POE at Amtrak Train Station?

[raldetta 0]

Has anyone used the train from Vancouver to Seattle (and points south) for immigration?

The customs office at the Vancouver train station is really small. The train leaves at 6:40 am, and there are just a few officers. Officers come on the train again in Blain and do a walk-through -- that's when they take your customs card. It's very low-key, which is why I love crossing the border on the train, but that makes me wonder if they're going to know how to handle a K1 visa.

Also, how long does the POE process usually take?

[raldetta 0]

To clarify why I'm asking this question:

It seems like I should be able to use my visa at ANY point of entry, because I have never heard anything otherwise.

However, I notice a lot of people talk about going through "secondary" in their POE experiences. I'm not sure that the train station has a "secondary". Also, the customs desks only open about 40 minutes before the train leaves, so I can make sure I'm first in line, but if it takes them longer than that to search me, I will miss my train.

[payxibka 10,045]

you are right you can cross at any POE but the train won't wait for you... so it probably is not a good idea as the K-1 typically takes longer to process, particularly as that station probably does not do many or any K-1's, and they will be slow and confused

[Harsh_77 718]

Thats interesting thought, have never heard of anyone doing anything like that.

If you can then talk to the customs office prior to your trip to make sure they would process your K1 - technically they should does not matter what kinda visa you have.

I am not sure if you are pulled out for secondary then how do they do it, with most airport your are on your last or second last leg of journey so if you miss your flight then its easy to get another flight to your final destination.

Not sure how that would work with trh train.

[TBoneTX 45,273]

If you can then talk to the customs office prior to your trip to make sure they would process your K1 - technically they should does not matter what kinda visa you have.

Si, man. Call the port to explain your situation, tell them your itinerary, and ask if they can have someone "extra" there, or someone there earlier, who can process your entry. If you just show up and blindside them, you'll stress them oot (excuse me; "out") and you'll miss your train. The CBP thrives on communication, si man. Edited May 27, 2011 by TBoneTX

[JeannieL 44]

I didn't take the train but I flew out of a smaller airport. I was taken into secondary because that is where they process the visas. They have to open the package and look through it, verifying that it is in fact you and that everything is in order. The woman that processed me kept checking the steps in the binder that was there to make sure she was doing it correctly. She actually made a joke about the "cheat sheet" . It took her 20 minutes from the time that I went into secondary until I was out but when I called the preclearance a few weeks prior (when I was booking my ticket) they told me to allow 3 hours to get through checkin, security and customs. Most people I have talked to said their POE took about an hour. I would be afraid to take the train unless there were several trains a day so that you could catch the next one coming through.

Good luck!

[HeatDeath 430]

I drove in to the US at Pembina, ND (which is the busiest PoE between the Great Lakes and the Rockies, so they say- it's not a small facility) and it still took 90 minutes of the officer thumbing through reference binders to get my K-1 processed. Apparently they don't see a lot of K-1s.

Definitely call the customs office at the train station first. If you don't, your processing could very easily take 45 minutes to an hour, and the train won't wait. On the other hand, K-1 entrants coming in through international airports frequently get through in 10-15 minutes or less [once they hit the front of the line!], so the processing obviously can be done quickly, if the CBP office is sufficiently prepared.

I don't know if this train thing can be made to work, but you definitely need to talk to the CBP office well ahead of time.

[raldetta 0]

I've done a few searches and I'm having trouble finding contact info for any specific CBP office, either through the CBP or through the Pacific Central Station website. Any ideas?

Missing my train wouldn't be that big of a deal -- Amtrak lets you exchange the ticket really easily and I could just try again the next morning -- but I would like to call ahead and make sure they're ready for me!

[raldetta 0]

I've done a few searches and I'm having trouble finding contact info for any specific CBP office, either through the CBP or through the Pacific Central Station website. Any ideas?

Ah! "Preclearance" was the search term I needed. I found a phone number for Vancouver Intl. Airport preclearance. I'll call and see if they can give me the number for the train station.

[raldetta 0]

I called the customs and border folks at the airport to see if they could give me a number for the train station. He said the train station doesn't have a number, and all the same people from the airport work there. Then I asked him about using the visa. He said it would be fine. They start processing people at 5:30, and the train leaves at 6:40 am. But he also said it doesn't take that long.

And apparently there's a $6 fee -- which is the first I've heard of that. Is that the same everywhere?

[SapphireDreams 71]

I called the customs and border folks at the airport to see if they could give me a number for the train station. He said the train station doesn't have a number, and all the same people from the airport work there. Then I asked him about using the visa. He said it would be fine. They start processing people at 5:30, and the train leaves at 6:40 am. But he also said it doesn't take that long.

And apparently there's a $6 fee -- which is the first I've heard of that. Is that the same everywhere?

The $6 fee applies when you cross at a land border crossing, so by bus, car or train. It covers the issuance of the I-94 form. When you go through an airport, this fee is covered as part of the airport taxes, I believe.