POE experience

[jin01]

Just saw a thread on POE, thought I should share our experience on POE. My wife (back then fiancee) and I went through the visitor line together. We were directed by the guard. It was sooo slooowwww. It was like 15 minutes to half hour per person for process. On top of that, we got into the line with only one window open. (This is SFO). I am not sure if anyone had successfully enter via the citizen line. If so, the citizen line is definitely 10 times faster!!! Also, check to see how many windows are open before lining up. Go for the ones with two windows open.

Good luck for all!

Edited November 11, 2009 by jin01 (see edit history)

[dnoblett]

Note once you have a green-card, you can use the Citizen/Resident lines at the POE.

[Rachel + Will = Together Forever]

So K1's are supposed to go through the visitor line?! That doesn't make sense since in everything else they have to go through the immigrant lines and stuff.

[Randy W]

So K1's are supposed to go through the visitor line?! That doesn't make sense since in everything else they have to go through the immigrant lines and stuff.

 

 

Follow the lead of others and the Immigrations Officers. It usually will not make any difference which line you go through (unless one is shorter than the other)

[dnoblett]

So K1's are supposed to go through the visitor line?! That doesn't make sense since in everything else they have to go through the immigrant lines and stuff.

The lines at the POE ar typically marked Immigrants/Visas/Visitors and Citizens/Residents.

 

Persons with a visa like K-visa or CR-1 or IR-1 go through that line. If the citizen/resident lines get empty an officer may direct Visa holders to the other line.

[Kyle]

So K1's are supposed to go through the visitor line?! That doesn't make sense since in everything else they have to go through the immigrant lines and stuff.

 

K visas are non-immigrant status visas, which is why you're directed to the visitor's line. CR-1/IR-1 have immigrant status. It stinks for K-1's, but that's the way it goes.

 

Jingjing and I are anticipating a huge wait. We were unable to find a decent POE with enough layover time to make our connecting flight. I think we're planning on going through Houston (9:00 PM), spending the night, and making our connecting flight early the next morning.

Edited November 11, 2009 by Kyle (see edit history)

[Rachel + Will = Together Forever]

So K1's are supposed to go through the visitor line?! That doesn't make sense since in everything else they have to go through the immigrant lines and stuff.

 

K visas are non-immigrant status visas, which is why you're directed to the visitor's line. CR-1/IR-1 have immigrant status. It stinks for K-1's, but that's the way it goes.

 

Jingjing and I are anticipating a huge wait. We were unable to find a decent POE with enough layover time to make our connecting flight. I think we're planning on going through Houston (9:00 PM), spending the night, and making our connecting flight early the next morning.

I remember last Jan. when I went back to the States to visit my family, I flew into Chicago/O'hare and I thought it was a nightmare. The lines were incredibly long and all the staff seemed extremely grumpy... even a little upset at times. Yikes, gonna have to do that all over again.

 

I just realized that my fiance is going to have to go through his line by himself, correct? Since I'm a citizen and he's technically a "visitor."

[Sam and Fen]

So K1's are supposed to go through the visitor line?! That doesn't make sense since in everything else they have to go through the immigrant lines and stuff.

 

K visas are non-immigrant status visas, which is why you're directed to the visitor's line. CR-1/IR-1 have immigrant status. It stinks for K-1's, but that's the way it goes.

 

Jingjing and I are anticipating a huge wait. We were unable to find a decent POE with enough layover time to make our connecting flight. I think we're planning on going through Houston (9:00 PM), spending the night, and making our connecting flight early the next morning.

I remember last Jan. when I went back to the States to visit my family, I flew into Chicago/O'hare and I thought it was a nightmare. The lines were incredibly long and all the staff seemed extremely grumpy... even a little upset at times. Yikes, gonna have to do that all over again.

 

I just realized that my fiance is going to have to go through his line by himself, correct? Since I'm a citizen and he's technically a "visitor."

 

If you are comming with him you can go thru the visitor line with him

[Kyle]

You NEED to go with him through the line. Jingjing and I made that mistake the second time she came to the States. The officer was kind of harsh about it and really made his point, with many words, that those travelling together should go through customs together.

Edited November 11, 2009 by Kyle (see edit history)

[Rachel + Will = Together Forever]

You NEED to go with him through the line. Jingjing and I made that mistake the second time she came to the States. The officer was kind of harsh about it and really made his point, with many words, that those travelling together should go through customs together.

Wow, okay. Well, in a way that's good to know... I want to go with him anyway... I was kind of nervous about the idea that they wouldn't let us go together.

[TheMace]

Has anyone gone through Atlanta? Being optomistic Xianxiu will get pink and it seemed to have a good lay over time of 3 hours to make her connecting flight to Hartford, Ct.

Gary

[dnoblett]

When my wife and I entered the USA when she was on her K-1, we entered USA through Chicago, 2-3 hours was fine for layover.

 

The Immigrations lines are clearly divided 2 ways, (Immigrants/Visitors) and (Citizens/Residents) All persons holding visas, K-1/CR-1/etc does not matter immigrant or non-immigrant go through the (Immigrants/Visitors) line. Only green-card holders and US Citizens go through (Citizens/Residents) line.

 

In my case I stuck with my wife in the (Visitor's/Immigrants) line, the officer in the line tried to direct me to the Citizen's line when he saw my passport, I told him I was with my wife (K-1) and he was fine with this.

[Eric]

Has anyone gone through Atlanta? Being optomistic Xianxiu will get pink and it seemed to have a good lay over time of 3 hours to make her connecting flight to Hartford, Ct.

Gary

My wife used Atlanta as her POE in July and had no problems at all. It only took her about 10 minutes to get through the visitors line and up to one of the immigration desks and then about another 15 minutes when they processed her immigration paperwork in a side room. She said that all of the immigration officers that she dealt with were very nice and even joked around with her a bit - she also commented that one of the officers spoke perfect Mandarin even though he was not Chinese.

[jin01]

The officer will again ask questions, both to the fiance(e) and the petitioner. The officer asked my fiancee the population of her city. Naturally, she said she didn't know. Haha.

 

The officer also asked me questions. It was like going through another brief interview. But everything ended up ok

Edited November 11, 2009 by jin01 (see edit history)

[Zhou Zhou]

The officer will again ask questions, both to the fiance(e) and the petitioner. The officer asked my fiancee the population of her city. Naturally, she said she didn't know. Haha.

 

The officer also asked me questions. It was like going through another brief interview. But everything ended up ok

 

We plan to make our POE at Newark/NYC airport(EWR)...the ICE officer last trip told me that we can go through together and that their interview is very short....he told me JFK is more strict and takes longer.