Petition valid for error - POE entry problems at JFK

[LizC 0]

Hi all,

I'm not sure anyone has ever run into this issue, but I thought I should post it anyway. My fiance entered on a K-1 visa to JFK on 6/8. The customs official noted that on his visa it said "petition valid until June 4th." Meanwhile the visa's expiration date was not until November. She decided it was an error made by the Buenos Aires consulate and allowed him in on the country but he needed to meet with the customs folks in Boston's logan airport (where we're from) to sort out the issue. And - they took his passport. He was told he should bring evidence from the Buenos Aires people showing that his visa was ok to enter the country.

So - as it turns out - they were completely wrong. Even though the customs officer at JFK asked her boss and her boss' boss, no one had any idea that "petition valid until" merely means the initial K-1 petition that I submitted. It has nothing to do with his visa validity or his entry into the US.

This was all only sorted out today after speaking with the consulate in Buenos Aires and then meeting with the folks in Logan. It was a huge pain and delayed our whole plan at least a week.

I'm not sure the best way this can be avoided in the future. Just wanted to give you the heads up and ask if this has happened with anyone else.

Liz

[payxibka 10,047]

I assume you mean immigration and not customs, as a customs officer would have very little interest in this.

[LizC 0]

I assume you mean immigration and not customs, as a customs officer would have very little interest in this.

Yes.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Never surprised to find clueless USCIS officials, even after 15 years of NAFTA (I ran into one at Hartsfield in 1999).

[Passing.star 0]

MY POE was DETROIT and they found out that my Visa petition was expired on February 28 (though in my VISA itself it says, visa expired June 24). I was really nervous at that time because the officer told me that I might be deported back to our country. I told them I am not aware of this and that I didn't even open the brown envelope the consulate gave me. I have to wait for the other passenger first before the immigration entertain me again. Fortunately she's kind enough to let me get through since i wasn't my fault.

[eric_and_teresa 10]

So the petition's validity appeared on your fiance's K-1 visa? I just checked my K-1 Visa and there is nothing about the petition validity on the visa itself, just the date of the visa expiration.

Anyway, I'm glad everything got sorted out.

Edited June 18, 2008 by eric_and_teresa