LAX immigration experience...

[allanr 4]

My wife just recently went through LAX to enter to country on a CR1 Visa.  We expected a separate interview process, but she was directed into the same immigration line as myself and everyone else.  She went to the customs officer next to mine, who accepted her documentation packet, asked her one or two quick questions, made a very short phone call, then stamped her passport and welcomed her to the USA.  She she didn't need to sign anything.  The whole process took 3-4 minutes at most.  Is that a typical LAX immigration experience? 

Edited December 1, 2019 by allanr

[Lil bear 3,831]

8 minutes ago, allanr said:

My wife just recently went through LAX to enter to country on a CR1 Visa.  We expected a separate interview process, but she was directed into the same immigration line as myself and everyone else.  She went to the customs officer next to mine, who accepted her documentation packet, asked her one or two quick questions, made a very short phone call, then stamped her passport and welcomed her to the USA.  She she didn't need to sign anything.  The whole process took 3-4 minutes at most.  Is that a typical LAX immigration experience? 

For CR yes.. documentation is checked. Picture and fingerprints as usual. 

[payxibka 10,044]

56 minutes ago, allanr said:

 The whole process took 3-4 minutes at most.  Is that a typical LAX immigration experience? 

Would you prefer that she get pulled into secondary and it take an hour?

[VJmember2020 32]

7 minutes ago, payxibka said:

Would you prefer that she get pulled into secondary and it take an hour?

my thoughts

[Cyberfx1024 7,978]

1 hour ago, allanr said:

My wife just recently went through LAX to enter to country on a CR1 Visa.  We expected a separate interview process, but she was directed into the same immigration line as myself and everyone else.  She went to the customs officer next to mine, who accepted her documentation packet, asked her one or two quick questions, made a very short phone call, then stamped her passport and welcomed her to the USA.  She she didn't need to sign anything.  The whole process took 3-4 minutes at most.  Is that a typical LAX immigration experience? 

This is the same experience when we flew back to LAX from MNL with my asawa. This experience is pretty standard to be honest with you

[NikLR 13,220]

~~moved to general immigration discussion.  POE isn't visa specific but is related to immigration~~

[Nitas_man 3,100]

My wife always got pulled into the secret back room, leaving me and the kiddos hanging around baggage claim for an hour.  

[JFH 12,189]

When I arrived with my IR-1 I was in secondary for 2.5 hours. It depends on how busy the airport is and how many cases they are working that day. 

 

I arrived 6 days before Christmas and the whole world seemed to be at Las Vegas airport that day. 

[RamonGomez 259]

ORD sometimes has a special line for CR1/K1/AP and other misc visas. People seemed to be going straight through to baggage claim after talking to the officer. My wife went through on AP a while back and didn't need to go to secondary.

Edited December 2, 2019 by RamonGomez

[Zoeeeeeee 795]

15 hours ago, allanr said:

My wife just recently went through LAX to enter to country on a CR1 Visa.  We expected a separate interview process, but she was directed into the same immigration line as myself and everyone else.  She went to the customs officer next to mine, who accepted her documentation packet, asked her one or two quick questions, made a very short phone call, then stamped her passport and welcomed her to the USA.  She she didn't need to sign anything.  The whole process took 3-4 minutes at most.  Is that a typical LAX immigration experience? 

I immigrated on a K1 a few weeks ago and had exactly this experience at LAX.

[JeanneAdil 6,187]

1. same in Chicago   / with a USC he was able to thru citizen line and they just stamped passport 

[Carpe Vinum 2,308]

When we went through LAX we had to wait for a supervisor to come and sign something and collect my wife's (then fiance's) documents. We stood around while we waited and shot the breeze. Took about 30 minutes in total.

[Scandi 3,970]

When I moved here on my K-1 me and my USC husband were directed to the visitors line at LAX. We went up to the officer together and got two questions each. That's it, very easy and fast. Took about 5 minutes.

Edited December 2, 2019 by Scandi

[Cndn 98]

19 hours ago, allanr said:

My wife just recently went through LAX to enter to country on a CR1 Visa.  We expected a separate interview process, but she was directed into the same immigration line as myself and everyone else.  She went to the customs officer next to mine, who accepted her documentation packet, asked her one or two quick questions, made a very short phone call, then stamped her passport and welcomed her to the USA.  She she didn't need to sign anything.  The whole process took 3-4 minutes at most.  Is that a typical LAX immigration experience? 

Wow. I’m surprised to hear it. I entered on a K1 at a smaller border by car (am Canadian). It took at least and hour. 
 

I would have expected LAX to be the absolute worst place to come in because that is by far the most hostile airport I’ve been through. I asked for directions once to baggage claim (I’d already been through inspection) and they grilled me about where I work and what I’m doing here. And I’ve been to all the major US airports (JFK, Dallas). Newark and LAX have always been the ones I dread. 

[Duke & Marie 1,389]

4 hours ago, Cndn said:

Wow. I’m surprised to hear it. I entered on a K1 at a smaller border by car (am Canadian). It took at least and hour. 
 

I would have expected LAX to be the absolute worst place to come in because that is by far the most hostile airport I’ve been through. I asked for directions once to baggage claim (I’d already been through inspection) and they grilled me about where I work and what I’m doing here. And I’ve been to all the major US airports (JFK, Dallas). Newark and LAX have always been the ones I dread. 

Really? I actually prefer LAX to be honest.. other than busy, the staff are usually pretty good... I’ve never been grilled going via there.. usually just one or two questions and have a nice day..