snowbunny

What a waste of money.

DH can apply for citizenship in January.

My MIL can only provide nine fingerprints, because she lost the tip of one finger when she was a girl. You can imagine how the system grinds to a halt while this exception is handled.

chartreuse

Just last week I entered the US as a returning resident for the first time. I went through the citizens and residents line, the IO said "welcome home" and it really felt like I was coming home, to somewhere I belonged.

Glad I got to enjoy it one time. Next month I can go back to feeling like an unwelcome foreign bastard.

Brit3964

Doing a little Net serching, I found this from an AILA Practice Advisory on the US-VISIT Program in 2004:

All this catch a few visa overstays? Great use of public money I'd say.

http://www.immigrationlinks.com/news/news1882.htm

Thydney

Is it something with the initials. The DHS in the UK are wankers too

Brit3964

Oh yeah, didn't think of that. I remember when it was the DHSS. A fun bunch to deal with...NOT!

hobbes79

At the moment, GC holders line up with US citizens at airports.

I assume all us GC holders will be holding up the line now...

Brit3964

Or be put through the visitors line instead.

nettlebed

Absolutely correct. You may be designated a Legal Permanent Resident, but as far as DHS is concerned, you are a visitor all the same.

Boy, am I glad I got my citz...

I'm guessing and hoping that DHS would have a MUCH harder time trying to implement different procedures for naturalized and natural-born USCs.

Brit3964

You betcha! I doubt they would even try it, but if they did, I'm sure the ACLU would be all over them in a heartbeat.

nettlebed

And I, for one, would be writing to my congressmen as fast as I could put pen to paper...

Just Jenney

Somehow I don't think they'll let them go through the USC line anymore, because the USCs will get pissed off by having to wait longer to go through. Which means they'll have to go through the Visitors line, since I doubt airports would go to the effort and expense of creating a new line just for PRs.

So what does this mean for "mixed-status" families? Can the PR spouse still go through the USC line with the USC spouse? Or would they have to go in separate lines?

What about PRs traveling with USC children? They're going to make the children stand in line longer and wait just because their parents are PRs?

The problem is that most Americans have NO CLUE what is involved with immigration and don't realize that PRs have already had to provide their fingerprints and undergo extensive background checks BEFORE they're granted permanent residency. The government has ALREADY determined that they're not a threat to the country -- so why have them prove it over and over again? It's just completely redundant and a waste of everyone's time and money!

~ Jenney

karenina

since you probably have nothing to hide, you don't object to the police
searching your house without a warrant at 3AM?

I could care less if they wanted my fingerprints again and again. Come to
think of it, I don't even mind if they want to implant a RFID chip on the
back of my neck so I can just walk through customs in two seconds.
(like EZpass for cars)

scrubbedexpat099

A barcode on the forehead would also work.

hobbes79

That's a good point. My wife is a USC and our child is a USC (well, dual to be pedantic). I know when going through UK immigration, they said my wife could just come through with me. Though often the international immigration line is shorter depending on the terminal, in which case I go through with the wife... whichever line's shorter!

I think it would be ridiculous for PRs to go through with visitors, personally. To stand behind all those people being asked "how long you staying? who are you visiting? can I see your return ticket?" etc, etc. Then again, the well being and convenience of PRs doesn't appear to be high on the priority list.

I'll be applying for citizenship the DAY I'm eligible.

nettlebed

Although this was before US-VISIT was instituted, when I was on my H-1B, and when my AOS was pending, I used to line up to go through the USC line when traveling with my wife. This was allowed as a convenience to her, not to me. Twice, I think, I was sent to the visitors' line instead (but it being SeaTac, it was not unusual for that to be as short as or shorter than the USC/LPR line).

IIRC, all booths are currently equipped with the cameras and fingerprint readers, so it may be possible when traveling with a spouse to go through the USC line with them.

I suppose the best way to find out would be to try, and to see what the CBP say. Who's planning to arrive back in the US on 19th January next year?