Interviews Islamabad Embassy June 2015

[AUMER 3]

So I'm flying in 24 hours with family to the states. We're planning to carry USD with us. I've heard that US customs requires that the amount of cash be less than $10k, but Pakistan has set the limit to $5k. Anybody know about this?

congrat ....wish u all the best

share your experience after arrival.......

[M.hassan 1]

any update on passport?

[hamzaisha 7]

Getting the birth certificate made in Pakistan is a nightmare.

[I N KHAN 0]

any update on passport?

Sorry are asking me?

[Safarjal 3]

Thanks for the info about vaccination record photocopy. We hadn't thought about that.

We applied for NICOP before leaving. We left an authority letter, (received the template from NADRA) for the next friend coming to the states who will bring our cards with him. Apparently NICOP is required for green card holders.

InshaAllah I will update once we get there. Thank you everyone for the kind wishes and please pray for us to have an easy trip.

[AUMER 3]

Have a nice and safe Journey

[Safarjal 3]

Updating about POE.

We took tickets with Emirate Airlines from Lahore to Seattle, WA with a stop at Dubai fot 4 hours. The airline was efficient and on time.

Seattle Airport was not very busy compared to the bigger airports. The processing was fast and efficient, the officers were welcoming. Unfortunately I can't tell you how long it took, as I wasn't watching the time. It still took an hour or so of standing in line though

Two things were glitchy with our case. One was that our destination was given as Ohio on our green card address and visa application, but we had changed our minds about where to go, so we were going to Seattle. The officer asked who was in Seattle, where we were going to stay (friends), their address and phone number, and whether we wanted green card mailed there (no).

The other glitch was that we were given a customs form to fill out on the plane that we had to hand in at the airport. As it happened, we had assumed that the limit for money (USD 10,000) was per head. Actually it applies to the whole family, especially when the wife is not earning and so it's all technically one person's money. So all together, we were over the limit for not having to declare. Luckily we asked and were told that we had to declare and fill out a form, but that it was not illegal. The officer filled the form for us on her computer and printed it too. Also, we had miswak and dry packaged airplane food (biscuits and stuff) as well as a Nestlé Milk Pak for my son. We asked and were told we had to declare that too. We offered to trash it at the airport instead, but they said no, that there is a special bin they dispose of unwanted stuff in. When we got to the officer, she didn't even look at the stuff, and let us take it.

If I was doing this again, I would leave the airplane food in the airplane and carry less than the limit of money. But as it was, they didn't hassle us at all, just made us fill out some extra forms. They said that as long as you make sure to declare everything that you are even doubtful about, there's no trouble, but if they catch you with something that you didn't declare, they will make tons of trouble for you.

They didn't make us open any of our bags, and didn't look through our stuff, checked in or carry on. We also didn't face any harassment despite the fact that I wear a burqa and cover my face, and my husband has a full beard.

In a standard case, they ask you for the filled out customs form, the visa packet, scan your passports and visas, finger print you and take a digital photograph and ask questions like, are you carrying more than $10k cash? Who are you staying with? Where did you come from? Do you have a job here? Etc. They just want oral answers, not proof of everything.

They didn't keep our X-ray disc, I don't know why. I think they didn't even look at it, though I may have missed that bit

[M.hassan 1]

any update ppl

[Shabaz 67]

Updating about POE.

We took tickets with Emirate Airlines from Lahore to Seattle, WA with a stop at Dubai fot 4 hours. The airline was efficient and on time.

Seattle Airport was not very busy compared to the bigger airports. The processing was fast and efficient, the officers were welcoming. Unfortunately I can't tell you how long it took, as I wasn't watching the time. It still took an hour or so of standing in line though

Two things were glitchy with our case. One was that our destination was given as Ohio on our green card address and visa application, but we had changed our minds about where to go, so we were going to Seattle. The officer asked who was in Seattle, where we were going to stay (friends), their address and phone number, and whether we wanted green card mailed there (no).

The other glitch was that we were given a customs form to fill out on the plane that we had to hand in at the airport. As it happened, we had assumed that the limit for money (USD 10,000) was per head. Actually it applies to the whole family, especially when the wife is not earning and so it's all technically one person's money. So all together, we were over the limit for not having to declare. Luckily we asked and were told that we had to declare and fill out a form, but that it was not illegal. The officer filled the form for us on her computer and printed it too. Also, we had miswak and dry packaged airplane food (biscuits and stuff) as well as a Nestlé Milk Pak for my son. We asked and were told we had to declare that too. We offered to trash it at the airport instead, but they said no, that there is a special bin they dispose of unwanted stuff in. When we got to the officer, she didn't even look at the stuff, and let us take it.

If I was doing this again, I would leave the airplane food in the airplane and carry less than the limit of money. But as it was, they didn't hassle us at all, just made us fill out some extra forms. They said that as long as you make sure to declare everything that you are even doubtful about, there's no trouble, but if they catch you with something that you didn't declare, they will make tons of trouble for you.

They didn't make us open any of our bags, and didn't look through our stuff, checked in or carry on. We also didn't face any harassment despite the fact that I wear a burqa and cover my face, and my husband has a full beard.

In a standard case, they ask you for the filled out customs form, the visa packet, scan your passports and visas, finger print you and take a digital photograph and ask questions like, are you carrying more than $10k cash? Who are you staying with? Where did you come from? Do you have a job here? Etc. They just want oral answers, not proof of everything.

They didn't keep our X-ray disc, I don't know why. I think they didn't even look at it, though I may have missed that bit

Thanx for sharing ur POE experience...it is quite helpful and encouraging.

[Safarjal 3]

Our friends here, after hearing our experience, say that we had a very easy POE experience. None of the had Seattle as POE. One friend related that they were kept in the New York airport, their POE, for 3 days for questioning and asked over and over questions like: Do you know how to fire a gun? I'm sure you do, coming from the place that you do. This friend replied that he had never fired a gun outside of counterstrike, which just got them angrier.

To anybody who has not yet decided on POE, let me recommend Seattle, and disrecommend New York, based on the experience of 1 person in each case.

[Shabaz 67]

Safarjal....did u protect ur visa or not...? And how much u paid for Nicop....is it necessary for green card...? I already have a Nicop bcz I went to Saudi Arabia 2 years ago...but it is written Saudi Arabia with the country of stay line at Nicop....should I need to amend it...?

[Safarjal 3]

No, we did not protect our visas. The Protector department told us that that was specifically for work visas.

We applied for NICOPs at NADRA. There's a separate NICOP that costs more for USA, UK, etc, than for Saudia. It's possible you'll need the USA one. I think the USA NICOP cost a bit more than 10,000 rupees (10500, if I remember right) per head. NADRA says that it's required for every Pakistani living abroad, Green Card holders too. The Pakistanis here say that Pakistan embassy refuses to deal or provide any services to a Pakistani until he shows a valid NICOP. So far, we haven't needed our NICOPs for anything (not even exit from Pakistan), but we're expecting a child soon, and will need to have that baby registered as a Pakistani citizen with Pakistani Form-B, NICOP and Passport ASAP, so for us it is mandatory to get NICOPs, in order to deal with Pakistan embassy in the future.

You can also apply for and get a NICOP from the Pakistan embassy in USA, after arriving here. Our assumption was that it would be more expensive, more of a hassle, and take longer, but we don't have any actual experience with that.

I'm sure that in the normal run of things, if you are not planning to visit Pakistan again after immigration, and do not need to deal with Pakistani embassy, then the US authorities will not be requiring you to have either a NICOP, or a CNIC.

[Safarjal 3]

One more thing. They make you surrender your CNIC when you apply for NICOP nowadays. So until your NICOP turns up, you won't have any Pakistani Id except your Passport and driving license. If you need to do any phone sim work, or bank stuff that requires Id, better to do it before applying.

[Safarjal 3]

Our friends here, after hearing our experience, say that we had a very easy POE experience. None of the had Seattle as POE. One friend related that they were kept in the New York airport, their POE, for 3 days for questioning and asked over and over questions like: Do you know how to fire a gun? I'm sure you do, coming from the place that you do. This friend replied that he had never fired a gun outside of counterstrike, which just got them angrier.

To anybody who has not yet decided on POE, let me recommend Seattle, and disrecommend New York, based on the experience of 1 person in each case.

Sorry, I misunderstood this story. My husband corrected me. Apparently the friend was in questioning for 3 hours, not 3 days, along with his aged mother. I'm sorry, I don't know how to edit.

[AUMER 3]

No, we did not protect our visas. The Protector department told us that that was specifically for work visas.

We applied for NICOPs at NADRA. There's a separate NICOP that costs more for USA, UK, etc, than for Saudia. It's possible you'll need the USA one. I think the USA NICOP cost a bit more than 10,000 rupees (10500, if I remember right) per head. NADRA says that it's required for every Pakistani living abroad, Green Card holders too. The Pakistanis here say that Pakistan embassy refuses to deal or provide any services to a Pakistani until he shows a valid NICOP. So far, we haven't needed our NICOPs for anything (not even exit from Pakistan), but we're expecting a child soon, and will need to have that baby registered as a Pakistani citizen with Pakistani Form-B, NICOP and Passport ASAP, so for us it is mandatory to get NICOPs, in order to deal with Pakistan embassy in the future.

You can also apply for and get a NICOP from the Pakistan embassy in USA, after arriving here. Our assumption was that it would be more expensive, more of a hassle, and take longer, but we don't have any actual experience with that.

I'm sure that in the normal run of things, if you are not planning to visit Pakistan again after immigration, and do not need to deal with Pakistani embassy, then the US authorities will not be requiring you to have either a NICOP, or a CNIC.

Safarjal...means there is no need for NICOP and protector ...am i right?