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Entering US For the first time with DV Visa

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Filed: Other Country: Ireland
Timeline

Hi All,

We have got our visas and are planning to move in March. One of the information sheets given to us mentioned to leave sufficient time for an immigration interview upon entering the US. We are entering the US via JFK Airport NY. I need to organise transport from the airport. How much time should I leave for the immigration interview?

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Canada
Timeline

This is hard to determine because it will depend on factors such as how busy it is, what kind of mood they're in and how prepared you are. Hopefully someone with more experience at that particular POE can share their experience. My POE took several hours at a land border crossing.

USCIS - 40 DAYS
2012-10-30: FedEx delivered I-130 to Chicago Lockbox Mail Room
2012-11-01: NOA1 by email - MSC
2012-11-02: $420 (x3) debited from our account
2012-11-05: NOA1 hard copies received, Priority Date 2012-10-30
2012-12-11: NOA2


NVC - 26 DAYS
2013-01-02: Rec'd case#, IIN, BIN & OPTIN emails for EP sent
2013-01-03: Submitted DS-261 (x3)
2013-01-07: AOS bills invoiced and paid & OPTIN for EP accepted for each of us
2013-01-08: AOS bills appear as paid & AOS packages sent by email
2013-01-08: IV bill invoiced & paid (kids' only)
2013-01-09: IV bill appears as paid (kids' only)
2013-01-09: IV Package emailed & DS-260 submitted online (kids only)
2013-01-11: AOS received -notified by email
2013-01-11: IV bill invoiced & paid (for me)
2013-01-14: IV bill appears as paid (for me)
2013-01-14: IV Supporting Docs received for kids - notified by email
2013-01-14: IV Package emailed & DS-260 submitted online (me only)
2013-01-18: IV Supporting Docs received for me - notified by email
2013-01-18: Son#1 CASE COMPLETE - Son#2 checklist - saying $ on I-864 don't match tax return (but they do)-resubmitted
2013-01-23: AOS 2nd submission for Son #2 received - notified by email
2013-01-25: My CASE COMPLETE
2013-01-28: ALL 3 OF OUR CASES ARE NOW COMPLETE
2013-02-06: Packet 4 Received by email

MEDICAL ~ CONSULATE ~ POE REMOVAL OF CONDITIONS - 160 DAYS NATURALIZATION
2013-02-13: Medicals 2014-12-17: Delivered to California Lockbox 2015-12-15: Delivered to Phoenix Lockbox
2013-03-06: Interview 2014-12-19: 1 I-751 + 3 Biometrics Fees debited from our account 2015-12-16: Fees charged to Credit Card
2013-03-08: Visas in-hand 2014-12-22: Received NOA1 by mail. Receipt Date: 2014-12-17 2015-12-17: NOA
2013-03-12: Paid USCIS Immigrant Fee 2014-12-24: Received Biometrics Appointment Letter 2016-01-02: Biometrics Letter 2016-01-11: Biometrics
2013-03-14: POE 2015-01-06: Biometrics 2016-02-15: In Line for Interview 2016-02-19: Letter
2013-03-25: SSNs arrived 2015-05-27: Approved 2016-03-22: Interview
2013-04-01: Green Cards arrived 2015-06-03: New Green Cards arrived 2016-04-15: Oath Ceremony

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Filed: Lift. Cond. (apr) Country: India
Timeline

Immigration could be about an hour to 1.5 but then it could take up to an hour to get your bags, so I would say about 2.5 hours, maybe even 3 just to be safe. JFK has really long queues at immigration, I recently arrived in Jan and also when my fiance came to visit before, took 3 hours. (the whole thing)

K-1 Visa

Service Center: Texas Service Center

Transferred? No

Consulate: Mumbai, India

 

Met at University in UK: 2010

Engaged in India: 03/31/2014

I-129F Sent: 06/20/2014

NOA1: 06/25/2014

NOA2: 12/16/2014

NOA2 Hardcopy Received: 12/23/2014

Case Sent to NVC: 12/23/2014

NVC Case Number Assigned: 01/05/2015

Case Sent to Consulate: 01/08/2015

Case "Ready" at Consulate: 01/09/2015

Applied for PCC: 01/20/2015

PCC in hand: 02/23/2015

Medical: 01/23/2015

Completed DS-160 and paid visa fee: 02/20/2015

Interview: 03/13/2015 APPROVED :)--> Same day went into AP

Visa "issued" on CEAC webstie: 03/16/2015

:goofy: :goofy: Visa in hand! 03/18/2015 :goofy::goofy:

POE: 06/04/2015 :dancing: :dancing: :dancing:

AOS Journey

06.11.2015- City Hall Wedding

06.29.2015- Mailed AOS Package

07.01.2015 - Package Delivered at Chicago Lockbox

07.02.2015- Date Received as per USCIS

07.09.2015- NOA1 for EAD/AP

07.24.2015- RFE :ranting:

08.13.2015- USCIS accepted RFE response

09.08.2015- EAD received

Waiting for the interview :clock:

12.19.2015 WE GOT THE GREEN CARD IN THE MAIL!!!!! No interview :)

ROC

10.25.2017 ROC packet received by VT Service Center

11.02.2017- Received NOA dated 10.26.2017

11.29.17- Completed Biometrics

Waiting for the interview :clock:

 

 

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Filed: IR-5 Timeline

I see that you are from Ireland. Are you going to be flying out of Dublin? I believe CBP has a pre-clearance location in Dublin so you will go though the immigration procedure before getting on the plane. However, if your flight leaves at night then you might be doing the immigration procedure on arrival.

Also what terminal are you going to be going into at JFK? Terminal 4 is the big international airline terminal. There is report that certain CBP checkpoints have special lines for "New Immigrants" that are not marked, but if you ask someone (a CBP or Airline representative) then they may direct you to the correct line. Is someone going to be picking you up? If not you can take the JFK Airtrain to Jamaica to connect with the Long Island Railroad to points on Long Island or into Penn Station in NYC, or you could catch the subway at Howard Beach or Jamaica.

My in-laws came into the US via JFK Terminal 1 on the day after Christmas. From the time the plane landed till the time they were out of Immigration and Customs was about 35 to 40 minutes. One of the reasons why they might of been fast getting out was due to my father-in-law needing a wheelchair, so they were able to get to the front of the line at immigration. My wife (USC petitioner) was with them and explained to the wheelchair attendant that her parents were new immigrants when the attendant meet them at the plane. The attendant knew what needed to be done. The officer on the line opened the visa packets, stamped the passports, and then escorted them to another room to collect their fingerprints and signature for their green cards. The CBP officer asked my wife one question, "Are these your parents?" When they went to baggage claim their bags were already on the belt. There was no one else in the room were their fingerprints and signature was taken, however, the attendant said they were lucky since sometimes there i a dozen people in there.

Here is the information regarding the cases for my in-laws (wife, their daughter, is the petitioner under the IR-5 category, Parents of a USC):

Submit I-130 (2 petitions) to USCIS on May 30, 2013

USCIS approved the cases on March 10, 2014.

Received notice online from USCIS the cases were sent to NVC on March 17, 2014.

NVC received the cases on March 28, 2014

The case numbers were created on Monday, April 28.

We received the numbers by phone on Friday, May 2.

DS-261 became available on both cases late in the evening on Friday, May 2. Both DS-261 filed on Saturday, May 3.

Received emails to my wife regarding AOS at around 8am on Wednesday, May 7. At the same time received emails that were cc of letters sent to my in-laws. However, the date of all of the letters was Monday, May 5.

Received emails regarding the Immigrant Visa Fee at around 11:15am on Wednesday, May 7. IV fees became available online at around 1pm on Wednesday, May 7. Date of invoice was Tuesday, May 8.

Paid all the fees on Wednesday, May 7 at around 1:15pm.

All fees marked as paid and DS-260 become available sometime late on Friday, May 9.

Dropped off IV and AOS packages (in two different envelopes - 1 for AOS and 1 for IV documents) at the local post office at around 2pm on Saturday, May 10.

Submitted DS-260 (for both cases) around 10am on Sunday, May 11.

Both document packages received by NVC on Monday, May 12 (according to Post Office Tracking - one around 1pm and the other around 4pm. Don't know why they got separated.)

Received checklist email for both cases at 4pm on Thursday, June 12 regarding the IV civil documents

Wife called NVC in the afternoon of Friday, June 13 to inquire about the checklist. Told by a representative they are normal and automatic and not to worry. AOS under review. Call back after Tuesday, June 24.
Received a checklist for my father-in-law on Monday, June 16. NVC reviewed his AOS paperwork, but waiting for the documents the requested the week before.

Wife called NVC in the morning of Tuesday, June 17. Told by the agent they don't have the document requested for dad, and they don't have the AOS package for her mom.

Put in a request with our Senator to get more information. Response was mother-in-law is documentary complete and father-in-law was in document review for the military document.

Wife called NVC on the morning of Tuesday, July 1 and spoke with a supervisor regarding her dad's military document. Supervisor said she would look into it.

Supervisor called us and left a voicemail on the morning of Wednesday, July 9 and stated they have located my father-in-law's military documents. Case sent back to document review.

Per conversation with an agent, the expedited request originally requested by email on July 7, was sent to the Embassy on Thursday, July 10.

Received by postal mail on Thursday, August 21 from our Senator regarding the response of another inquiry. Still the same.

Early in the morning on Friday, August 22:

Wife calls the Embassy and was told the IV section doesn't accept calls, and was given a number in the states that turned out to be scheduling assistance for NIV interviews.

Called NVC as soon as they opened and was told the Embassy denied the expedite request, but the case was completed by NVC on Monday, August 18. Wife inquired about interview scheduling, and was given some good information.

At 5 PM on Thursday, September 11, received the interview letters. Interview is scheduled for the morning of October 9.

Mother-in-law approved. Father-in-law placed in Administrative Processing due to follow-up TB test.

CEAC stated ISSUED for my mother-in-law on October 15. DHL had the package for pick up on October 17 but called the wrong number. Package picked up on October 27.

On December 11 mother-in-law received a phone call from the Embassy that the medical is back for my father-in-law and to DHL his passport to them. Passport sent on December 12.

On December 18 CEAC updated to ISSUED for my father-in-law. My wife is happy!!!! Embassy said they gave it to DHL on December 19

Due to a DHL delay the package did not become available for pick up until December 24. USCIS Immigrant Fee paid the same day.

POE: JFK Terminal 1 - December 26, 2014 - They are finally here!!!

Took them to a local SSA office to get SSN on January 6, 2015. Cards received on January 10, 2015.

Green Cards received by priority mail on January 23, 2015 (four weeks after arrival).

Both went to motor vehicles and got state issued ID cards on April 11, 2015.

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Russia
Timeline

My wife came in from Russia to NY airport and had 3 hours till next flight. After going through customs she sat down for 10 minutes then boarded aircraft. It was a mid-day flight and the place was filled with people and very busy. It was her third time to this airport. Depending on your arrival give at least 3-4 hours. Hope this helps and good luck...

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Filed: Citizen (pnd) Country: Ireland
Timeline

I see that you are from Ireland. Are you going to be flying out of Dublin? I believe CBP has a pre-clearance location in Dublin so you will go though the immigration procedure before getting on the plane. However, if your flight leaves at night then you might be doing the immigration procedure on arrival.

Also what terminal are you going to be going into at JFK? Terminal 4 is the big international airline terminal. There is report that certain CBP checkpoints have special lines for "New Immigrants" that are not marked, but if you ask someone (a CBP or Airline representative) then they may direct you to the correct line. Is someone going to be picking you up? If not you can take the JFK Airtrain to Jamaica to connect with the Long Island Railroad to points on Long Island or into Penn Station in NYC, or you could catch the subway at Howard Beach or Jamaica.

My in-laws came into the US via JFK Terminal 1 on the day after Christmas. From the time the plane landed till the time they were out of Immigration and Customs was about 35 to 40 minutes. One of the reasons why they might of been fast getting out was due to my father-in-law needing a wheelchair, so they were able to get to the front of the line at immigration. My wife (USC petitioner) was with them and explained to the wheelchair attendant that her parents were new immigrants when the attendant meet them at the plane. The attendant knew what needed to be done. The officer on the line opened the visa packets, stamped the passports, and then escorted them to another room to collect their fingerprints and signature for their green cards. The CBP officer asked my wife one question, "Are these your parents?" When they went to baggage claim their bags were already on the belt. There was no one else in the room were their fingerprints and signature was taken, however, the attendant said they were lucky since sometimes there i a dozen people in there.

Yes, if you are flying direct from Ireland you should clear US Customs in Shannon or Dublin - go extra early. If you are flying via Heathrow you will clear in JFK.

I-751

NOA8/11/17

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I flew in from Helsinki to JFK; all done in about 50 minutes and I was out, and that included fingerprints, and baggage. Good luck and once again, welcome to the US. If you need a voice to talk to, pm me for details. Good luck.

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