predict how busy they'll be.
Or, book the last, but don't be afraid to ask them to board you on an earlier trip if you're ready to go.

The actual Immigration checking-in process only takes about 15 minutes, it's just a matter of how long you wait for YOUR 15 minutes (of fame).


edit: you can look here for average wait times!

Took me 2 hours. I have a USC gf though so that delayed me about 30 mins with questions

Just to clarify, you will not have a stamped visa. Your visa is voided once you use it to enter the US and is of no further use.

You will be given an I-551 stamp in your passport and this is what you will be using to work, travel, live in the US.

Leave at least 2 hours for clearing secondary.

Gentle Reminder:

What Rete write about the "visa" part of the visa is true, but the visa is endorsed (NOT with an 'I-551 stamp'?) and therefore what robnewman writes is true TOO: traveling on his 'stamped visa' = acceptable proof of status (ie is equivilant to the Green Card).

Not sure when you last checked the timetable but the airlines started their domestic cut backs this month.

If it is Alaskan you were looking out they now only have I think 2 flights that late in the day.

Hi Rete - what do you mean about the Visa being voided and of no further use? Is this specific to the visa the poster is using?

Some visas are good only for one use (K-1 in particular). The Immigrant Visa is good for one admission; after that, it's not a "visa".
Sort of.

Yeah that's a bit misleading from Rete.....my visa (and Rob's will be identical) has this specific wording printed on it:

"Upon endorsement serves as a temporary I-551 evidencing permanent residence for one year".

Which appears to me to be exactly the opposite of:

Yes!!! you passport will be endorsed (stamped )
something like
processed for I-551 temporary evidence of lawful admissision
for permanent residence etc .....

Thanks for all the repsonses chaps and chapesses...

I checked the Horizon timetable just last week for our arrival day... it's still quite flexible. I've flown this flight with Horizon so many times I've lost count... They've always been good about changing flights if we've been early or late... but that was when our BA flight arrived early or late and not in our control... Just didn't want to be told "well, you should have planned ahead"...

I'm sure they'll be as good this time as they have always been... (Horizon are EASILY the best airline I've ever flown with).

Taa very much guys!