K1 Approved! how long will I need in airport to get through immigration

[robrl 0]

Hey everyone,

So I got approved for the visa and received everything back! The forum has been a great help!
Now I'm just looking for flights to the states

Question is how long does it usually take to go through immigration/customs at the airport when using a K1 Visa? I'll be entering the us from Vancouver airport.

I seem to only have 2 flight options. One having a 3 hour layover and the other is 10 hours...obviously id love to take the 3 hour one but is that going to be enough time? I know the airport fairly well so assuming the flight lands on time I would have around 2.5 hours once I get to the immigration line to wait in line, talk to them and find my gate.

Not sure if this would effect anything but I have been denied entry at that port and was able to withdraw my application to enter. This was 7 months ago and the reason for being denied was for having spent too much time in the states (with my fiancée) over the past 1.5 years. I assume this will delay the process a bit but 3 hours worth?

Thanks

[ryna 132]

Hey everyone,

So I got approved for the visa and received everything back! The forum has been a great help!

Now I'm just looking for flights to the states

Question is how long does it usually take to go through immigration/customs at the airport when using a K1 Visa? I'll be entering the us from Vancouver airport.

I seem to only have 2 flight options. One having a 3 hour layover and the other is 10 hours...obviously id love to take the 3 hour one but is that going to be enough time? I know the airport fairly well so assuming the flight lands on time I would have around 2.5 hours once I get to the immigration line to wait in line, talk to them and find my gate.

Not sure if this would effect anything but I have been denied entry at that port and was able to withdraw my application to enter. This was 7 months ago and the reason for being denied was for having spent too much time in the states (with my fiancée) over the past 1.5 years. I assume this will delay the process a bit but 3 hours worth?

Thanks

3 hours should be sufficient. The worst case is you'll miss your flight and be put on the next. I don't think the earlier denials will cause any delay longer than a question/comment.

[heo luoi 206]

This can vary greatly depending on airport, times ...etc. Its a gamble....with your history you could perhaps suspect more of a hiccup as well.

[baron555 934]

3 hours should be fine. Usually it takes about 1 hour.

[Limey 551]

I had 3 hours at Charlotte, it was plenty of time, the queues weren't long but I had to wait around 30 mins in a waiting room while someone processed the package. Then it was all sorted and I was on my way. I'd go for the 3 hour layover, worst that happens is you miss the connection and get bumped to the later one.

Edited May 5, 2016 by Limey

[robrl 0]

Awesome, thanks for the replies everyone! Just booked the 3 hour layover!

Fingers crossed!

[PickleChips 56]

Vancouver has customs anyways, you will be processed before you actually leave the country then free to transfer flights once you get there.

[NikLR 13,227]

Awesome, thanks for the replies everyone! Just booked the 3 hour layover!

Fingers crossed!

I'm assuming your layover is in Vancouver?

That day you can also check the customs lines before you go. If it was winter, I'd say get the 10 hr layover, but it's spring and it's Vancouver.

Edited May 6, 2016 by NLR

[KayDeeCee 4,893]

~ Moved from K-1 Process to Working & Traveling During US Immigration - topic is travel ~

[Unidentified 2,930]

Hey everyone,

So I got approved for the visa and received everything back! The forum has been a great help!

Now I'm just looking for flights to the states

Question is how long does it usually take to go through immigration/customs at the airport when using a K1 Visa? I'll be entering the us from Vancouver airport.

I seem to only have 2 flight options. One having a 3 hour layover and the other is 10 hours...obviously id love to take the 3 hour one but is that going to be enough time? I know the airport fairly well so assuming the flight lands on time I would have around 2.5 hours once I get to the immigration line to wait in line, talk to them and find my gate.

Not sure if this would effect anything but I have been denied entry at that port and was able to withdraw my application to enter. This was 7 months ago and the reason for being denied was for having spent too much time in the states (with my fiancée) over the past 1.5 years. I assume this will delay the process a bit but 3 hours worth?

Thanks

It all greatly depends on what time of day you're arriving and how big the airport is. Airports, just like traffic, has rush hour, which is when the majority of international flights arrive. At least at Dulles International, which is a pretty busy airport, that rush hour is around midday. There's an amazing amount of flights in customs at the same time and you can be stuck for more than an hour. So I usually try to arrive in the evening when there's usually only 2 flights in customs, sometimes only mine depending on when Lufthansa arrive.

Remember that when you arrive in the US you will have to get your luggage, go through customs and then check into your domestic flight. You will have to be checked in an hour before your flight. If you're arriving in rush hour you might want to consider the 10 hour layover. If you're not arriving in rush hour you should have plenty of time with 3 hours. But again, this depends on how busy the airport is. I'm not familiar with Vancouver.

[JFH 12,190]

Vancouver is the only airport where I saw no queue at all. I came round the corner expecting to see hundreds of people in a line all waiting and saw a row of desks with officers looking very bored waiting for something to do. I went to the first desk and he was obviously so used to stamping Canadian passports that he stamped mine for 6 months, closed it, saw it was a UK passport and quickly crossed out the stamp and re-did it for 90 days. Nobody else came to the desks in the whole time I was there,

It was a Thursday afternoon in June, if that helps.

[robrl 0]

I'm assuming your layover is in Vancouver?

That day you can also check the customs lines before you go. If it was winter, I'd say get the 10 hr layover, but it's spring and it's Vancouver.

Yeah I have a direct flight to Vancouver and then the 3 hour layover. How and where can I check the customs line before I go? Also what exactly would checking do to help me out?

Absolutely agree I wouldn't of risked flights being on time in winter hahah.

Vancouver is the only airport where I saw no queue at all. I came round the corner expecting to see hundreds of people in a line all waiting and saw a row of desks with officers looking very bored waiting for something to do. I went to the first desk and he was obviously so used to stamping Canadian passports that he stamped mine for 6 months, closed it, saw it was a UK passport and quickly crossed out the stamp and re-did it for 90 days. Nobody else came to the desks in the whole time I was there,

It was a Thursday afternoon in June, if that helps.

Actually the only other time I had to go through Vancouver US immigration was on a Monday at 2pm and the same thing happened to me, entered the room and saw 1 other person waiting to go through the line. I'll be getting in Vancouver around that time again on a Tuesday, so hoping for the best!

[NikLR 13,227]

https://www.cbp.gov/border-security/ports-entry/operations/vancouver-international-airport-preclearance-queue-times