port of entry questions on Cr1 visa

[acoban 0]

Hi all!

My wife is arriving on US soil on October 20th at JFK Airport in New York City. I'm having trouble finding the wiki that had the answers to some questions I have. Can anyone help with these questions?

1. with the Cr1 Visa, does my wife go to the Visitor's Line or Citizen's Line in the Immigration Section?

2. does she need the I-94 stamp with the Cr1 Visa?

3. should she expect to get the "sealed" documents back? if not, can she at least get some documents back, such as the original Birth Certificate? what about copies of vaccination records?

4. does she require the EAD stamp, or does it not matter because she will have her green card and social security number?

5. just to make sure, she gets her baggage first, right? then she goes to one of the Customs lines?

6. anything else i should consider?

Please help us out VisaJourney! Thanks!

andrew

Edited October 15, 2011 by acoban

[sib 7]

I can at least answer some of your questions:

1. She is considered a resident and goes to that line.

2. Don't know, but normally as a resident you don't get one, so I guess, no.

3. No documents back, the sealed envelope goes to USCIS! You should not have submitted originals and asked for a copy of the vaccination records at the doctors. She could ask the officer, but I doubt they will hand anything back!

4. No stamp.

5. She goes through immigration first, then gets her luggage and then goes with the luggage through customs (another form to be filled out and will be stamped at immigration)

6. She probably will be taken to secondary inspection, it will take a little time but nothing to be concerned about.

Wishing you luck.

Sib

[Done--Really 331]

1) Either line is fine--normally USC & LPR is quicker, so I recommend that one

2) No--never need that again

3) No--you can wait a couple of months and call USCIS and they will return documents--usually

4) No--GC and SS# do the trick

5) She will be taken to a special area for new immigrants once she reaches the first CBP agent. She will be processed--it will take from 5 minutes to an hour depending on how busy they are. Once processed, she will get an I-551 stamp in her passport, and then she can go to pick up her luggage. And she will go through customs with the customs form she filled out on the plane, or she can fill out a new one if she misplaced it.

6) Buy plenty of flowers and smile a lot when she runs into your arms. There is ABSOLUTELY no secondary processing. Once she leaves the immigration area and enters the baggage claim, she is on US soil, and your new life starts at that very moment. It's wonderful !!!

[wee carrington 33]

1) Either line is fine--normally USC & LPR is quicker, so I recommend that one

2) No--never need that again

3) No--you can wait a couple of months and call USCIS and they will return documents--usually

4) No--GC and SS# do the trick

5) She will be taken to a special area for new immigrants once she reaches the first CBP agent. She will be processed--it will take from 5 minutes to an hour depending on how busy they are. Once processed, she will get an I-551 stamp in her passport, and then she can go to pick up her luggage. And she will go through customs with the customs form she filled out on the plane, or she can fill out a new one if she misplaced it.

6) Buy plenty of flowers and smile a lot when she runs into your arms. There is ABSOLUTELY no secondary processing. Once she leaves the immigration area and enters the baggage claim, she is on US soil, and your new life starts at that very moment. It's wonderful !!!

That put a lump in my throat, so lovely!

So once we arrive in the US we can go through the USC line together??

[Done--Really 331]

Hi GH...

Yes, you can go thru either line together

Edited October 15, 2011 by magical

[acoban 0]

magical, sib,

Thanks so much! WOOHOO I can't WAIT ...a long distance relationship for 3 years... this has been a long time coming!

Thanks again!

[Aya820 33]

1) Either line is fine--normally USC & LPR is quicker, so I recommend that one

2) No--never need that again

3) No--you can wait a couple of months and call USCIS and they will return documents--usually

4) No--GC and SS# do the trick

5) She will be taken to a special area for new immigrants once she reaches the first CBP agent. She will be processed--it will take from 5 minutes to an hour depending on how busy they are. Once processed, she will get an I-551 stamp in her passport, and then she can go to pick up her luggage. And she will go through customs with the customs form she filled out on the plane, or she can fill out a new one if she misplaced it.

6) Buy plenty of flowers and smile a lot when she runs into your arms. There is ABSOLUTELY no secondary processing. Once she leaves the immigration area and enters the baggage claim, she is on US soil, and your new life starts at that very moment. It's wonderful !!!

Would #3 apply for IR-1s as well? Or is the envelope received back from the CBP?

Edited October 15, 2011 by Aya820

[Done--Really 331]

Hey Aya...

Applies to everything--they keep the envelope, and after a couple of months you can call USCIS

[caly 48]

Hello everyone, on the topic of picking up your luggage after the "processing" step, I'll fly into JFK in a few short weeks if all goes well with my interview. Since the processing can take quite awhile does anyone know what will happen with your luggage if it sits on the carousel for to long? I want me husband to stay with me and not go off to claim our baggage, but if it takes an hour for processing I'm sure the airport staff will not just leave our bags sitting there. Does JFK have a specific claims area? Any information you might provide is greatly appreciated.

[Aya820 33]

Hey Aya...

Applies to everything--they keep the envelope, and after a couple of months you can call USCIS

Hey magical...thanks for the info

[cathy2904 97]

I don't know if it is the same at all consulates, but I understand that if you ask for them and take copies of your documents with you, London will give you back your original documents at the interview.

[Harsh_77 718]

I would not agree with some of the answer that has been given on here.

She does not go to USC or LPR line.... she does not have LPR status when she lands for first time.

LPR or USC are not required to fill in I-94 white or Green, your wife would be required to fill the I-94 on the flight and hand it over to immigration officer upon entry.

She would have to go to vistor line unless directed by immigration officer otherwise.

Most of the time immigration officer would ask her to wait until someone is free while they process rest of the ppl entering.

She would hand over the envelope, they might ask quick couple question mainly how long you guys been married and they would fill the paper work, take her finger print and once all that is complete they will stamp her passport, which is the GC for 1 year.

They will let her know in general how long it would be before she would get her GC. Her originals should had been returned to her at consulate, they would not giver her anything from the envelope.

Then she would have to proceed to baggage and then go thru customs.

[Purple Turtle 17]

Hello everyone, on the topic of picking up your luggage after the "processing" step, I'll fly into JFK in a few short weeks if all goes well with my interview. Since the processing can take quite awhile does anyone know what will happen with your luggage if it sits on the carousel for to long? I want me husband to stay with me and not go off to claim our baggage, but if it takes an hour for processing I'm sure the airport staff will not just leave our bags sitting there. Does JFK have a specific claims area? Any information you might provide is greatly appreciated.

Our POE was JFK. Unclaimed bags are taken off the conveyor belt by the porters and are left in the middle of the floor for claiming (near the conveyor belt). Don't worry. The process only took me 5-6 minutes. BTW, the luggage area is but a few feet away from the immigration office. We found it best that he tend to the bags after the POE officer told me to wait in the office after stamping my passport.

[Done--Really 331]

Hey Harsh...

Sorry, but this time you are incorrect--which is really rare since most of the time you are right on.

She can go to whatever line she likes. Some airports have a special line for new immigrants--not sure about JFK--but there is ABSOLUTELY no requirement to go to the visitor's line--REALLY !!!

I-94 is also ABSOLUTELY not required...if she fills it out, the CBP folks will smaile, and throw it in the trash.

And they will not make her wait at the CBP checkpoint if that is what you are thinking--she will be taken right away to an area where they process new immigrants, and it is there that she might have to wait a bit if they are particularly busy.

[caly 48]

Our POE was JFK. Unclaimed bags are taken off the conveyor belt by the porters and are left in the middle of the floor for claiming (near the conveyor belt). Don't worry. The process only took me 5-6 minutes. BTW, the luggage area is but a few feet away from the immigration office. We found it best that he tend to the bags after the POE officer told me to wait in the office after stamping my passport.

Thank you for your insight.