POE related questions

[karimaelo 0]

Hi,

Planning my POE in the mid of October.

1. What is the advisable lay over time between connection flights in the US. (Between POE airport and final destination airport)? 3:45 hrs is fine?

2. When I had my interview in may, I answered the guy who interviewed me that I will enter the US. in the mid of July. But I couldn't do it since I am still waiting for University certificates to be issued. Will this cause any issues when I enter? my visa is still valid. I am worried that my answers are logged in to a system where they can review them at the time of entry.

3. Is it fine if I just stay for 2 weeks in the US. and go back to my country to continue the processing and the evaluation of these University certificates? Then come back to the US. two months later?

Thanks,

[karimaelo 0]

I have another question!! the expiry date of my IR1 visa is October/28... is it fine if I enter the US on 15 of October?

[arken 4,197]

1. 3.5 hrs layover between connecting flights is more than enough.

2. Even if your answers are logged, it does not matter. Plans change all the time, You would be fine. It's very unlikely that they will review and ask you why you are travelling late. In any case you will have convincing reasons.

3. You can travel back to your country to do what you said but make sure either you have received the green card before you leave or you have had your passport stamped with new i551 stamp to be able to return back with valid immigrant visa since your current one will have expired by that time.

4. I don't see a reason why you cannot do that. Just in case you are asked, be prepared with good reasons.

[jostermacedo 52]

Hi Karimaelo,

answering your questions:

1) The POE processing can take minutes or hours. Everything depends on the CBP officer at the airport. In my case the whole process took 15 minutes, but if you search here in the forum you'll see cases that takes a few hours to finish. I believe a layover of 3:45 hours is fine, but I'll might miss the connecting flight.

2) No issue whatsoever as long as you arrive at the US before or on the expiration date of you visa. You can enter the US for the first time until Oct 28th.

3) If your visa is the IR1 (spouse), the Visa on your passport becomes a temporary green card upon endorsement (the stamp they you put in it at the POE). You can even get a flight back home at the same day you arrive. Of course you have to live in the US to keep your green card. Take a look at the visa a see the message printed "upon endorsement...".

Hi,

Planning my POE in the mid of October.

1. What is the advisable lay over time between connection flights in the US. (Between POE airport and final destination airport)? 3:45 hrs is fine?

2. When I had my interview in may, I answered the guy who interviewed me that I will enter the US. in the mid of July. But I couldn't do it since I am still waiting for University certificates to be issued. Will this cause any issues when I enter? my visa is still valid. I am worried that my answers are logged in to a system where they can review them at the time of entry.

3. Is it fine if I just stay for 2 weeks in the US. and go back to my country to continue the processing and the evaluation of these University certificates? Then come back to the US. two months later?

Thanks,

Edited July 25, 2015 by jostermacedo

[C and S 9]

1 - you should be find with 3:45hrs

2 - people do changes flights from time to time, so plan does changed. they will not question you on that

3 - CR1/IR1 visa has stipulation of temporary green card. so you are okay to travel after 2 weeks of stay

TAKE NOTE tho : I came here on March this year, stayed 1 month in US then went to Philippines for 1 month then came back. Then I was sent to secondary at the POE. officer asked me where's my green card, told him I ddnt have it with me, we just it in mail 2 days ago. he asked me if I have any special document to travel, told him I dont have. told him as well that I called USCIS to re confirm that I can travel and come back without my green card. He then told me I should have waited for my green card. Then, I was sent to secondary, after maybe 30 minutes of sitting there and wondering what's gonna happened. I was called and was told I am good to go and welcome back to the US. they never asked me anything.

Our visa is good as temporary green card. but in my experience, it is still safer to wait for the green card to be in hand. Guess it was just my luck.

4 - yes you are okay with that. just don't fly 2 or 1 day before the expiry date.

[kmula 7]

If your medical exams expire before your visa does, you might wanna leave before that date

[karimaelo 0]

If your medical exams expire before your visa does, you might wanna leave before that date

I had my medical on 28/April, my interview was on 6/May. The expiration of my visa is 28/October so it seems they already gave me the visa with the expiration of the medical test. Although when I asked the doctor at the time of my medical, about the expiration of the medical test, he said there is no expiration date for the medical.

But it seems US. embassy automatically calculates it and make it the expiry date of the visa!! Am I correct?

By the way thanks all for you great answers. It really helped me plan.

Thanks