My POE experience

[Martina and Jim 0]

Hi everybody,

I am already in the U.S., I arrived on November 16th 2008.

I would like to share my POE experience with you. My POE was PHOENIX, Arizona.

I got off the plane and went to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. There were 2 sections – for U.S. Citizens and Residents, Foreign Nationals. I was told to go to the Foreign Nationals section. Unfortunately, only 4 counters were opened at the Foreign Nationals section, so there was a huge line. I waited about ONE HOUR before it was my turn to speak to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer. I handed him the brown envelope and my passport and told him I had an immigrant visa. He opened my passport, checked my immigrant visa and then told me to follow him.

We went to an immigration office, there were about 4 other people waiting. I was told to sit down in a waiting room. After 30 MINUTES I was called to the counter. The immigration officer handed me my passport and was smiling all the time. He apologized for the long wait and told me welcome to the U.S. He did not ask any questions, took a fingerprint of my right index finger and I signed an application for a green card. The officer mentioned my green card should arrive in mail in one or two months. The officer also gave me a document with information about removing the conditions of residence in 2 years.

That was all, I went to baggage claim to pick up my suitcases and rushed to meet my hubby.

Martina

[Garu 0]

Hi everybody,

I am already in the U.S., I arrived on November 16th 2008.

I would like to share my POE experience with you. My POE was PHOENIX, Arizona.

I got off the plane and went to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. There were 2 sections – for U.S. Citizens and Residents, Foreign Nationals. I was told to go to the Foreign Nationals section. Unfortunately, only 4 counters were opened at the Foreign Nationals section, so there was a huge line. I waited about ONE HOUR before it was my turn to speak to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer. I handed him the brown envelope and my passport and told him I had an immigrant visa. He opened my passport, checked my immigrant visa and then told me to follow him.

We went to an immigration office, there were about 4 other people waiting. I was told to sit down in a waiting room. After 30 MINUTES I was called to the counter. The immigration officer handed me my passport and was smiling all the time. He apologized for the long wait and told me welcome to the U.S. He did not ask any questions, took a fingerprint of my right index finger and I signed an application for a green card. The officer mentioned my green card should arrive in mail in one or two months. The officer also gave me a document with information about removing the conditions of residence in 2 years.

That was all, I went to baggage claim to pick up my suitcases and rushed to meet my hubby.

Martina

Congratulations!! Thanks for posting your experience.

[LRA 0]

Welcome to the US!

[frali 2]

Thanks for posting.

[Mr.Gabs 0]

Wow! that was a fast process only 4 months til approval. I'm glad for you two, seeing this type postings gives me hope that my process will be as fast as yours. Thanks to let us know.

[HikerMark 5]

Just to add that my experience at Phoenix POE on November 22 was similar. The usual 30 minute or so wait in the foreign national line. A quick check on the computer and the four fingers and thumb electronic scan at the immigration kiosk and then taken over to the immigration office to wait. Here the wait was 30 minutes and the same process as Martina was followed. All very straight forward and pretty harmless.

Now been here a week and starting to settle in. Fortuntately I had been here for 10 weeks over two trips in the summer and early fall, so we had already bought a car and had a few other things set up so the transition has been fairly easy so far.