What happens at airport entry point

[irahaymeh 0]

Tawfiq will depart Amman next week, May 16th. His plane arrives in Chicago at 5 pm and he has a reservation on American Airlines to depart Chicago for Atlanta at 6:30 pm.

Can anyone tell me how long it will probably take him to go through customs and immigration officer at the airport? And, what happens if he misses his connecting flight to Atlanta?

We've come this far by faith and just want to make sure nothing goes wrong once he's here.

[payxibka 10,045]

Tawfiq will depart Amman next week, May 16th. His plane arrives in Chicago at 5 pm and he has a reservation on American Airlines to depart Chicago for Atlanta at 6:30 pm.

Can anyone tell me how long it will probably take him to go through customs and immigration officer at the airport? And, what happens if he misses his connecting flight to Atlanta?

We've come this far by faith and just want to make sure nothing goes wrong once he's here.

It really depends on how many other international flights are being processed at the same time. It also depends on how many other travelers are present that will also require secondary inspection. If he is the only one and they are doing one flight it will go remarkably quick. If there are 4 other flights and he is number 29 of 30 in teh secondary inspection place it will be a much different story. Chicago POE can get quite busy at certain points of the day....

[~Jackie~ 30]

Mohammed came thru Ohare twice. Once on his k3 and that took 3 hours, and this last time on his 10 year card and it took about 2 hours (with a trip thru interrogation). It depends on how many international flights land at the same time.

90 minutes will be really cutting it close because he has to go from the international terminal over to the other side of Ohare. Have a back up plan and know when the next connection is going out.

Have a wonderful reunion!

Jackie

[amal 4]

my husband entered thru ohare and it took roughly 1.5 hours. he would have missed his 2nd flight if it hadn't been delayed due to bad weather. they asked him many questions and took the brown envelope. he said it was similar to his interview in amman only the ppl at ohare werent as nice. there were a lot of ppl entering the usa there when he got there so it tookquite a long time before it was his turn.

definitely have a plan B just in case he is held up and misses his flight. i wish u luck!

amal

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Yes, what Jackie & Amal said

1.5 hours is realllyyyy cutting it too close. Is there a later flight on the same airline, or an alternate airline ? You may be in a bind if his first flight is late, or if there is a long line (which is more common than not.) So it's best to figure out your backup plan now.

My husband came through O'Hare and it took almost 3 hours because Air France lost his luggage. The actual immigration part took less than 5 minutes, but you never know what you can expect.

I just planned from the get-go that I would fly up to meet him -- I got a great package deal online with a nice hotel just 5 minutes from the airport -- and we came back to San Antonio the next day.

It worked out best for us, because he was exhausted after 3 days of traveling with nearly no sleep -- all he wanted a cigarette, a shower, and a place to lie down comfortably. (Your husband's journey won't be nearly so long -- but it took Mahmoud most of the first day just to cross the border from the West Bank, then he stayed in Amman until his flight left a day and a half later, and then it was a 15 hour flight with a quick stop in Paris. The last thing he wanted to do when he got to Chicago was get on another plane ) Also this was Mahmoud's first time flying, and he was a lot less nervous knowing I would be waiting for him in Chicago.

And room service rocks !

Wishing him all the best for a smooth, safe journey and a wonderful reunion with you !

-MK

Edited May 8, 2007 by wife_of_mahmoud

[Mandolin_68 0]

I'd say you are cutting it close....my fiance came through Chicago from Amman two weeks ago and it took him 3 hours from the time his plane landed to come out of customs....however, he said there was another guy coming in on a fiance visa from Jordan as well and they let him through in five minutes...so you never know who they are going to be quirky with. When I asked the immigration people how long it should take they said give it 3 hours if this is the person's FIRST time coming into the U.S. I'd try to schedule for a later flight but if this is not possible and he misses his flight they should just bump him to a later flight whenever he finally gets through customs.

The big problem is that you will be sitting around waiting for him in Atlanta and you won't know if he made the flight or not because he will not be allowed to call you until he is released from customs (the immigration officers even escorted my fiance to the restroom).....so you could be waiting for him in Atlanta when he might not be coming in until the next morning.

Bottome line - I'd try to get him onto a later flight to Atlanta if at all possible. Good luck!

[irahaymeh 0]

THANKS TO EVERYONE:

Thanks to all of you for your input re O'Hare customs/immigration procedure. We will pull together a Plan B and pray that everything runs smoothly.

Thanks again for all your help and support.

Irene & Tawfiq

[amal 4]

1 thing i forgot to mention... when my husband got thru customs, he tried to use the payphone and couldnt figure it out. one of the airport workers lent hin his mobile to call me and update me on his whereabouts. so i recommend explaining howw to use an american payphone. at least that way he can tell ou if hes late or not.

much luck

[ya falaha! 0]

I don't know about O'Hare but my husband came through JFK on May 2. He originally had a 4hr layover that turned into 5 because his flight arrived early. I was worried that he would be held up in customs and immigration for hours. He went through just as fast as a US citizen. No questioning at all. The lady simply took his fingerprints and attached the I-94 to his passport then wished him a good day. I was shocked! He asked a woman for change to buy a calling card to call me and his family to let us know he arrived. He found his gate just fine. He said that everyone was very kind and helpful to him. His plane was delayed an hour due to air traffic but he arrived to Detroit only 20 mins. late. I will add though, my husband's experience with immigration does not seem to be the norm. I would advise that your husband have a few hours to work with in case immigration takes awhile.

Good luck to your husband!

[sara535 15]

just from my own travelling experience as a USC through different airports, I found Ohare immigration to be VERY slow.....

Edited May 14, 2007 by sara535

[ya falaha! 0]

I went through O'Hare last July and it was fine. It was actually faster than DTW. I really think it depends on who you deal with and how busy they are. I've read so many different experiences on VJ regarding various POEs.