Entering USA customs time

[TravelerUSA 22]

How long do people typically spend in customs when they first arrive in USA with K1 visa?

Specifically in LAX if anyone has any experience with that

thanks

[CJlove 147]

I think LAX is the easiest. The officers are lenient compare to Texas airports IMO. 

[Georgia16 2,858]

https://www.visajourney.com/reviews/poereviews.php?poe=Los+Angeles&dfilter=0

[Ben&Zian 4,397]

11 minutes ago, TravelerUSA said:

How long do people typically spend in customs when they first arrive in USA with K1 visa?

Specifically in LAX if anyone has any experience with that

thanks

 

Several factors to consider.... what time the flight arrives (busy time or slow times), how large is the flight, other flights landing same time?

 

I always say allow 2-3 hours for customs just in case.

 

For us it was simple, just took time at Dallas for his POE. I met him there but he literally unfortunately was second to last person to get through the 'secondary' office just because of the amount of people they had pulled aside from the main line. Took about 2 hours total.

[CaptainAmerica 115]

I posted about my experience at Terminal 2 in LAX in the link below. For me, it was a very fast process! It may depend on which terminal you enter, as I imagine Tom Bradley may take longer due to the additional amount of airlines using that terminal. 

 

[ThomasNC1988 762]

That is a question that really can not be answered. For some it takes hours. For my fiance it took less the 10 minutes. Plan for the worst and hope for the best.

[jakejon 1,196]

Took me 5-7 minutes in Oakland (I couldn't find personal experience for POE there) but it was so short as aforementioned and NO secondary required as I pushed to the front with my K1  

[TravelerUSA 22]

Just to update anyone else looking. Took around 10 minutes. Guy skimmed through packet and said welcome to USA 

[JFH 12,189]

*~*~*moved from "United Kingdom" to "moving to the USA" as question is not country-specific*~*~*

[Chris Duffy 1,256]

Major US holiday seem to really a major factor in how long you have to wait.

 

What I have started doing as a US Citizen entering, I will usually not get my suitcase (if the line is long) if I have one at my POE, and just go thru the line.  They seem to always ship my bag to me at my final US destination.

Edited December 17, 2018 by Chris Duffy