So I have searched, and found conflicting information on line so I thought I would ask the sages of BE. It is a small thing, but it would be helpful to know.

The Little Lion, planning ahead for the Easter holidays' trip back to Chicago, (he's travelling by himself for Christmas) wants to bring his newly-acquired girlfriend with him . He is a dual cittizen (US/UK) and she is a British citizen (they are at uni together in the UK) and will be doing the ESTA thing, etc.

When they go through immigration in Chicago, can he accompany her in the tourist queue? Or can she accompany him in the citizen queue? Or do they have to go separately?

She has UK familly and will be in her first year of university with a course to go back to and finish, so I'm also hoping that at 19 the boyfriend/girlfriend relationship won't make immigration suspicious of her intentions.

Can someone guide me on the queue question please? Girlfriend is not used to international travel so she's a bit nervous. It would put her mind at rest if she knew what's going to happen.

Thanks.

Well, it depends. Is she hot? Red haired?

Well my son thinks so, and black hair.

I've been there with former girlfriend. British passport going into the UK for me - she was on US passport. I think I stayed with her at foreigners.
I don't think it really matters. If you get a grumpy agent, you could probably just apologize and say you weren't sure. I think it would be pretty minor.

LIW’s son and girlfriend are entering the US...not UK.

There is usually an agent posted to help people with which line to get in. They can ask and go together to whichever line he indicates. I'm going to guess they'll both get sent to the visitors line.

Rene

If you are not married though you have to go to the officer's desk separately. So he can stay in the foreigner's line with her but will not be able to accompany her to the desk.

Well that would be something, thank you. The foreigners line is longer and slower, but nothing to be done about that.

I'm pretty sure they aren't married.

I don't know if that's right. My partner (?boyfriend) and I are definitely not married and were recently in the US. We went to the officer's desk together with no dramas at all. He was using his Australian passport and I used my Canadian one but we only filled in one landing card. We went through the line for US citizens, PR and Canadian citizens at LAX, not foreigner's.

Personally I would go through separate lines - especially as she is entering on the VWP. Entering the US with her 'boyfriend' who is a LPR or USC might cause the officer to think potential overstay. Especially as she (presumably) is young and probably has few ties.

But surely young people enter on the VWP on holiday the whole time? She is 19, like my son, and a full-time uni student.

It can't be a good idea to hide the fact that she is with my son? Suppose she is asked whether or not she travelled with anyone? Lying can't be good idea surely.

It has been so long since I entered as a tourist that I have no idea what they are asked these days.

Most of them don't enter with a LPR/USC beau though.

They are 19, with one of them coming home to see his mum It's just a short teenage holiday.

OK, so now I'm more uncertain than I was at the start of this thread.

I'm pretty sure that lying to the Migra is a bad idea.

Who said anything about lying? I certainly didn't.

I am simply stating that standing there, with your boyfriend, saying you are coming for a visit, has the potential to cause issues and have the officer think potential overstay. YMMV.

Personally, I would go in seperate lines (USC v tourist) and she should state no more than is asked. What is the purpose of her visit? For a vacation. Only if she is asked about a boyfriend and/or family should she volunteer that information.

Pop over to the Moving Back To The UK forum and ask Brit in Paris