Confused on how to enter back into the US

[MmmBlondie 8]

I am a GC holder and in a few days my husband and I are traveling up to NY for a friends wedding & then flying back to the UK so we can visit friends & family.

I will be using my British passport to fly back to the UK but when we fly back home to the US what immigration line do I wait in? Do I just stand in the US citizen line and show them my green card?

[xgrnberet1 19]

Yes, that's exactly what you should do.

[Nikita2Charles 31]

Since you are going to be with him when you fly back and he's a US citizen you can stay in the US citizen line, if you are by yourself follow the custom agent's direction, beside the postings there's usually one around telling people which line to join in. I'ldve seen cases where the agents ask usc and green card holder to join the same line and people with visa to join the tourist line.

[John and Camie 39]

_{Yep, you go in the USC queue with your husband upon your return.}

_{Apparently, it works the other way around, too. My husband and I just returned from a few months in England. I usually go in the non-citizens' queue at Heathrow or Gatwick and then meet my husband in the duty-free section, but the customs officer interviewing me said that since I'm the spouse of a UK citizen, I could wait in the citizens' queue with him next time. Maybe that will help your husband when you arrive in the UK. Have a great trip. x}

Edited August 23, 2014 by John and Camie

[MmmBlondie 8]

Thanks everyone and thanks for the tip about UK immigration. I will ask when we get to LHR if he can come with me through the UK citizen line.

While I'm over there I'm looking to have my passport changed to my married name. If I can't will they question me in regards to my passport/tickets being in a different name to my GC?

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

Thanks everyone and thanks for the tip about UK immigration. I will ask when we get to LHR if he can come with me through the UK citizen line.

While I'm over there I'm looking to have my passport changed to my married name. If I can't will they question me in regards to my passport/tickets being in a different name to my GC?

LHR told me the same thing our first (only) trip back...go through the UK line with your husband.

If your passport and greencard don't match or your passport and ticket don't match, carry your marriage certificate to show the name change. LHR told me that too, but it is well discussed on VJ as well. It is a lot easier with the airlines to have your ticket in the same name as your passport.

[MmmBlondie 8]

I was going to travel with my marriage certificate just in case so hopefully it's all smooth sailing

Thank you

[NuHere 6]

I am a GC holder and in a few days my husband and I are traveling up to NY for a friends wedding & then flying back to the UK so we can visit friends & family.

I will be using my British passport to fly back to the UK but when we fly back home to the US what immigration line do I wait in? Do I just stand in the US citizen line and show them my green card?

There are 3 lines.. US citizens, residents and visitors. Technically, you should stand in the line for residents. But since you're coming with your husband who is a US citizen, perhaps, as others pointed out, it's ok for you to join him in the citizen line.

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

There are 3 lines.. US citizens, residents and visitors. Technically, you should stand in the line for residents. But since you're coming with your husband who is a US citizen, perhaps, as others pointed out, it's ok for you to join him in the citizen line.

These lines seem to vary by airport, and possibly by terminal and even time of day. When I entered JFK (at the BA terminal) last time, residents and citizens were one line. But I am sure that previously at JFK I have seen separate lines as you described above.

When we entered at SFO, there were separate lines but it was pretty quiet and CBP officials were directing people so as to keep the queues short rather than necessarily to the "correct" window.

Edited August 24, 2014 by SusieQQQ

[KayDeeCee 4,891]

~ Moved from General Immigration-Related Discussion to Working and Traveling During US Immigration - topic is travel ~

[nobbie 105]

What you don't do is go to the visitors queue. I have never seen separate residents and citizens queues but if there are then obviously go to the residents. I have seen visitors to the US with their USC spouses being sent from citizens/ residents queue to visitors queue but only when they are on a visa not with GC.

[Dave&Roza 748]

Stay with your husband as you only need to complete one Customs Declaration form per family. If you separate, you will each need to complete this form and getting thru Customs can be a bit harder. At MSP and Denver there are lines for Visitors with about 2 CBP inspecting people and a line for USC and LPR with 5-9 CBP inspecting people. The USC and LPR line was much longer, but I got thru much faster than the people I was travelling with that went thru the visitor line. You should only have to show the GC upon returning to the US, but the last time we can back to the US the CBP person wanted to see my wife's passport so she could stamp it and put 'OOC" and 21 for the number of days she was outside the US.

Good luck,

Dave

[Mollie09 1,543]

Just as a note on this, some airports are installing POE kiosks for US citizens which can't be used by GC holders. My husband and I were kicked off the USC line because of this at BOS.