Mad & J
Difficulty:  | Review Topic: Port of Entry Review
Crossed at the Houlton POE on the Maine/New-Brunswick border.
My American fiancee and I crossed together in my car, which was packed with my belongings (and my dog). We arrived at Houlton around noon, where I told the CBP officer I was activating a K1 visa. I showed him the yellow envelope and handed him our passports. He asked us a couple of questions (usual border patrol questions such as whether all the belongings were mine, were we carrying weapons, etc), then directed us to a nearby building.
I parked the car where instructed and we went in the building, where another agent waved us over. She went over our paperwork while we waited, occasionally asking me to confirm some information, such as my address in the US. She was a bit stern-looking but polite and professional. As they process K1 visas so rarely at that POE, she had to ask an older officer for help/clarification a few times (this older guy asked if they were invited to the wedding, to which I replied, "Sure, if you're willing to drive down to Florida!"). We were asked when we were planning on getting married and were informed that I shouldn't leave the country until I get AP or my green card. There was a 6$ fee to pay and that was it! Passports stamped and ready to go.
In the middle of this process, I mentioned that I was importing my car. The officer handed over my car info to another officer so he could work on it while she was processing our K1 (I handed over my registration, manufacturer letter, and a photo of EPA and safety stickers). To my relief, I didn't have to pay any taxes on my car and was simply handed copies of the import forms which are required to register a car in the US. He didn't even step outside to have a look at the car.
All in all it was super easy. The whole process only took about 20 minutes, probably due to the fact that they weren't very busy at the time, we appeared to be the only ones there. My belongings were never inspected, nor was I asked for a list or manifest or anything like that. I was asked if I had the vaccination certificate for my dog but they didn't ask to see it. Easiest part of the process so far! 
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Port of Entry Member Review #16061
Entry Date: 2016-01-15