HELP - Arrived in the USA but nobody took my brown envelope

[jojo_gee 8]

Hey folks, yeah I'm kinda freaking out. I was supposed to fly Dublin - Philadelphia - San Francisco on the 7th May. We had to land in Atlantic City because of weather problems so by the time I eventually got to Philly, I'd missed my flight and they put me up in a hotel to get the first flight next day. But nobody took my brown envelope of me in either Philly or San Francisco. What does this mean?? What the hell do I do with it now? I'm assuming that I go into the system after they take this package from me so I'm not sure what to do about applying for a SSN.

Can anyone give me some speedy advice?

Thanks JoJo xxx

Edited May 9, 2009 by jojo_gee

[Otto 83]

I would contact the CBP at your closest POE (international airport) and ask them what should be done - you're a K1 entrant and no one took the envelope the Embassy/Consulate said would be taken upon entry. They should be able to advise you - I would imagine they'd like you to bring it to them.

Did you get a valid I-94?

[jojo_gee 8]

Did you get a valid I-94?

Yeah, the white thing in my passport...they stamped that when I arrived. But 2 different official looking people (one in Dublin and one in Philadelphia) asked me what K1 meant! I figured that these folk knew but I explained to both of them and they never even questioned it.

[Gemmie 142]

Wow, that's a bit worrying that none of them knew what a K1 was and never questioned it.. anyone could have gotten in, then!

I would call the CBP too (we've once done this, they weren't the most pleasant people in Boston) to tell them when you arrived on your K1 visa and that you still have your brown envelope you needed to hand in as no one took it.

Edited May 9, 2009 by Gemmie

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Here's numbers for the San Francisco airport. It's a long list so I guess you need to figure out which department. I'd start there. You need to be processed and your arrival recorded. AOS application asks something about did you enter with inspection and you didn't so good luck on getting it sorted.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/toolbox/contact...rts/ca/2801.xml

Perhaps Altlantic City isn't a POE and they don't normally process immigrants. Was there an immigration line like normal international flights? First entry into the country is where you would POE. The Philly landing might have been considered domestic and no immigration lines. I read a thread of somebody this happened too and they had a lot of trouble and phone calls trying to get somebody to accept the envelope.

Edited May 9, 2009 by Nich-Nick

[jojo_gee 8]

Here's numbers for the San Francisco airport. It's a long list so I guess you need to figure out which department. I'd start there. You need to be processed and your arrival recorded. AOS application asks something about did you enter with inspection and you didn't so good luck on getting it sorted.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/toolbox/contact...rts/ca/2801.xml

Perhaps Altlantic City isn't a POE and they don't normally process immigrants. Was there an immigration line like normal international flights? First entry into the country is where you would POE. The Philly landing might have been considered domestic and no immigration lines. I read a thread of somebody this happened too and they had a lot of trouble and phone calls trying to get somebody to accept the envelope.

Thanks, I just called some guy at the airport and left a message so fingers crossed. I think I'll keep calling about though. The problem with Atlantic City is they weren't gonna let us off the plane coz there were no immigration folk but eventually they has to let us off to wait inside and swap planes. When we arrived in Philadelphia, I went through immigration and the guy was really chatty and friendly but had to ask me what a K1 visa was. I thought this was a bit odd but he let me through no questions. By the time I was in SF, of course there were no checks as it was an internal flight.

It just leaves me a bit aggitated coz I'm getting married in less than a month and need an SSN but I doubt they'll have any record of me. I hope someone out there will take the damn envelope!

Thanks for the advice. XX

[rebeccajo 14]

Here's numbers for the San Francisco airport. It's a long list so I guess you need to figure out which department. I'd start there. You need to be processed and your arrival recorded. AOS application asks something about did you enter with inspection and you didn't so good luck on getting it sorted.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/toolbox/contact...rts/ca/2801.xml

Perhaps Altlantic City isn't a POE and they don't normally process immigrants. Was there an immigration line like normal international flights? First entry into the country is where you would POE. The Philly landing might have been considered domestic and no immigration lines. I read a thread of somebody this happened too and they had a lot of trouble and phone calls trying to get somebody to accept the envelope.

The OP states he has his I94, so he must have been inspected. I wonder what sort of stamp he does have in his passport? Is the K1 itself stamped, or is the passport stamped elsewhere.....

Did you receive the I94 in Dublin? We had a #######-up four years ago where they took my husband's K1 envelope but did not give him his I94.

Your best bet is to get yourself back to the last airport you came through, and have their Border agents confirm all your previous flights, etc. You need to do this NOW before the flight itineraries disappear.

[jojo_gee 8]

Here's numbers for the San Francisco airport. It's a long list so I guess you need to figure out which department. I'd start there. You need to be processed and your arrival recorded. AOS application asks something about did you enter with inspection and you didn't so good luck on getting it sorted.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/toolbox/contact...rts/ca/2801.xml

Perhaps Altlantic City isn't a POE and they don't normally process immigrants. Was there an immigration line like normal international flights? First entry into the country is where you would POE. The Philly landing might have been considered domestic and no immigration lines. I read a thread of somebody this happened too and they had a lot of trouble and phone calls trying to get somebody to accept the envelope.

The OP states he has his I94, so he must have been inspected. I wonder what sort of stamp he does have in his passport? Is the K1 itself stamped, or is the passport stamped elsewhere.....

Did you receive the I94 in Dublin? We had a #######-up four years ago where they took my husband's K1 envelope but did not give him his I94.

Your best bet is to get yourself back to the last airport you came through, and have their Border agents confirm all your previous flights, etc. You need to do this NOW before the flight itineraries disappear.

I recieved my I-94 in Dublin and it was stamped in Philadelphia with a date of entry stamp and valid until Oct 2009 written on. I can't get to the airport NOW and their offices are only open Monday to Friday 8-4 so have to wait to speak to a real person and not an answer machine. What a pain in the neck. All this hassle for a year and how the USA are so paranoid and thoroughly check everyone and I just walk on through. Mmmmmmm.

[rebeccajo 14]

Here's numbers for the San Francisco airport. It's a long list so I guess you need to figure out which department. I'd start there. You need to be processed and your arrival recorded. AOS application asks something about did you enter with inspection and you didn't so good luck on getting it sorted.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/toolbox/contact...rts/ca/2801.xml

Perhaps Altlantic City isn't a POE and they don't normally process immigrants. Was there an immigration line like normal international flights? First entry into the country is where you would POE. The Philly landing might have been considered domestic and no immigration lines. I read a thread of somebody this happened too and they had a lot of trouble and phone calls trying to get somebody to accept the envelope.

The OP states he has his I94, so he must have been inspected. I wonder what sort of stamp he does have in his passport? Is the K1 itself stamped, or is the passport stamped elsewhere.....

Did you receive the I94 in Dublin? We had a #######-up four years ago where they took my husband's K1 envelope but did not give him his I94.

Your best bet is to get yourself back to the last airport you came through, and have their Border agents confirm all your previous flights, etc. You need to do this NOW before the flight itineraries disappear.

I recieved my I-94 in Dublin and it was stamped in Philadelphia with a date of entry stamp and valid until Oct 2009 written on. I can't get to the airport NOW and their offices are only open Monday to Friday 8-4 so have to wait to speak to a real person and not an answer machine. What a pain in the neck. All this hassle for a year and how the USA are so paranoid and thoroughly check everyone and I just walk on through. Mmmmmmm.

Did anybody mark your K1?

[jojo_gee 8]

Here's numbers for the San Francisco airport. It's a long list so I guess you need to figure out which department. I'd start there. You need to be processed and your arrival recorded. AOS application asks something about did you enter with inspection and you didn't so good luck on getting it sorted.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/toolbox/contact...rts/ca/2801.xml

Perhaps Altlantic City isn't a POE and they don't normally process immigrants. Was there an immigration line like normal international flights? First entry into the country is where you would POE. The Philly landing might have been considered domestic and no immigration lines. I read a thread of somebody this happened too and they had a lot of trouble and phone calls trying to get somebody to accept the envelope.

The OP states he has his I94, so he must have been inspected. I wonder what sort of stamp he does have in his passport? Is the K1 itself stamped, or is the passport stamped elsewhere.....

Did you receive the I94 in Dublin? We had a #######-up four years ago where they took my husband's K1 envelope but did not give him his I94.

Your best bet is to get yourself back to the last airport you came through, and have their Border agents confirm all your previous flights, etc. You need to do this NOW before the flight itineraries disappear.

No, my K1 is fully in tact, unmarked and looking lovely.

I recieved my I-94 in Dublin and it was stamped in Philadelphia with a date of entry stamp and valid until Oct 2009 written on. I can't get to the airport NOW and their offices are only open Monday to Friday 8-4 so have to wait to speak to a real person and not an answer machine. What a pain in the neck. All this hassle for a year and how the USA are so paranoid and thoroughly check everyone and I just walk on through. Mmmmmmm.

Did anybody mark your K1?

[rebeccajo 14]

Your I94 isn't even correct. The expiry of the your entry should have been August 8 or thereabouts, not sometime in October. The October date doesn't even make sense if CBP had admitted you as a VWP entrant.

I'm not sure you will be able to access CBP at your last airport of entry simply by ringing up the airport. Definitely don't just hop in the car and head there hoping to solve the problem. TSA won't allow you to cross over to the inbound side of airports without a ticket. My experience was I needed to contact CBP in my state of residence. After explaining the situation, they provided me with a 'good' phone number to get right to the CBP desk at Pittsburgh International airport. We made arrangements with the Commanding Officer to arrive the next day at a particular time. We carried with us all our boarding passes and my husband's passport. We rang the CO's desk whilst sitting in the airport parking lot to let him know we had arrived. He sent two CBP officers over to the outbound TSA security point so they could escort us back to CBP on the inbound side of the airport.

The guy was really nice. He was able to follow the trail of my husband's entry through the boarding passes and verified them through flight logs in airport computer system. He issued my husband a duplicate I94 (remember this should have been done for us in Dublin, but the officer was now doing it about a week later in the US), which has never been questioned throughout our process so far.

Your problem is two-fold. Not only did they not take your brown envelope, but your entry is not proper. You have been inspected and legally admitted into the US but you have not been admitted as a K1 entrant.

Let us know how this turns out for you. I know it's going to be a hassle, but I suspect it is do-able.

Edited May 10, 2009 by rebeccajo

[jojo_gee 8]

Jeez, talk about hassle. On inspection of my passport, he has stamped the I-94 with my admission date as 7th May but has written valid until 16th Oct but I think that's because he had no idea what he was doing. He looked at my actual visa and the expiry date on it is 16th Oct and that's why he's written that. Grrrrrrr.

I can't do much until tomorrow when the offices open. I really hope I figure this out. I still have my boarding cards but there's no mention of me being in Atlantic City for 5 hours. I'll keep you posted.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

All of the numbers in the link I gave are CBP at San Francisco airport and they should be able to help get you to the right person. My guess is this one-

Name: Deferred Inspections (Immigration)

Phone: (415) 844-5227

-and they might answer on weekends since somebody is there for flight arrivals.

This is another number. Sounds good. You were a passenger and you need service.

CBP Passenger Service Manager

San Francisco International Airport

David Sanchez (650) 821-8663

[rebeccajo 14]

Jeez, talk about hassle. On inspection of my passport, he has stamped the I-94 with my admission date as 7th May but has written valid until 16th Oct but I think that's because he had no idea what he was doing. He looked at my actual visa and the expiry date on it is 16th Oct and that's why he's written that. Grrrrrrr.

I can't do much until tomorrow when the offices open. I really hope I figure this out. I still have my boarding cards but there's no mention of me being in Atlantic City for 5 hours. I'll keep you posted.

Well, I wondered how he came up with a date in October! Unbelievable.

All of the numbers in the link I gave are CBP at San Francisco airport and they should be able to help get you to the right person. My guess is this one-

Name: Deferred Inspections (Immigration)

Phone: (415) 844-5227

-and they might answer on weekends since somebody is there for flight arrivals.

This is another number. Sounds good. You were a passenger and you need service.

CBP Passenger Service Manager

San Francisco International Airport

David Sanchez (650) 821-8663

Nich -

That might work, but that's not what Deferred Inspection is usually for:

http://www.borderimmigrationlawyer.com/deferred-inspection/

jojo gee - CBP at a port of entry should be willing to fix THEIR error. Just make sure you ask for the Officer in Charge. It's pretty obvious some of the newer officers don't know what they are doing..........

Edited May 10, 2009 by rebeccajo

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Nich -

That might work, but that's not what Deferred Inspection is usually for:

http://www.borderimmigrationlawyer.com/deferred-inspection/

I see. I had read this on CBP and thought it sounded kinda helpful and since it said "immigration" and "remedy errors", I thought they might be a place to start asking for answers.

The Deferred Inspection Site staff is also available to review and issue the necessary documents to remedy errors recorded on arrival documents issued at the time of entry to the United States relating to improper non-immigrant classification, inaccurate biographical information or incorrect period of admission, if appropriate. Any designated deferred inspection location or CBP office located within an international airport should be able to assist you, regardless of where the actual document was issued.

Travelers are encouraged to contact sites not located within an international airport to establish an appointment, if necessary. In many instances, the location of your final destination where the discrepancy will be resolved may not be the port of your first arrival into the United States. Mail-in procedures are generally not available.

The Deferred Inspection Sites will only correct errors made at the time of entry. You must contact U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) if you wish to: replace a lost, stolen, or mutilated Arrival-Departure Record, CBP Form I-94, or Crewman's Landing Permit, CBP Form I-95; apply to extend your stay in the United States; or, change your immigration status. Specific information can be found on the USCIS Web site.

Good luck to you tomorrow in finding some answers.

Edited May 11, 2009 by Nich-Nick