Immigration lines on JFK?

[bahamamama234 25]

Hello everybody, yes I posted a topic already, but it was more about the safety of traveling abroad first time with a temporary conditional GC based in marriage with my husband with me

It seems like is safe and we gonna go, we already bought the tickets anyways but...

Does anybody knows For sure how are the immigration lines organized for international flights coming to USA (from Brasil)?

Are LPR (GC holders) REALLY on the same line as US citizens for sure 100% ?

IF not, can I go with my US citizen husband in the citizens line? Should he go with me in the permanent residents line? Or should we both go separate in case GC holders and US citizens have different lines?

Thanks a lot! I hope this topic also helps other US citizens and GC holders to figure out what line to use

[cho iketeru 2]

I have been through POE in LAX, SFO, MIA, IAH, ATL, and EWR. They all worked the same. If you are traveling with your USC husband you will both use the same line. Even if you are traveling alone, you will use the USC line. You are LPR. You are not a visitor, transient, or non-immigrant.

[M&G 6]

I have been through POE in LAX, SFO, MIA, IAH, ATL, and EWR. They all worked the same. If you are traveling with your USC husband you will both use the same line. Even if you are traveling alone, you will use the USC line. You are LPR. You are not a visitor, transient, or non-immigrant.

I was about to write pretty much the same thing (and I've also been to at least half a dozen international airports in the US). Don't worry, from now on you and your husband will always be on the same line.

[kb9 6]

I was about to write pretty much the same thing (and I've also been to at least half a dozen international airports in the US). Don't worry, from now on you and your husband will always be on the same line.

Not really. I entered the US 6 months ago with my USC spouse. At terminal 4, they have a separate line for US citizens only. A separate one for LPRs (which I joined) and another for visitors.

If your USC spouse chooses, he or she can join you on the LPR line, but you cannot join the citizen line because it requires scanning a US passport through a machine. I heard this is the case only in JFK given the volume of passengers.

[M&G 6]

kb9, thanks for your correction. I haven't been to JFK since 2005 so I didn't know their immigration lines were organized differently.

Jabuticaba 1, good luck and enjoy your trip!

[asisflyer 47]

Not really. I entered the US 6 months ago with my USC spouse. At terminal 4, they have a separate line for US citizens only. A separate one for LPRs (which I joined) and another for visitors.

If your USC spouse chooses, he or she can join you on the LPR line, but you cannot join the citizen line because it requires scanning a US passport through a machine. I heard this is the case only in JFK given the volume of passengers.

yes this is true now.

Many airports including JFK in at least 1 int'l areas are machine readable US passport only in USC lines. First time I saw this was June 2014. In Q4 2013, it had not been changed over and the non-USC could go to the USC line if travelling together. So at one point, the USC was forced into the visitors line for this reason and in another case to the PR line instead as it was shorter.

I expect you'll wind up in visitors or PR line. PR line might be shorter, but can be slower, depends on the flights. A lot of secondary referrals for PRs sometimes when flights come in from regions that people often return to for 6+ months.

Edited May 12, 2015 by asisflyer

[bahamamama234 25]

Noooo way I am going in the visitors line hahah, I was there a year ago with my visa, and was treated very rudely and held on the room for 2 hours just for be a ''pretty young girl'' they thought I was coming here to prostitution because they said I was too pretty and young to be traveling alone, so they called my parents in brasil to make sure I was in law school and that they knew I was traveling here.....

No visitors line hahah, no way....

So what everybody is saying is that is better my US citizen spouse join me in the LPR line?

I heard family gotta stick together in the same line anyway, so if I can't use US citizen line's, he can use the LPR and nobody will be mad at him for doing that right?

Thanks a lot everybody for all the useful and up to date information!

[usmsbow 802]

yes this is true now.

Many airports including JFK in at least 1 int'l areas are machine readable US passport only in USC lines. First time I saw this was June 2014. In Q4 2013, it had not been changed over and the non-USC could go to the USC line if travelling together. So at one point, the USC was forced into the visitors line for this reason and in another case to the PR line instead as it was shorter.

I expect you'll wind up in visitors or PR line. PR line might be shorter, but can be slower, depends on the flights. A lot of secondary referrals for PRs sometimes when flights come in from regions that people often return to for 6+ months.

I don't know anything about JFK, but at O'Hare, there was one line for USC, LPRs, and repeat ESTA visitors when I was there in September. All of them went via the machine reader. At IAD in January, it was USC and LPRs for the machines, while everyone else was in another line.

Point being the machines should be able to read green cards now.

[bahamamama234 25]

I just would like to figure out before we go (which is only in august) which line we are going to use...

I don't wanna get there and have to ask somebody because when it comes to customs, is all about the humor of the person, and if we ask to the wrong one they might tell us to do the wrong thing... it's fun for some of them to make innocent people scared even tho those people are legally authorized to come back to the US...

Should him really go in the GC/LPR line with me or should I go with him in he USC line? I just want him by my side when it happens, but I also don't want anybody yelling at us because one of us was on the wrong line and sending us back to the end of the line or something....

Also, should we fill only one paperwork in the airplane? The one about claiming what you are bringing to the USA that can't be more than 700 dollars, we are not really bringing nothing from Brasil other than personal stuff, I was just wondering if being married we can file just one

Again, I really appreciate this forum and all of you for every help, is very nice to know that there's more people around in the same situation and is kinda sad to know that we gotta be worried when traveling internationally even if we have a green card because some people at the immigration on airports are just so rude...

Edited May 13, 2015 by Jabuticaba 1

[usmsbow 802]

Also, should we fill only one paperwork in the airplane? The one about claiming what you are bringing to the USA that can't be more than 700 dollars, we are not really bringing nothing from Brasil other than personal stuff, I was just wondering if being married we can file just one

Yes. It is one customs form per family, not per person.

[bahamamama234 25]

kb9, thanks for your correction. I haven't been to JFK since 2005 so I didn't know their immigration lines were organized differently.

Jabuticaba 1, good luck and enjoy your trip!

I saw from your flag that you are brazilian as well

While you had your AOS (temporary 2 years green card) , have you traveled internationally? Was it smooth and no many questions since you had your green card /ID/ SSN with you or they still stop and question you a lot like they do to people with visa?

I just don't to make clear I am not scared of anything, I just am scared of being separated from my husband and not going back to our apartment because some people at the imigration where having a bad day lol

I just want to make sure that they are fair and obey the law that says that people traveling for less than a month with their husbands with them and no red flags can go back to their houses...

[M&G 6]

I saw from your flag that you are brazilian as well

While you had your AOS (temporary 2 years green card) , have you traveled internationally? Was it smooth and no many questions since you had your green card /ID/ SSN with you or they still stop and question you a lot like they do to people with visa?

I just don't to make clear I am not scared of anything, I just am scared of being separated from my husband and not going back to our apartment because some people at the imigration where having a bad day lol

I just want to make sure that they are fair and obey the law that says that people traveling for less than a month with their husbands with them and no red flags can go back to their houses...

I did travel overseas once while I had my 2 year GC. I went to Southeast Asia for 21 days, and entered the US through Honolulu International, in Hawaii. My husband and I used the same line (the one for USCs and LPRs) and stayed together. The whole thing took less than 2 minutes, and the only difference in the way the two of us were treated was that I had my fingerprints taken and he didn't. I don't even remember the immigration officer asking us any questions.

Now, they have the right to ask you questions, but it doesn't mean you should be so worried about this. If you know you're not doing anything wrong, just stay calm, answer the questions, and you should be fine.

[bahamamama234 25]

I did travel overseas once while I had my 2 year GC. I went to Southeast Asia for 21 days, and entered the US through Honolulu International, in Hawaii. My husband and I used the same line (the one for USCs and LPRs) and stayed together. The whole thing took less than 2 minutes, and the only difference in the way the two of us were treated was that I had my fingerprints taken and he didn't. I don't even remember the immigration officer asking us any questions.

Now, they have the right to ask you questions, but it doesn't mean you should be so worried about this. If you know you're not doing anything wrong, just stay calm, answer the questions, and you should be fine.

Great answer! My only worry now after all the research I had done was that the LPR and US lines are separated in JFK, but depends the gate, but I am not worried anymore, We are probably going to ask there if we should both go in the LPR line or in the US, but we gonna be together and should be all set

Is true, like you said, if I am not doing anything wrong I shouldn't be worrying...what happened before was cause I had a visa and that makes sense

Muito obrigado!