Point of Entry - What to expect?

[jahmakeka 8]

I would like to share my experience at Atlanta POE yesterday...

First, I went in one of the "visitors" booths. The officer there took my sealed envelope and my passport. He also took a photo of me. Then, he put my stuff in a plastic folder and escorted me to the Tripod. I waited there for about 30'. The airport was very busy yesterday!

The officer at the Tripod never took my fingerprints. He asked me a few questions:

-What did you come here to do? - I came here to get married!

-When are you planning to do that? - (Gave him the date)

-And you're going to stay? - I will apply for AOS

They did not keep my x-ray. I told them that, according to the Embassy, I was supposed to deliver it at the POE. He said: No, we are not doctors! Keep it and give it to your doctor to have it in your medical history.

They also asked me several times if I have any food with me and what kind of food was that. I told them. They never asked to search my suitcases.

After typing some of my data in their system, they gave me a sheet with information for my next steps, handed me my stamped passport and wished me Good Luck!

That was it! As sipmply as it could be!

The question is: what about the fingerprints? Has this happened to anyone else? I mean, them not taking the fingerprints at this point?

Congratulations Kev N Ann. This is a great post! I was concerned about the wait times because my fiancé has my 13 month old son and you know kids can get very impatient. Also as you know we have a very large Airport. I will also share my experience here for those who are traveling on a K-1 and K-2 visas. My entire family will be arriving March 4th. Again congratulations and I wish you the best with your fiancé and a long happy life together.

[Kev-N-Ann 45]

Congratulations Kev N Ann. This is a great post! I was concerned about the wait times because my fiancé has my 13 month old son and you know kids can get very impatient. Also as you know we have a very large Airport. I will also share my experience here for those who are traveling on a K-1 and K-2 visas. My entire family will be arriving March 4th. Again congratulations and I wish you the best with your fiancé and a long happy life together.

Thank you!

Good luck to you, too! I hope everything will go smoothly and you will also have a great life in the U.S.!

[jared619 0]

Also, if you are traveling with your fiancee then you can both enter together on the US Citizen side. I traveled with my fiancee who had her POE at Dulles. They told us to both go to the US Citizen line. When we went through the checkpoint the Officer took her packet and passport. Took her fingerprints and photo and asked when the wedding was. Then he stamped her passport.

[Hank_ 9,174]

We'll we finally have the tickets purchased. I have two questions. Do the K-1 have to pay the immigration fee of $165 (ELIS)? What instructions do she and I need to do at immigration once she arrives at the Point of Entry with her packet?

There is no ELIS fee for the K-1, that is an immigrant visa fee, K-1 is non-immigrant visa.

At POE she hand over her DO NOT OPEN envelope (she keeps the CD and DS-3025 she was given at St. Luke's), many times the have a special counter for doing this and most times there is a CBP agent at the front of the room that can guide her to the right place. It depends on the airport whether you can both process through the USC counter, when my wife processed through POE they had a special counter, I went with her as well.

For the most part POE is very quick (once you get to the counter )

[jahmakeka 8]

@VJ Members. She will be traveling alone with the kids. At the Point of Entry (Immigration) did any of you get a security pass to the Immigration area just in case your beneficiary needed assistance or do they not allow anyone through?