Assistance at airport for non English-speaking family-member entering US on tourist visa

[ezmiller 0]

Hi, this is not technically an immigration-related question but I suspect people here may have some insight. We hope to bring my wife's mother over to visit early next year. She would be entering (NY area) on a tourist Visa, but she does not speak English and we are concerned about her experience getting from the gate through immigration. Has anyone here gone through a similar process with a family member? Suggestions about how to do this most effectively? Are there services available to help a person like this through border control? 

 

Thanks in advance for any information or advice that you all may be able to offer.

Edited August 26, 2018 by ezmiller
added more info

[milimelo 4,201]

Two things: write her a letter in English detailing pertinent details and listing your phone numbers in case border wants to call you. She carries it with her. 

Also, you can pay for escort services at the airport (with wheelchair service) so a person is assigned to get your visitor from the plane and all the way to you. A lot of those service providers speak multiple languages. 

[ezmiller 0]

Thanks @milimelo! 

[KWJ 22]

On ‎8‎/‎27‎/‎2018 at 5:33 AM, milimelo said:

Also, you can pay for escort services at the airport (with wheelchair service) so a person is assigned to get your visitor from the plane and all the way to you. A lot of those service providers speak multiple languages. 

Yes. There are a lot of people request wheelchair service from the airline (some of them request it only because of they can't speak the language).

Some airports also have free interpreters for different languages. I am not sure about NY area airport, but I know ATL do have those interpreters in the immigration hall.

[Jeanne Adil 1,651]

you are in Brooklyn

Can i assume she will come into JFK

there are plenty of people there versed in almost every language known

stewardess on plane can instruct her before she deplanes

and there will be help

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

  Make a deck of index cards in both your native language and English.  ( if she is tech literate use a translating app )    She can use them to ask for help or an English speaker can pick the right card to answer.   

[PirateLiker 11]

I looked on Craigslist New York and found someone who teaches the language that my fiance speaks. I contacted this person and she agreed to assist my fiance at the airport. I will pay her $100 for 5 hours. Not sure if there is a better/cheaper way, but this option didn't seem too bad.

[Boiler 43,434]

How will that work out? How would they get airside.

[Going through 5,668]

23 hours ago, PirateLiker said:

I looked on Craigslist New York and found someone who teaches the language that my fiance speaks. I contacted this person and she agreed to assist my fiance at the airport. I will pay her $100 for 5 hours. Not sure if there is a better/cheaper way, but this option didn't seem too bad.

How do you plan on her being able to get past security to enter the custom/immigration area?