Officially in the US!

[CHD 0]

Peace Bridge (Fort Erie/Buffalo)

Highly recommended: Fast, courteous, and hassle-free

We arrived at the border at about 10:30pm. We were expecting it to be busier for a Friday night 2 weeks before Christmas, but ended up with only 2 cars ahead of us at the booths. When it was our turn we handed over our passports and answered the usual "Where are you coming from/Where are you going/What is your citizenship" trio, after which I told the officer that I needed to activate an immigrant visa. He asked if I was relocating today and I said I was. We waited there a few minutes while he filled out a form (I believe anyway...couldn't really see though), He asked to see my package and I handed over the sealed envelope. He wrote down some information from the sheet taped it and handed it back, then asked and wrote down the city and state I was moving to. We were handed a slip of paper and told to pull over to the right.

We were met by a guard who instructed us where to park and directed us to door 1. The waiting room was freeezing, and we were the only ones in it. After a minute or two someone came in and requested my envelope, then said she'd call us into the next room in a few moments. About 4 minutes or so later, another guard came in from outside, commented on how cold the room was, and went back to the secure area. She immediately picked up the intercom and invited us into the next room where the heat was working so we wouldn't have to freeze while we waited. We accepted graciously and thanked her. The first guard smiled when she saw us and said she was about to call us in anyway. She apologized for leaving us out there as she didn't realize how cold it was.

She asked me to verify that all of the information (including spelling) on the sheet that was taped to the sealed envelope is correct. I said it was. she asked me to sit for just another moment while she finished up real quick. Out came the stamp: one on the sheet, one on the DS-230, one in the passport (yay!). She has me come up again and sign the front and back of a form, then took an ink fingerprint of my right index above each signature. She handed back all of our passports and laughed that she gives the same entry speech to everyone, so bear with her. She said that as of right now I am officially a legal permanent resident of the United States and am entitled to work and all other associated rights. The visa in my passport will serve as my temporary greencard until the plastic one is issued, which usually takes anywhere from 1-3 months. Once the official greencard is issued the visa in the passport will no longer be valid. The passport and eventually the greencard should be kept on me at all times. I WILL be denied entry and returned to the last country I was in if I ever fail to present it at a port of entry (no biggie if driving back from Canada, but a huge issue if returning from, say, a European vacation). She asked if I had any questions. I asked what course of action I should follow if the greencard is not received and at what point I should become concerned. She said that I should probably call to inquire after 6 months. At 9 months something is very wrong and I need to hound my local CIS office. She said in a worst-case scenario, the validity of the visa in my passport can be extended another year if needed.

I was then congratulated and welcomed to the United States. No one was bothered at all with the truck full of my belongings, the packing list I'd prepared attesting to such belongings, or my dog. The whole process was less than an hour.

[Flames9_RN 358]

Congrats!! if after 30 days and no greencard, there is a 1 800# u can call,but if ya call before 30 days, they will just tell ya to suck it up, and wait til after,lol congrats!

[CDAgirlMI 51]

Congrats!!

[SpiritAlight 1]

Congrats CHD!

I liked your no fuss no muss story.

[OBX 51]

Thanks for sharing your experiences once again. Nice to know that crossing at Fort Erie will be pain free once I finally get there.

BTW - what kind of dog do you have and where was he/she while you were being processed? I will be bringing my dog as well - he usually sits beside me while I drive but I will probably crate him during the stop at the border.

Merry Christmas - have fun putting up the tree.

Edited December 13, 2008 by OBX

[antda 13]

Hi CHD,

Welcome to the USA! Congrats on getting your visa successfully activated. Thanks for sharing with everyone here on VJ your detailed POE experience at the Peace Bridge. I agree, from my experience, the Peace Bridge is the definitely the "fastest, most courteous, and hassle-free" land crossing bridge between Canada/the USA. And yes, that is the bridge I would recommend to cross at, as I have done so many times, without any problems.

Lol...if only I had the same insight as you to have taken the Peace Bridge instead of the Rainbow Bridge during my POE 2 years ago (for more info, see my VJ timeline). Boy that would have saved me a lot of hassle! Oh well...

Good luck with the rest of your immigration journey too.

Ant

Peace Bridge (Fort Erie/Buffalo)

Highly recommended: Fast, courteous, and hassle-free

We arrived at the border at about 10:30pm. We were expecting it to be busier for a Friday night 2 weeks before Christmas, but ended up with only 2 cars ahead of us at the booths. When it was our turn we handed over our passports and answered the usual "Where are you coming from/Where are you going/What is your citizenship" trio, after which I told the officer that I needed to activate an immigrant visa. He asked if I was relocating today and I said I was. We waited there a few minutes while he filled out a form (I believe anyway...couldn't really see though), He asked to see my package and I handed over the sealed envelope. He wrote down some information from the sheet taped it and handed it back, then asked and wrote down the city and state I was moving to. We were handed a slip of paper and told to pull over to the right.

We were met by a guard who instructed us where to park and directed us to door 1. The waiting room was freeezing, and we were the only ones in it. After a minute or two someone came in and requested my envelope, then said she'd call us into the next room in a few moments. About 4 minutes or so later, another guard came in from outside, commented on how cold the room was, and went back to the secure area. She immediately picked up the intercom and invited us into the next room where the heat was working so we wouldn't have to freeze while we waited. We accepted graciously and thanked her. The first guard smiled when she saw us and said she was about to call us in anyway. She apologized for leaving us out there as she didn't realize how cold it was.

She asked me to verify that all of the information (including spelling) on the sheet that was taped to the sealed envelope is correct. I said it was. she asked me to sit for just another moment while she finished up real quick. Out came the stamp: one on the sheet, one on the DS-230, one in the passport (yay!). She has me come up again and sign the front and back of a form, then took an ink fingerprint of my right index above each signature. She handed back all of our passports and laughed that she gives the same entry speech to everyone, so bear with her. She said that as of right now I am officially a legal permanent resident of the United States and am entitled to work and all other associated rights. The visa in my passport will serve as my temporary greencard until the plastic one is issued, which usually takes anywhere from 1-3 months. Once the official greencard is issued the visa in the passport will no longer be valid. The passport and eventually the greencard should be kept on me at all times. I WILL be denied entry and returned to the last country I was in if I ever fail to present it at a port of entry (no biggie if driving back from Canada, but a huge issue if returning from, say, a European vacation). She asked if I had any questions. I asked what course of action I should follow if the greencard is not received and at what point I should become concerned. She said that I should probably call to inquire after 6 months. At 9 months something is very wrong and I need to hound my local CIS office. She said in a worst-case scenario, the validity of the visa in my passport can be extended another year if needed.

I was then congratulated and welcomed to the United States. No one was bothered at all with the truck full of my belongings, the packing list I'd prepared attesting to such belongings, or my dog. The whole process was less than an hour.

Edited December 13, 2008 by AntandD

[MrsCat 6]

Congrats CHD! Welcome to the USA

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

don't forget to fill int the poe review.

http://www.visajourney.com/reviews/poereviews.php

[CHD 0]

don't forget to fill int the poe review.

http://www.visajourney.com/reviews/poereviews.php

I actually did that first and then copied and pasted it here. lol.

OBX, my dog is a very small cairn terrier/corgi mix. He was in the uncrated in the back seat with my father-in-law (and behaving very well) at the time we crossed the border. Both the officer at the booth and the one who directed us where to park saw him, but neither said or asked anything about him.

And thank you everyone!

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

don't forget to fill int the poe review.

http://www.visajourney.com/reviews/poereviews.php

I actually did that first and then copied and pasted it here. lol.

OBX, my dog is a very small cairn terrier/corgi mix. He was in the uncrated in the back seat with my father-in-law (and behaving very well) at the time we crossed the border. Both the officer at the booth and the one who directed us where to park saw him, but neither said or asked anything about him.

And thank you everyone!

ah cool. i did check before posting the link, but Chantal didn't = CHD to me

[Sprailenes 47]

Congratulations, welcome home.

[Brian and Jenn 0]

Congrats!!!

Welcome to the USA!

Glad everything went smooth!

[jsgriff 0]

don't forget to fill int the poe review.

http://www.visajourney.com/reviews/poereviews.php

I actually did that first and then copied and pasted it here. lol.

OBX, my dog is a very small cairn terrier/corgi mix. He was in the uncrated in the back seat with my father-in-law (and behaving very well) at the time we crossed the border. Both the officer at the booth and the one who directed us where to park saw him, but neither said or asked anything about him.

And thank you everyone!

I crossed in Buffalo NY this morning, a total of 30 min for both Customs and to Import my vehicle.

No duty charged, they didn't even look in my vehicle !!!

This has to be the best border to cross at, it was very, very stress free ! ! ! !!

[Carlawarla 1]

Congratulations to both of you on the great border crossings! Welcome to the US!