Entering USA upon getting Visa - together?

[USAontheway 2]

Hi - I'm not sure I'm posting this in the right place, sorry.. but I need to ask..

I'm the US citizen wife/Petitioner for a New Zealander husband/Applicant - currently we both reside in New Zealand, while waiting for "case complete" from NVC/interview.. etc.

My husband's mother wants us to go for a detour to visit her in Australia (his parents live in Aus) before we go to the USA, through point of entry. However, I have some family issues over in the US that I am concerned with - a member with cancer, another in recovering from a month in ICU but still precarious. Plus depending on the timing, I may need to be there to begin work, etc.

Is it possible that my husband (the petitioner) can take a detour and go spend time with his parents in Australia, and come to the USA separately with his sealed envelope, after me? Or do we absolutely have to go through US customs together, with the sealed envelope?

Thanks in advance!

[EM_Vandaveer 2,369]

There is no need to enter the US together.

[NataliaLin 18]

It could be faster in cuatoms, but there is no problem if you don't enter together

[NikLR 13,220]

The petitioner should enter before or at the same time as the beneficiary. You do not have to enter together obviously. Many of us enter alone because we don't live together abroad. (I did happen to enter with my husband but he was with me driving down.)

fyi: You wrote your husband the petitioner but at the beginning said you were the petitioner/USC.

[USAontheway 2]

The petitioner should enter before or at the same time as the beneficiary. You do not have to enter together obviously. Many of us enter alone because we don't live together abroad. (I did happen to enter with my husband but he was with me driving down.)

fyi: You wrote your husband the petitioner but at the beginning said you were the petitioner/USC.

Hi there - ok, great... thank you for all your replies!

I did make a mistake, husband is the Applicant. Sorry just am preoccupied with everything going on - a little overwhelming lately with the stuff happening to my family as well as what I am experiencing (a sudden need to 'hang on' from my husband's family... lol)

Thanks very much for clarifying though - I wanted to make sure I understood what I read.

[NikLR 13,220]

Yup no worries. They always miss you right before you go. It's suddenly real to them and suddenly there, even if they've known about it for months and months.

I hope your trip home is okay and that your family is doing better.

[USAontheway 2]

Yup no worries. They always miss you right before you go. It's suddenly real to them and suddenly there, even if they've known about it for months and months.

I hope your trip home is okay and that your family is doing better.

Thank you SO much for that.. I know we're total strangers on here... but wow. If I could tell you... well let's say actually for me this has been an over 10 year wait (not months) - it's a long story but I've wanted to go back for a decade - and we've talked about it many times, and we did give it a really earnest "go" here, but just didn't work out.

The funny thing (or not so funny) is how all of a sudden his family's attitude toward me (the wife) has shifted to... rather cool, passive aggressive, and .... in a way hanging on. They were fine when it was me dealing with being in a country foreign to me - but can't handle it if we want to be elsewhere. lol... And all seem to have zero compassion toward my suffering family members... I guess it's normal and hard for loved ones all around.

Anyway, sorry to vent, I'm just having a bit of a tough time learning how to deal with this but I will get there.

Thanks so much for what you said tho...Bless you! In return I hope your situation is good too.... from one 'stranger' to another.