Immigration Officer

[danswayne]

This is not about a plane, communication, or shipping, so how about letting my question get an answer this time before it is moved.

 

We will be travelling back to America with my mother-in-law in a month or so and would like to know if a family member or 2 will throw up any red flags to the officer when we get to the customs line.

 

I have heard stories of people being turned away because the officer thought they might overstay their visit or other things like that. Diana's mom does not speak English, so it would be easier if they were together, but not if it keeps her from entering the country.

 

Any ideas from anyone who has travelled with family members visiting before?????

[Vanessa S.]

ohhh good question since we want my MIL to come for our second childs birth! soo I will keep a watch on this post. Sorry I cant be much of help!

[LeeFisher3]

Traveling with your visiting mother-in-law is a good thing and processing together as a family at the POE is quite common. No red flags here, plus you will be saving both your mother-in-law and the IO the difficulty of a communications gap.

[pbatt]

I will add that I have not traveled with family members. But will tell you what I have observed at Minneapolis/St Paul Customs.

 

I have seen many family members traveling together,Even mothers with adopted papers.

They are told to take the child down to the Non US Citizen line to go thru customs.

The biggest thing I see that creates problems is Non US citizen trying to use US citizen line. Minneapolis has an officer walking around directing non US Citizens to the visitor lines.

No real red flags as I can see. Just tell officer you are helping mother is all.

 

All ports also have translators also.

 

Hope this helps some

Paul

[NY-Viking]

I don't think it will raise any red flags, and you can try to go together, but your MIL might be directed to the non-citizens line.

 

When my wife (then-girlfriend) entered on B-2 visas, she and I always went through separately (I went through the citizens, she went through the visitors), but sometimes the IO would ask her a question that she didn't know and she'd point to me waiting on the other side (since the citizens line usually - but not always - moves faster), and he'd normally just waive her through. Seems to me, if they let her in knowing she was travelling with me, they wouldn't have a problem with your MIL, and as posted above, having her with you would help with language problems - which my MIL has had both times she's entered alone.

[warpedbored]

Many of our members have reported going through the non citizen line with their loved ones instead of the citizens line. I have yet to hear of anyone having a problem because of it.