Married but K3 not yet filed, entering U.S. should we go through separately?

[dreamcircus 0]

I'm an Australian married to a U.S. citizen and we are returning to the U.S. tomorrow. I'm travelling on the 3-month visa-waiver. When we are in the States she will petition me for the K3, but we have not started the process yet.

My question is, tomorrow when we enter the U.S., at immigration checkpoint should she go through the U.S. citizens booth and I go the aliens booth? Does this make it safer that I am not refused entry because they might see that we are married and say to me something like "you intend to file for immigration don't you, so why are you here on the visa-waiver for visit purposes, you are not just visiting blah blah"?

Or is it OK for us to just go through the same booth and say we are married state the facts etc? Which is safer? Thanks.

[redglasses 1]

When I (non-USC) enter to the US, I always go through the citizen line with my husband (USC) and never had any problem.

We usually tell IOs that we both live in Japan and the purpose of visit is visiting family in the US.

Good luck!

[notime4haterz 0]

I hope you don't have a problem with that, because when my husband tried to come on his visa waiver, they didn't allow him into the US. He had to go back home and they made me file the papers to bring him. Thus, the problem we are in now.

[pushbrk 12,569]

I'm an Australian married to a U.S. citizen and we are returning to the U.S. tomorrow. I'm travelling on the 3-month visa-waiver. When we are in the States she will petition me for the K3, but we have not started the process yet.

My question is, tomorrow when we enter the U.S., at immigration checkpoint should she go through the U.S. citizens booth and I go the aliens booth? Does this make it safer that I am not refused entry because they might see that we are married and say to me something like "you intend to file for immigration don't you, so why are you here on the visa-waiver for visit purposes, you are not just visiting blah blah"?

Or is it OK for us to just go through the same booth and say we are married state the facts etc? Which is safer? Thanks.

It would be safer to enter separately and state a truthful but generic purpose for your visit, like "visiting friends and family" etc.

[MargotDarko 0]

I'm an Australian married to a U.S. citizen and we are returning to the U.S. tomorrow. I'm travelling on the 3-month visa-waiver. When we are in the States she will petition me for the K3, but we have not started the process yet.

My question is, tomorrow when we enter the U.S., at immigration checkpoint should she go through the U.S. citizens booth and I go the aliens booth? Does this make it safer that I am not refused entry because they might see that we are married and say to me something like "you intend to file for immigration don't you, so why are you here on the visa-waiver for visit purposes, you are not just visiting blah blah"?

Or is it OK for us to just go through the same booth and say we are married state the facts etc? Which is safer? Thanks.

It would be safer to enter separately and state a truthful but generic purpose for your visit, like "visiting friends and family" etc.

But what if either one of them is asked if they were traveling with someone or traveling alone that day? I am pretty sure I have been asked that before. Then they have to say they were traveling with their spouse, and it will look very, very strange that they were trying to go through separately, as if they had reason to conceal that they were entering together.

[pushbrk 12,569]

I'm an Australian married to a U.S. citizen and we are returning to the U.S. tomorrow. I'm travelling on the 3-month visa-waiver. When we are in the States she will petition me for the K3, but we have not started the process yet.

My question is, tomorrow when we enter the U.S., at immigration checkpoint should she go through the U.S. citizens booth and I go the aliens booth? Does this make it safer that I am not refused entry because they might see that we are married and say to me something like "you intend to file for immigration don't you, so why are you here on the visa-waiver for visit purposes, you are not just visiting blah blah"?

Or is it OK for us to just go through the same booth and say we are married state the facts etc? Which is safer? Thanks.

It would be safer to enter separately and state a truthful but generic purpose for your visit, like "visiting friends and family" etc.

But what if either one of them is asked if they were traveling with someone or traveling alone that day? I am pretty sure I have been asked that before. Then they have to say they were traveling with their spouse, and it will look very, very strange that they were trying to go through separately, as if they had reason to conceal that they were entering together.

In my experience, people traveling together will approach the CBP booth together. When approaching alone, (many times and only alone in my case) I've never been asked if I was traveling with anybody. It's a possibility but not likely. The answer to the question would be "My spouse is in the other line because they (are or are not as the case may be) a US Citizen. No need to penalize or be suspicious of somebody following instructions.

[Paul's Mrs. 0]

I'm an Australian married to a U.S. citizen and we are returning to the U.S. tomorrow. I'm travelling on the 3-month visa-waiver. When we are in the States she will petition me for the K3, but we have not started the process yet.

My question is, tomorrow when we enter the U.S., at immigration checkpoint should she go through the U.S. citizens booth and I go the aliens booth? Does this make it safer that I am not refused entry because they might see that we are married and say to me something like "you intend to file for immigration don't you, so why are you here on the visa-waiver for visit purposes, you are not just visiting blah blah"?

Or is it OK for us to just go through the same booth and say we are married state the facts etc? Which is safer? Thanks.

It would be safer to enter separately and state a truthful but generic purpose for your visit, like "visiting friends and family" etc.

But what if either one of them is asked if they were traveling with someone or traveling alone that day? I am pretty sure I have been asked that before. Then they have to say they were traveling with their spouse, and it will look very, very strange that they were trying to go through separately, as if they had reason to conceal that they were entering together.

Yes I would definately enter in on the non Citizen side and say you are just visiting. We were almost denied entry from Canada and Mexico because he tried to enter with me. The Canadian side took him to a back room to question him. It was all very scary. I would just enter and say you are visiting family and friends. Have your wife enter on the citizen side. I don't think he was asked if he was travelling with someone the last time he entered on the non-citizen side.

In my experience, people traveling together will approach the CBP booth together. When approaching alone, (many times and only alone in my case) I've never been asked if I was traveling with anybody. It's a possibility but not likely. The answer to the question would be "My spouse is in the other line because they (are or are not as the case may be) a US Citizen. No need to penalize or be suspicious of somebody following instructions.

[Serendipity_ 0]

I'm an Australian married to a U.S. citizen and we are returning to the U.S. tomorrow. I'm travelling on the 3-month visa-waiver. When we are in the States she will petition me for the K3, but we have not started the process yet.

My question is, tomorrow when we enter the U.S., at immigration checkpoint should she go through the U.S. citizens booth and I go the aliens booth? Does this make it safer that I am not refused entry because they might see that we are married and say to me something like "you intend to file for immigration don't you, so why are you here on the visa-waiver for visit purposes, you are not just visiting blah blah"?

Or is it OK for us to just go through the same booth and say we are married state the facts etc? Which is safer? Thanks.

It would be safer to enter separately and state a truthful but generic purpose for your visit, like "visiting friends and family" etc.

I second that...truthful and generic is the way to go.