Thinking ahead about POE and Immigration hours of operation

[JnRMo 16]

You would go through the "US Citizens" line and your fiancée will go through the "Non-Citizens" line. You should arrange to meet after she goes through immigration processing, maybe at luggage claim/recheck (if you have a connecting flight you'll have to claim your luggage and then re-check it to go on through the system to your end destination.) I would allow at least 2 hours on the connecting flight time, just to make sure you've got enough time to make your connection. If it goes fast, you can wander around. If it seems like you'll miss your flight because of immigration processing, you can always go to the airline counter and alert them that you'll need to re-book.

Is this accurate everywhere? When I went through immigration a week ago there were the standard US Citizens/Non-Citizens line... but then at the far end of the US Citizens counters there was an immigrant visa line that was completely empty. Seems like it would be quicker to just get in the line moving faster and get redirected over there.

[Enigma11561 336]

Sooner or later we must all get to the point where we are trying to schedule airline flights.

I figure now while we are waiting is a good time to look ahead and know what i have to work around when the time comes.

So I ask, do we or does my fiancee take a red eye and arrive at a U.S. airport at 5:30 am or 1:00pm or 7:00pm and if so what about their connector flight. Will we or my fiancee miss her connector or get stuck in the airport all night waiting for the immigrations office to open??

Question being what are the hours operation for immigration offices at the airports?

I searched and saw many discussions about the POE but did not find anywhere where there were any links to show what the hours of operations are for the airports immigrations. Surely they have certain hours where the immigrant and non-immgrant visa proceesing. One would think this not a 24hr a day operation like normal entry. Has anyone read where or found where such hours are posted.

I searched CBP site and Immigration and did not see any cpear answers.

The airport we are looking in particular if JFK. And are looking at coming in on a red eye arriving at 5:30am we would then have to switch over to Laguardia and leave out at either 8:45 am, 10:45am or mid afternoon.

JFK is open 24/7. No need to worry about that. But I would not count on making a 8:45 flt out of LGA if arriving at JFK at 5:30. Go for the 10:45 flt and relax.

[hopeful 4 XMas 19]

JFK is open 24/7. No need to worry about that. But I would not count on making a 8:45 flt out of LGA if arriving at JFK at 5:30. Go for the 10:45 flt and relax.

I see what you are saying, I came this exact route by myself when I returned from seeing my fiancée almost three months ago. The plane was due to arrive at 5:30 am we actually arrived at 4:30am and I went through immigration, got my bags and caught a shuttle and was at LaGuardia checking in by 6:30am.

But like you said take our time and relax. one never knows we could hit a strong head wind and be an hour late instead of an hour early and that would stress us out and instead of relaxing and sleeping on the 13 hours flight we would be watching the flight screen to so how we were for time.

Yes I am thinking ahead, but I like to have some sort of a plan and know what is what so when the time comes it makes it easier to figure out flights and such.

[Ortolan 381]

The experience I describe was in Atlanta Hartsfield Airport (I should've said that to begin with...sorry ). There they divided the plane crowd into "US Passports/Citizens" and "Other Passports/Non-Citizens."

[Lainie B 465]

Is this accurate everywhere? When I went through immigration a week ago there were the standard US Citizens/Non-Citizens line... but then at the far end of the US Citizens counters there was an immigrant visa line that was completely empty. Seems like it would be quicker to just get in the line moving faster and get redirected over there.

Different airports have different categories of lines. Most of the ones I've seen have lines for "US citizens/green card holders" and other lines for the rest, but it depends on the airport. However staff will also move travelers between different types of lines, depending on which are free. I've been moved to the US citizen/green card holder line as a visitor, and I've been moved to the visitor line as a green card holder. The US citizen booths can screen non-US citizens, and vice versa. US citizens and their non-US visitor spouse can go through the US citizen line together and be processed together. The separate lines are really just a method of creating efficiency. US citizens are fastest to process so they put them in a separate line so they can get through quickly. Most other countries do the same thing.

Edited September 22, 2014 by Lainie B

[Eric-Pris 1,602]

JFK is my home airport. Immigration (secondary) is open 24/7. My fiance came in at 1:30am on a K-1 and was processed, we left the airport at 3am. Long wait.

As for which line to go into. There are 3 lines (visitors, greencard, us citizens). Go in together into the visitors line. Even after my wife had a greencard, we would travel and always go together into the GC line. I have done this numerous times.

[hopeful 4 XMas 19]

Thanks, I was thinking I would do that when the time comes.

[Enigma11561 336]

I see what you are saying, I came this exact route by myself when I returned from seeing my fiancée almost three months ago. The plane was due to arrive at 5:30 am we actually arrived at 4:30am and I went through immigration, got my bags and caught a shuttle and was at LaGuardia checking in by 6:30am.

But like you said take our time and relax. one never knows we could hit a strong head wind and be an hour late instead of an hour early and that would stress us out and instead of relaxing and sleeping on the 13 hours flight we would be watching the flight screen to so how we were for time.

Yes I am thinking ahead, but I like to have some sort of a plan and know what is what so when the time comes it makes it easier to figure out flights and such.

Remember you are a US citizen. She is not. Don't forget about immigration time frames upon entry. Sometimes my wife clears in 45 minutes and sometimes1.5 hours depending upon the number of flights arriving.

[hopeful 4 XMas 19]

Thanks I will do so,

[Eric-Pris 1,602]

Remember you are a US citizen. She is not. Don't forget about immigration time frames upon entry. Sometimes my wife clears in 45 minutes and sometimes1.5 hours depending upon the number of flights arriving.

Are you saying that you and your wife go through immigration separately? So you each fill out an immigration form? It's supposed to be one per family, no?

I have never heard of families splitting up into different lines before.

[usmsbow 796]

Are you saying that you and your wife go through immigration separately? So you each fill out an immigration form? It's supposed to be one per family, no?

I have never heard of families splitting up into different lines before.

You mean customs form right? No one entering via land or sea fills an immigration form out since that info is sent to CBP electronically now. And yes, one customs form per family, not per individual.