Has anyone flown from gatwick to milwaukee via chicago??

[NikkisPrecious 0]

hi all,

I'm looking to fly from gatwick to milwaukee via chicago, the thing i'd like to know is weather you go through the customs at chicago or do you just get straight on a plane to mke and then go through the customs there? I've flown to chicago loads but they always give me hassle there, please help if you can.

many thanks

[C and J 1]

I normally fly Heathrow -> Chicago O Hare -> Moline but the same principle applies. Any flight arriving into O Hare's international terminal has to go through customs, they are your point of entry.

You probably don't need this, as you've been to the airport before but I'm including it for anyone else that it might help...

You go through the immigration desks, pick up your luggage, go through the "declaration" bit and then hand off your checked luggage at a set of check-in desks, before walking out into the airport. Then you have to connect to the domestic terminals (via train), go through hand luggage security and then you're in the main terminal to await your flight.

On your return flight, you arrive in O Hare in the domestic terminal and take an internal bus from the terminal you land at, through to the terminal you will be leaving from. There is no need for you to collect your checked-luggage as it is moved to your next flight for you. There are no security checks other than at the first airport and on arriving back in the UK.

Hope this helps... Chicago security officials can be rather strict but make sure you remain pleasant and have ties to home (just in case you are asked for them) and you should be ok

One thing I really would like to ask, is that your I129F timeline is similar to mine and you have touches through May and June (after the transferral to CSC happened) did you happen to phone them for further information or are the touches just luck

Edited July 30, 2007 by C and J

[NikkisPrecious 0]

Hi ya, thanks for your input, i was kinda hoping i would go through the customs at milwaukee instead, not good.

As far as my I129f is, i've not called once about the touches, i just check the online status everyday to see if the date has changed. Its really quite annoying coz my I130 was approved in 82 days and the I129F / K3 which is supposed to be faster is now over 102 days past.

[C and J 1]

Don't feel too discouraged about your K3, I think you just had the unluckiness to file when things seem to have ground to a halt at CSC. There are lots of people who filed their I129F in March and still have no approval yet (which means I still have at least 2 months left before my approval - mine is a May I129F petition)

It is very frustrating to see no movement on files but there are a lot pf people who would like to have your I130 approval in their hands

[NikkisPrecious 0]

true, thanks for the positive vibes. todays just one of those days

[TracyTN 237]

O'hare is dead easy as a POE. You won't have any trouble at all.

[Dr_LHA 3]

I'm looking to fly from gatwick to milwaukee via chicago, the thing i'd like to know is weather you go through the customs at chicago or do you just get straight on a plane to mke and then go through the customs there? I've flown to chicago loads but they always give me hassle there, please help if you can.

When flying into the USA you always go through customs/immigration at the first US airport you land at.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

hi all,

I'm looking to fly from gatwick to milwaukee via chicago, the thing i'd like to know is weather you go through the customs at chicago or do you just get straight on a plane to mke and then go through the customs there? I've flown to chicago loads but they always give me hassle there, please help if you can.

many thanks

Unless you're flying into US from a Customs/Immigration PFI (such as the 9 Canadian airports; Dublin and Shannon are immigration-only), you will clear customs at the first point in US where you land (which will be your POE).

One solution may be to fly to Minneapois (MSP) or Detroit (DTW) instead.

Anyway, it's almost a waste to take a flight to Chicago, then to Milwaukee (Milwaukee is only 137 km/85 mi from Chicago, closer than Rockford) as your US SO could drive to O'Hare, pick you up and drive back within the "layover time" easily.

[NikkisPrecious 0]

O'hare is dead easy as a POE. You won't have any trouble at all.

For you maybe, i've done nothing wrong and they've pulled me into that little room 3 times and questioned me loads, the last time i was threated to be sent home just because i'd visited too much! its a joke imo

@ CherryXS - I do usually just fly to o hare then get picked up and drive to mke but i'm trying to get a way around going to chicago, they always give me trouble, i'm just a normal law abiding (sp) white english citizen, yet everytime i go there, they decide they want to question me about everything in my life and threaten to send me home... for doing nothing wrong. They may seem to think now that i'm married i'm intenting to immigrate, which i am, therefore i KNOW my chances will be even slimmer.

WHHHHHHHHYYYYYY!!!!!

[Dr_LHA 3]

For you maybe, i've done nothing wrong and they've pulled me into that little room 3 times and questioned me loads, the last time i was threated to be sent home just because i'd visited too much! its a joke imo

This time you have a visa, so this shouldn't be an issue.

[NikkisPrecious 0]

For you maybe, i've done nothing wrong and they've pulled me into that little room 3 times and questioned me loads, the last time i was threated to be sent home just because i'd visited too much! its a joke imo

This time you have a visa, so this shouldn't be an issue.

Not yet i don't, been approved for I130 but still not issued the visa at this stage

[TracyTN 237]

O'hare is dead easy as a POE. You won't have any trouble at all.

For you maybe, i've done nothing wrong and they've pulled me into that little room 3 times and questioned me loads, the last time i was threated to be sent home just because i'd visited too much! its a joke imo

@ CherryXS - I do usually just fly to o hare then get picked up and drive to mke but i'm trying to get a way around going to chicago, they always give me trouble, i'm just a normal law abiding (sp) white english citizen, yet everytime i go there, they decide they want to question me about everything in my life and threaten to send me home... for doing nothing wrong. They may seem to think now that i'm married i'm intenting to immigrate, which i am, therefore i KNOW my chances will be even slimmer.

WHHHHHHHHYYYYYY!!!!!

I'm confused. Are you worried about entering again as a tourist, or on your K3? I would think you'd have a smooth experience if you're entering on the K3.

If you're just going to be visiting this time - you may well have issues. Perhaps they feel you used the VWP too much or that you didn't have enough evidence of ties to home to overcome their suspicions about immigrant intent. Of course, I am not sure of your circumstances, just trying to find possible reasons why you were questioned so thoroughly.

[payxibka 10,044]

Another question I have to ask is why do you think any other POE will be different than you ORD experience? They all have access to the same information....

[NikkisPrecious 0]

It would just be a normal VWP visit, i've no visa at all yet its all still processing, see my timeline in my sig.

I know it won't be much different at any other POE, its just everytime its been at chicago and i kinda wanna try somewhere else, because of my experiances there, to be honest i'm scared to go there. If and when i finally get a visa i'll have no problem going there...

[Dr_LHA 3]

It would just be a normal VWP visit, i've no visa at all yet its all still processing, see my timeline in my sig.

Ah, then expect to get a similar level of hassle I would guess. Probably true of any POE though. If you got hassled before for flying to the USA too much, you're probably flagged in their system. Perhaps take the proof of your pending K-3 with you to show them you are planning on entering the "correct way".