dbr84

For those familiar with this, upon arrival to SFO.

At CBP, Can you use the left hand side area for US Residents? Or are you technically still a foreigner and need to go down the right hand 'visitor' area (which is always slow af).


Just wondering as last time I flew in and ask, the girl didn't really know so I queued up with all the visitors.

md95065

Last time I went through SFO the lanes to the left were marked as being for US Citizens and permanent residents.

You are a visitor with an L1 visa, not a citizen or a permanent resident, so you still have to use the visitor lines.

hungryhorace

Are you eligible for Global Entry? If so, apply.

roberth1970

From border patrol view you are a temporary visitor and while on an L1 you always will be. You generally have to use the long line until you get a Green Card.

They got a little shirty with me last time I came back from the UK (having been here for 3+ years, kids in school, yada yada) when I mistakenly said that I 'lived here'.

Can't remember if this was SEA of SFO though.

hungryhorace

They're wrong, you're right. You are living in the US with L-1(A|B) status. You don't require citizenship or Permanent Residency to 'live' in the US.

I would have ensured they were appropriately corrected. Remember, tier 1 CBP aren't the brightest.

roberth1970

"I would have ensured they were appropriately corrected. Remember, tier 1 CBP aren't the brightest."

I'm a practical kind of person. I'm not convinced that the entry line is the place to make a principled stand.

I just told them when they asked me what I meant that I worked here, kids were in school, my wife volunteered at the food bank etc. The agent was cool after that, but I might be inclined to use different words next time.

deadshoppingmalls

nope - i've entered into SFO as L1 a number of times...you go to the "non US" line. TBH it's often pretty speedy. I travel with US citizens a lot and they are often only through 5 or 10 minutes after me - depending on the time of day.

If you're on an EU flight, usually they are processed swiftly. I had the misfortune of coming in with a philipine flight that was delayed, and was stuck waiting for 60 minutes. But thats an outlier, usually i was through in <20mins

TheKingOfHearts

This. I've saved an average of about 90 minutes waiting in the "visa" line everytime I come back into IAH.

Definitely worth the $100 and £30, although probably only if you travel into the US more than twice a year, as it's a little hassle to sort.

paleale

I've not been back since Nov 2015 - but when I was there you could go through the US Citizen automated line even on an active ESTA (one that you had previously travelled on). Might have changed now though.

ubernathan

L1 visa goes through the 'visitor' line. Sadly you can't use the new automated machines that citizens, LPRs and non-first-time ESTAs can use.

It was pleasant using them as an LPR for the first time. 'Welcome home' said the agent

[I thought only citizens and LPRs qualified for Global Entry, but ICBW]

tonrob

That sounds unlikely. There are automated machines at visitor lines at some airports though. Perhaps that was a source of confusion.

Orangepants

Global entry opened up for UK citizens last year, a godsend for me as a work visa holder. I don't dread hitting Miami any more.

hungryhorace

The GE implementation the U.K. side is silly though. I have a speeding conviction, which would immediately stop me from applying for the Home Office GE code.

Yet here in the US I've been approved for GE just fine, and with an arrest for a CIMT.

TheKingOfHearts

I have Global Entry on an L1, as mentioned earlier it's a godsend. Rolling into the visa line in Houston would average 90 minutes (after 10 hours, at least, of flying). I timed it last time, took me 3 minutes.