GeoffM

Just curious really: with the H1B applicants starting to enter the country from now onwards, do non-immigrant queues at US immigration increase much? Obviously there aren't a whole bunch of extra flights arriving, so the numbers of people aren't going to change much, but the balance of visas/VWPs might... possibly? Or are they a statistically insignificant bunch?

MarylandNed

Something I've never heard anyone say:

"Let's avoid the H1B stampede at the end of September".

Wibblypig

When we moved over a year ago (tomorrow) we were apparently the first with 'H visas' that the immigration guy had seen for quite a few months. I guess if you get behind someone with a visa it could slow things down, especially a family. We were stood at the desk for almost half an hour as it took forever to process all of us, especially when the guy put the wrong dates on the i94's and had to start again!

I doubt they queues are worse though as the same number of people are on each flight (well max passengers) and there are only 65000 H1B's issued each year and not all will be entering in the first few days as not all have even been issued yet, some people are still waiting.

civilservant

I was under the impression they just sent you to secondary after a cursory look - I had no idea there was a wait at the initial POE with IV/NIVs.

rebs

H1b is not an immigrant visa.

GeoffM

Yes, that was kind of what I was guessing at, though wondering whether H1Bs made up more than a handful of people per day per airport.

I do have memories in the mid 90s of large groups of us waving J-1s at immigration during June though. Some flights had a good couple of coachloads on board. Of course, in those days things were a lot quicker!

lansbury

I try and avoid the H1B stampede at the end of September. Assumed it was something everyone did.

Sally Redux

Plus those granted for jobs with non-profits which are not subject to the cap.

scrubbedexpat097

Me too because it seems most of them come to Houston