Our POE experience

[suzukiwookie 1]

We arrived at Fort Erie at 1:30pm and expected the whole thing to take less than an hour.

We pulled up to the guy in the booth and told him we were activating a K-1. He told us to park by the building and go in door 2. Here was a waiting room full of people and we had to wait 40 minutes for our names to be called.

We went up to booth 7 and the officer started asking pointless, antagonistic questions. But we did not let her get us down and answered her like we could not be more disinterested in the rudeness. This made the officer quit being antagonistic, and then she bacame more social and started chit-chatting with us while processing the visa. The actual K-1 processing was done quite quickly by her. But when it came time to import my car, she had no clue how to do it. So she said "I don't know how to do this, I'll let the guys do it." and handed it off to a group of frat-boy-officers. I call them this because they sat around joking with each other like a bunch of frat boys. Zero professionalism. They looked at the forms, couldn't figure out how to process them, and then ignored them and walked away from them and left them there!! They just walked away because they didn't want to deal with them. So we basically sat there for about an hour (watching everyone avoid our forms) waiting for someone to finish up our forms so we could get out of there. Finally I lost my cool and walked up to the forbidden desk and demanded that someone finish my forms. They looked at me like I was a pauper asking a king to finish my forms. The place was so disorganized, it seems like no one was in charge and no one wanted to do any work. And worse, no one really knew how to fill out the forms. Finally the supervisor finished our forms and we got out of there.

We wasted 2 hours, when it could have been done in 15 minutes. I was not impressed with their lack of professionalism and organization.

But I am happy that I got into the US lawfully and am now happily living with my wife-to-be!!!

[JillA 2]

Sorry to hear about that.... I think US Customs officials sometimes think they have all the power and can treat you like #######.... I had a really easy POE at Queenston Lewiston, I guess Fort Erie isn't as good.... Well at least you're home sweet home!

[TayL 0]

Fort Erie is where I used to cross when I was at University, to go down to Rochester and visit friends.

Though it wasn't for visa activation, I did have one really bad experience there. I was swarm questioned on my first ever border crossing. The subject of my questioning? Did I play guitar?

Seriously. I had four border guards in the customs area of the bus building swarm me and start questioning me on whether or not I played guitar.

I also had a friend who (briefly) dated one of the Fort Erie boys. He was just as immature as the rest of them. And he was for the Canadian side! I personally think that they end up with, not necessarily University students, but University age guys who are out just for a party. There are several colleges and universities within a half hour of that crossing and that's my theory, anyway.

[trailmix 77]

Good review suzukiwookie.

Yes, I find it rather amazing that a group can be so uninformed about their jobs. Are they only trained to seek out drug dealers and terrorists for border operations - in training do they never see a K or IR visa.

Crossing the border at Sweetgrass/Coutts, the person helping us didn't know how to do a visa activation either - so she had to ask the senior guy to help her. From what I could see - it's not that complicated.

And yes, he was rude to me too - when I was discussing importing our car, he barked at me - then I think I looked at him like WHAT - he was kind of polite after that.

Seems to me they get so much training in being aggressive - perhaps they could spend more time on learning how to activate a visa.

[MrsCat 6]

Agreed Tmix. I think they must do a personality profile for most of their recruits and really like to see authoritative, enforcement oriented people. Because it does seem like their first reaction is to search, seize and reject. Its certainly not to facilitate immigration.

The guy processing me, just up and left for an hour. He was working on my paperwork, joked that he hated doing visas and got off his shift. Not knowing the process, I assumed he was in the back processing my paperwork. After sitting for an hour and waiting, I finally asked someone and they didn't realize he had been working on our visa and just left it unfinished on the desk.

But after that, it was really fast and the person who imported my car and the other gentleman who processed my visa were extremely polite and efficient.

[JillA 2]

Agreed Tmix. I think they must do a personality profile for most of their recruits and really like to see authoritative, enforcement oriented people. Because it does seem like their first reaction is to search, seize and reject. Its certainly not to facilitate immigration.

The guy processing me, just up and left for an hour. He was working on my paperwork, joked that he hated doing visas and got off his shift. Not knowing the process, I assumed he was in the back processing my paperwork. After sitting for an hour and waiting, I finally asked someone and they didn't realize he had been working on our visa and just left it unfinished on the desk.

But after that, it was really fast and the person who imported my car and the other gentleman who processed my visa were extremely polite and efficient.

Geez, these stories are awful! How about "Welcome to America" and some kindness or something. I got lucky, the 2 guys doing my visa and car stuff were so kind and actually knew what they were doing. One of them was a bit gruff, but not mean or anything.

[Krikit 1,164]

That's weird. I had a very pleasant experience at the Peace Bridge, albeit a long one due to the number of people in secondary. Though we did have entertainment in the form of one couple who were getting the Stokes interview and the third degree. Oh, and the truckers being arrested for illegal stuff. That was cool. I felt like I was on a TV show.

You should have been sent over to the Customs building to import your car after being processed. Did they not tell you that?

Edited March 20, 2009 by Krikit

[SomberCat 0]

That's weird. I had a very pleasant experience at the Peace Bridge, albeit a long one due to the number of people in secondary. Though we did have entertainment in the form of one couple who were getting the Stokes interview and the third degree. Oh, and the truckers being arrested for illegal stuff. That was cool. I felt like I was on a TV show.

You should have been sent over to the Customs building to import your car after being processed. Did they not tell you that?

What is a Stokes interview?

[JillA 2]

That's weird. I had a very pleasant experience at the Peace Bridge, albeit a long one due to the number of people in secondary. Though we did have entertainment in the form of one couple who were getting the Stokes interview and the third degree. Oh, and the truckers being arrested for illegal stuff. That was cool. I felt like I was on a TV show.

You should have been sent over to the Customs building to import your car after being processed. Did they not tell you that?

Maybe you were! Homeland Security USA!!

[trailmix 77]

That's weird. I had a very pleasant experience at the Peace Bridge, albeit a long one due to the number of people in secondary. Though we did have entertainment in the form of one couple who were getting the Stokes interview and the third degree. Oh, and the truckers being arrested for illegal stuff. That was cool. I felt like I was on a TV show.

You should have been sent over to the Customs building to import your car after being processed. Did they not tell you that?

Customs building?

The guy who processed Mike's visa also did our car import - maybe it's different everywhere - go figure

[OBX 51]

You should have been sent over to the Customs building to import your car after being processed. Did they not tell you that?

Eventually I will be crossing at the Peace Bridge as well. I'm sure this has been addressed many times...but.. to bring my car in, aside from having the compliance letter, registration and bill of sale does it just involve filling out a form? What exactly does the Customs building staff require? Thanks

[JillA 2]

You should have been sent over to the Customs building to import your car after being processed. Did they not tell you that?

Eventually I will be crossing at the Peace Bridge as well. I'm sure this has been addressed many times...but.. to bring my car in, aside from having the compliance letter, registration and bill of sale does it just involve filling out a form? What exactly does the Customs building staff require? Thanks

I don't know about the customs building, to me secondary is the customs building and my K1 was activated in there also my car import done in there. You do fill out a few forms, and they fill out the rest... they stamp the forms too to make it official.... what you fill out is basic stuff like your address.

[OBX 51]

[i don't know about the customs building, to me secondary is the customs building and my K1 was activated in there also my car import done in there. You do fill out a few forms, and they fill out the rest... they stamp the forms too to make it official.... what you fill out is basic stuff like your address.

Thanks. Sounds basic enough. I would hate to finally get to that point and find out I had to turn back because of my 10 year old car!

[Krikit 1,164]

That's weird. I had a very pleasant experience at the Peace Bridge, albeit a long one due to the number of people in secondary. Though we did have entertainment in the form of one couple who were getting the Stokes interview and the third degree. Oh, and the truckers being arrested for illegal stuff. That was cool. I felt like I was on a TV show.

You should have been sent over to the Customs building to import your car after being processed. Did they not tell you that?

What is a Stokes interview?

Taken from this link:

Stokes interview is a form of interview in the New York Immigration District created by the District Court decision in the case, Stokes v. INS. In some other Districts, the interview is called "Fraud Interview". Success or failure at such an interview determines your future in the United States. At the stokes or fraud interview, you and your spouse/travelling partner will be questioned separately. You will be asked the same questions. It is expected that all the answers must be the same before you could be certified as passed. On the average, you will be asked about 120 questions.

That's weird. I had a very pleasant experience at the Peace Bridge, albeit a long one due to the number of people in secondary. Though we did have entertainment in the form of one couple who were getting the Stokes interview and the third degree. Oh, and the truckers being arrested for illegal stuff. That was cool. I felt like I was on a TV show.

You should have been sent over to the Customs building to import your car after being processed. Did they not tell you that?

Maybe you were! Homeland Security USA!!

That would have been so funny!

Customs building?

The guy who processed Mike's visa also did our car import - maybe it's different everywhere - go figure

Yes, the Peace Bridge has a second building where the Customs component of Customs & Immigration are.

You should have been sent over to the Customs building to import your car after being processed. Did they not tell you that?

Eventually I will be crossing at the Peace Bridge as well. I'm sure this has been addressed many times...but.. to bring my car in, aside from having the compliance letter, registration and bill of sale does it just involve filling out a form? What exactly does the Customs building staff require? Thanks

You provide them with the bill of sale and/or registration, along with the compliance letter. They will fill in the form. You will need to provide them with an estimate on its value. Low-ball the estimate as you may be required to pay State tax when you register the vehicle. The Kelley Blue Book site will help you with this.

[Hugglebuggles 60]

Wow that must have been really annoying! I always cross in Fort Erie and i've never had any problems with the boarder guards... I guess its just good luck on my part. Although I do get a slew of stupid and pointless questions quite often... but usually none about my intentions in the US and my relationship with the fiance. Very strange...

I'm going to use the Peace Bridge as my POE too (when I finally get the darn visa). But, I'm not importing a car so It should be a little easier? I think we'll go early in the morning, maybe we'll beat the rush that way...

Krikit: I love your Kitty, duck picture! I collect rubber ducks

Edited March 20, 2009 by Hugglebuggles