Hi there.

When my wife enters the U.S. for the first time on her K3 visa, does she have to stand in the Immigration line, or the Citizen line, considering that she is traveling with a U.S. citizen? Do we stand in line together?

What kind of questions do they ask? Any other advice?

I'm so excited, and just want to be sure everything goes smoothly.

Thank you.

I took my wife -- she was then my fiance -- through the citizen line at JFK. When she comes on her K3, we'll probably enter at Atlanta and, last time I entered at Atlanta, they also told me that she can come through with me in the citizens line.

Either line is usually fine or ask the person who is directing people in line.

They gonna tell you there which line......it is not important the line, you gonna get to the States

I visited my wife in Venezuela about 6 weeks before we ended up getting the visa and coming home for good. When I returned solo and came through immigration, after he said I was good to go, I asked the officer which line we should use when we enter together in the future. He didn't know. He said it's best to ask whoever is directing traffic that day; they might let you go through the citizen/LPR line, but probably the visitor line.

We ended up going through together in the visitor's line. It worked out just fine.

After seeing this question asked a number of times, and reading various reports, I think it really doesn't matter much. You can definitely stay together. If you go into the wrong line, they might send you back to wait in the other line, but that's the absolute worst penalty you'll get for picking the "wrong" line. I've personally seen confused tourists get this penalty when they try going through the citizens line, but those tourists clearly and obviously didn't qualify for the citizen/LPR line. Among people who've reported their experiences here on VJ, I've never heard of anyone being told to go back and wait in the other line. They always seem to get through whatever line they pick.

If there's someone directing traffic and helping people choose the right line, definitely ask. Otherwise, just pick one and go for it. If they tell you it's wrong, politely apologize and try again.

It's really up to you, but as a rule family members traveling together should go through customs together regardless of status. (If you don't, you have to fill in separate Customs Declarations.) And, of course, family members of US Citizens (or of LPR for that matter) may go together with the US Citizen through the US Citizens' line.

That is correct... you definitely should go in the same line together... but the advice is sound.. ask the CBP officer directing traffic which line they want you to go in... if there isn't one, then you should both go into the visitors line...