Chris2991
Difficulty:  | Review Topic: Port of Entry Review
My entry was at Dulles Arrivals in the Main Terminal (not the Customs and Border Patrol hall in Terminal C).
There were negligible lines so the officer had plenty of time to grill me. However, it seems he chose not to! I have previously always travelled using the Visa Waiver/ESTA, and this time, going in with my K1 Visa was actually faster and less hassle than most of the VW/ESTA entries! The officer took my passport and fingerprints (left hand - 4 fingers only) and photo, and my big official "US Embassy London" envelope. He didn;t want my x-ray disc and just told me to keep it and give it to my doctor if I wanted to. He inspected the envelope all round to make sure it hadn't been tampered with, then he opened it, searched through to find my A-Number, compared it with the A-Number on my visa, and stamped the passport. Then it was a quick "Welcome to The United States" and "good luck with your new life, sir", and I was on my way to get my bags!
The lady at Customs quizzed me as to why I had so many bags (three large suitcases and two carry-ons), and I explained that I was immigrating. She checked my passport, and strangely asked me "How many times have you used this K1 Visa?" - I said "just this one time", and she waved me on my way. Surely she knows K1's are a one-shot deal? Maybe she was trying to catch me out.....like the immigration officer wouldn't have noticed three minutes earlier!!
Anyway, apart from that odd customs lady, there was nothing unusual or untoward about the process. Everyone was polite and helpful and professional. Long may it stay that way!
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Port of Entry Member Review #15041
Entry Date: 2011-10-31