Entering country with USC wife...which line should I go to?

[Daisy.Chain 317]

We (USC and conditional PR spouse) were not allowed to use the USC line, which was about 15 min. Instead we were obliged to spend 6 hours in Miami waiting in another line. No restroom was available or food was allowed to be purchased, and no chairs.

 

That visit is the reason we got global express cards, though I've heard that after ROC they don't work until you get the new green card.

[KeratNY 76]

5 minutes ago, Daisy.Chain said:

We (USC and conditional PR spouse) were not allowed to use the USC line, which was about 15 min. Instead we were obliged to spend 6 hours in Miami waiting in another line. No restroom was available or food was allowed to be purchased, and no chairs.

 

That visit is the reason we got global express cards, though I've heard that after ROC they don't work until you get the new green card.

This is exactly what I'm afraid of, and why comments like "it won't kill you to wait in a longer line" (@dianeandchris) or "you're overthinking this" (@mindthegap) are misguided. It would put my USC wife under immense stress to wait for hours in a line followed by hours in secondary processing, and I want to do everything I can to avoid this, and US Citizen/PR lines tend to be much shorter/faster. 

Edited May 16, 2018 by KeratNY

[KeratNY 76]

3 hours ago, payxibka said:

You cannot go through the USC line as you are not eligible to use the kiosks

 

APC kiosks can be utilized by U.S. citizens, U.S. legal permanent residents, Canadian citizens, travelers utilizing ESTA (Visa Waiver Program), and travelers entering with a B1/B2 or D visa.

 

You are none of the above

Actually I am a Canadian citizen lol. But a longtime B2 overstay applying for AoS so not sure what that means

[mushroomspore 3,043]

2 hours ago, KeratNY said:

Actually, thinking about this a little more and it can't be right. The line is a combined US Citizen/Permanent Resident line, so no one would ever accuse someone of seeking to be a US citizen in a combined line. Your larger point, though, about the risk of appearances, is noted

Yes, another poster pointed this out to me in this thread. But those with pending AoS are not YET technically PR's so it's understandable to be confused as to which line to go to.

 

In my previous post, the students were specifically told by CBP that by going into the US citizen line, they were attempting to represent themselves as US citizens, which they were not (nor were they PR's). Ever since my adviser shared that story, I've been very paranoid and would not risk being suspected or accused of misrepresentation. But I don't have a concrete answer to this; only my personal interpretation.

Edited May 16, 2018 by mushroomspore

[mindthegap 2,543]

 

 

8 hours ago, KeratNY said:

This is exactly what I'm afraid of, and why comments like "it won't kill you to wait in a longer line" (@dianeandchris) or "you're overthinking this" (@mindthegap) are misguided. It would put my USC wife under immense stress to wait for hours in a line followed by hours in secondary processing, and I want to do everything I can to avoid this, and US Citizen/PR lines tend to be much shorter/faster. 

How is it misguided? My comment was trying to minimise as much as possible the hassle and potential wait for you.

 

I said 'you are overthinking this' is because my opinion is that you really are.

Your status doesn't really matter here - as you are accompanying your USC spouse. As I pointed out previously, if you are correctly using a single customs form per family - then you are required to accompany her. She can use the USC line, so therefore you go with her. 

Based on my many own experiences doing exactly this when travelling as a non-immigrant, when activating the CR-1, and also after becoming a PR and  in places where there were separate LPR/USC lines, you will have zero problems accompanying your spouse in the USC line.

 

APC kiosks are not mandatory either, you do not have to go to them, and can still go to a desk with a human. 

 

 

 

Anyway, i'm out. Bon chance.

 

 

Edited May 16, 2018 by mindthegap

[NikLR 13,220]

It seems to me that everyone who responded in this thread who asked an official didn't have issues entering on whichever line the official directed them to.  Just sayin. 

[SusieQQQ 11,585]

On 5/15/2018 at 5:30 AM, RLA said:

The officers at the USC/LPR/ESTA line might not have the training to handle more complex subjects such as visas, AP, or re-entry permits. 

Utter nonsense. Even if you think about what you actually posted there it makes no sense (why would an officer in the LPR line not know how to handle a re-entry permit?) and there is no “ESTA” line that is different from a B (or J or O or whatever!) visa line!

CBP officers can handle anyone who presents themselves in any line. These are not people who have been trained in different supermarket checkout sections... 

 

1 hour ago, NikLR said:

It seems to me that everyone who responded in this thread who asked an official didn't have issues entering on whichever line the official directed them to.  Just sayin. 

Exactly, different airports do it differently and probably even on different days. For example at SFO I’ve even seen officials direct “other visitors” to the “new immigrants” line to keep the lines short and moving. 

[RLA 323]

9 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

Utter nonsense.

Thank you so much. 

 

9 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

there is no “ESTA” line that is different from a B (or J or O or whatever!) visa line!

Depends on the airport, maybe?  In BWI there are definitely different lines for ESTA travellers and visa holders.  But what do I know?  I've only been there twice. 

[SusieQQQ 11,585]

4 minutes ago, RLA said:

Thank you so much. 

 

Depends on the airport, maybe?  In BWI there are definitely different lines for ESTA travellers and visa holders.  But what do I know?  I've only been there twice. 

Ok, I stand corrected. Different airports are different. I have seen some with combined usc and LPR lines and with separate, some with new immigrant lines, I’ve never yet seen an ESTA line. What I HAVE seen on a number of occasions is people being directed from longer lines to shorter ones to deal with queues, usually but not always from visitor to usc/LPR lines, and what I have NEVER seen is a CBP officer who has no idea how to handle the “complexity” of a visa.

Edited May 16, 2018 by SusieQQQ

[NikLR 13,220]

When I entered in my CR1 there was a new CBP officer who had an older one help him with my Visa.  Training in place.  But i was entering via land crossing. 

[SusieQQQ 11,585]

13 minutes ago, NikLR said:

When I entered in my CR1 there was a new CBP officer who had an older one help him with my Visa.  Training in place.  But i was entering via land crossing. 

Of course, people get trained. On the rare occasion someone can’t handle something there will be a senior officer to help. But it’s not like a supermarket where people trained on the cash registers only ever do that and can’t handle the butchery.  

 

We we had a long chat to the CBP officer who did our global entry applications. It’s actually really interesting how much these guys get trained in... a lot more than meets the eye.

Edited May 16, 2018 by SusieQQQ

[KeratNY 76]

3 hours ago, mindthegap said:

Your status doesn't really matter here - as you are accompanying your USC spouse. As I pointed out previously, if you are correctly using a single customs form per family - then you are required to accompany her. She can use the USC line, so therefore you go with her. 

Based on my many own experiences doing exactly this when travelling as a non-immigrant, when activating the CR-1, and also after becoming a PR and  in places where there were separate LPR/USC lines, you will have zero problems accompanying your spouse in the USC line.

 

APC kiosks are not mandatory either, you do not have to go to them, and can still go to a desk with a human. 

This is helpful, thanks. 

[NikLR 13,220]

6 hours ago, SusieQQQ said:

Of course, people get trained. On the rare occasion someone can’t handle something there will be a senior officer to help. But it’s not like a supermarket where people trained on the cash registers only ever do that and can’t handle the butchery.  

 

We we had a long chat to the CBP officer who did our global entry applications. It’s actually really interesting how much these guys get trained in... a lot more than meets the eye.

I wasn't disagreeing with you fyi.

[Daisy.Chain 317]

22 hours ago, KeratNY said:

This is exactly what I'm afraid of, and why comments like "it won't kill you to wait in a longer line" (@dianeandchris) or "you're overthinking this" (@mindthegap) are misguided. It would put my USC wife under immense stress to wait for hours in a line followed by hours in secondary processing, and I want to do everything I can to avoid this, and US Citizen/PR lines tend to be much shorter/faster. 

Yes, but it would be more stressful to wait through the wrong line (unless you have an officer willing to look the other way, USC lines are for USCs only in each of the 9 major airports I've visited in the past 2 years). I would say to ask the person directing traffic and do what they say on the day of. Good luck!

[DJ6372 111]

On ‎5‎/‎15‎/‎2018 at 5:48 PM, TNJ17 said:

You can’t go through USC line because you’re not one. You’re traveling as a family so you’re seeing together but you go through the “other” line.

Yes you can, I have and continue to do so, my wife is a USC, we present at the desk as a married couple. We do exactly the same at the UK border.