i5love

I wanted to share my POE experience at Peace Arch on April 9th, since I know others may be planning this shortly. My husband is a US Customs Broker, so he was able to help me get prepared well and get me into the mindset of a CBP official. 

I packed up my 1 bdrm apartment and drove the U-Haul on a one-way rental to avoid the 14 day quarantine. Due to a Dept of Transport Safety Standard, I had to sell my car in advance of the move and couldnt import it. That made part of my entry and preparation easier as I didnt have to tow the vehicle or deal with the car import.

As I packed, each box was numbered and contents were identified in some detail but not itemized detail (for example: Box #5 - plates and bowls. NOT: Box - Kitchen or Box - Kitchen, 5 bowls, 2 plates. Value $12.). I printed the manifest list and included a header with my name, date, and a-number so that if the list was taken by CBP it would be tracked back to my passport. 

When I pulled up to the booth, I was the only vehicle at the border. As expected, I was directed to secondary and instructed to wait inside my vehicle. Two CBP officers approached the vehicle and looked at my passport. I informed them that I was also travelling with my cat (beside me in a carrier) and had his rabies certificate. They didnt take the rabies certificate or ask to see the cat. The CBP officers looked at my manifest list, opened the U-Haul, and looked inside. They didnt open boxes or get into the back of the truck. I declared the 6L of alcohol I had with me, and indicated where to find it on the manifest list. The alcohol was itemized including type, volume, and brand name. As part of my preparation, I found an exemption on state tax, not federal tax, for alcohol for new residents. Its pretty straight forward. Just email them in advance, and they send you back a PDF to print that exempts you from any state tax if you qualify. 

All in all, I felt reasonably prepared. 

After inspecting my passport, the CBP officials that came to my vehicle did not take my passport inside. After waiting 45+ minutes in secondary, seeing other vehicles getting cleared by other officers, I was still waiting. The officer whose booth I drove through, came off his booth rotation and saw me sitting there. He approached my vehicle and asked if anyone took my passport. No one had. Eventually, he took it inside. Then he came out a second time to confirm the address of my US residence. After even more waiting, a new officer came out and returned my passport with CR1 stamp in it. I was finally free to go after about an hour - almost all of that time was waiting. 

My US residence is relatively close to the Peace Arch crossing, and so I was surprised to see a CBP sedan drive by the house as my husband and I hugged in the front yard shortly after I arrived. I dont live on a main street, so it isnt common to see their vehicles drive by, but we are close enough that it isnt entirely unusual. My husband shrugged it off, but I wasn't thrilled.

Now to wait for my SSN and Green Card.

Anyone in Whatcom county need boxes or bubble wrap? lol

To folks paying their USCIS $220 fee after their visa arrives and before they enter the US - here is a quick tip.

I did not read carefully on the "where to find your A-number" section. I briefly skimmed it, located it, and moved on. When I went to USCIS to pay, the number didnt work directly. This information may be in the instructions in the Welcome letter that comes with your visa, but in case it isn't: 

Visa Stamp

You can also find your A-Number and DOS Case ID on the visa stamp (also called a visa foil) in your passport, as shown in the picture below.

• Your A-Number is identified as the Registration Number on your visa stamp. If your A-Number is fewer than 9 digits, insert a zero after the “A” and before the first digit to create a 9-digit number. For example, “A12345678” would become “A012345678.”
• Your DOS Case ID is identified as the IV Case Number on your visa stamp. However, please note the IV Case Number has two additional numbers at the end, such as 01 or 02. When entering the IV Case Number as the DOS Case ID, do not include the last two numbers. For example, if your IV Case Number is “ABC1234567801,” you would enter your DOS Case ID as “ABC12345678” (do not include the “01”).

Source: https://www.uscis.gov/forms/filing-fees/uscis-immigrant-fee/immigrant-fee-payment-tips-on-finding-your-a-number-and-dos-case-id

I want to add into the good news. My interview was just on Wednesday and my visa has already been issued, a tracking number created, and it’s in Canada Posts hands. Estimated delivery is mid week. 
 

I am blown away. 

3 hours ago, Hawk Riders said:

Whoops! Forgot to ask @i5love & @oppedib if they were approved... ?

Sorry folks - I've been so busy packing and getting organized. After a very brief interview, I was approved. 

A few things to be mindful of: 

1. Dont lean on the planters outside. They look like a reasonable spot to sort of sit with a coffee while you wait casually outside the consulate for your precise entry time (8:45 am... not 8:44 am or 8:39 am... 8:45 am exactly). You will be asked not to sit on them. 

2. The interview questions I answered have been shared in this thread already, so I dont have anything to add here. My total face time between both getting my number, the first round of paperwork and fingerprint scans, and the actual interview took less than 15 minutes in total but my appointment took almost 90 minutes. 

3. The waiting room was absolutely quiet. No background music. No side chatter between people really. Everyone just sat quietly and waited. The chairs are not all setup with easy viewing of the monitor that calls numbers, and you dont obviously see window 6 when you get off the elevator. It feels like the DMV more than anything else. 

I cried when I heard the words, "I'll be approving your visa today...". 

I also asked if they knew anything about the delay/complication people reported about their electronic packages not making it to USCIS. The person I spoke with knew nothing about that and couldnt offer any insight. I figured it was worth a shot while I was there. 

If there's anything else I can help answer about my experience - PM me. 

Thrilled that my notification came in this morning. Interview date is March 10. Now to book a flight to Montreal and plan with enough time to return from Washington.