Arriving in America

[mikeswifey 0]

thanks for sharing the POE story, Congrats for the baby & for being finally home with your Hubby...

[jwk2003 3]

Here is my experience with my flight to US and going through Immigration and Customs...

So, my flight was scheduled on Aug 31st SOF-LON-BOS with AA operated by British Airlines from Sofia to London (Heathrow) and AA from London to Boston.

My flight was scheduled for 2.30 pm from Sofia, arriving at 8.30 pm in Boston.

I arrived at the airport at 1 pm. My luggage was 2 kg (~4.4 lbs) overweight so I had to take some stuff out and put it in my carry on (which was a backpack). I just have bought some medicine right before my check-in and I asked the British Airlines rep if it was ok to put them in my carry on as my other luggage was overweight anyway. She looked at them and said it was fine, as long as I didn't have any liquid medicine with me. I bought some Magnesium pills prescribed by doctor and Mustella cream as I am 5 months pregnant. However, the girl was very rude and she started raising her voice at me that I was late for my flight (it was 1.15 pm, still 1 hr and 15 min to my flight) and told me to hurry up and go fast through security and head to the terminal. I wanna tell you that Sofia Airport is pretty small compared to other European Airports. It has only one terminal (the new one which they built 2 years ago) with 9 gates. You could walk the whole terminal for no more than 5-7 min but still she insisted I was late. However, I had to say bye to my family really quick and get going.

Went through screen check. The guy asked me straight if I had Mustella in my carry on. I said yes. He said it was over 100ml and in general I wasn't allowed to have it in my carry on but he'd make an exception. I also had a painting with me which was a gift for our wedding and I went through hassle to get a certificate and have the painting with me on the flight, and no one ever asked me about that certificate and in the winter they wouldn't let my husband has it with him back to US without a certificate. WTH???

I got on the plane, flight was OK, food wasn't though, so good for me that I had lunch with my family before the flight.

On the plane I met some other Bulgarian guy with his UK wife. He wouldn't let me carry my backpack as it was very very heavy - 15 kg (~33 lbs) and he asked One Complete Service (OCS) company that helps passengers with wheelchairs, to help me carry my bags from terminal 3 to terminal 5. They refused by saying it was British Airlines (BA) responsibility. Then we called a BA rep and they said they could not do anything as I just got off their flight, it was AA (American Airlines) responsibility and I should contact them for assistance. However, a guy from OCS carried my heavy backpack to the bus and said I'd be able to take a wheelchair from terminal 5 once I arrive there.

So, I arrived at terminal 5, I looked around, saw the guy working for OCS, explained the situation, asked him for the wheelchair and he looked at me so stupid, shrugged his shoulders like he was saying "I DON'T CARE, NOT MY PROBLEM, LEAVE ME ALONE", turned his head on the other side and left me there alone, with all my stuff. I asked again for help, he only said to go and contact AA. I answered that if I wasn't pregnant I wouldn't ask for help, but I could not lift anything heavier than 2-3 kg (4-6 lbs). He did the same, gave me the stupid look, shrugged shoulders and kept reading his newspapers.

Tears started dropping down my face, I just couldn't believe that he was a "MAN" who didn't care a pregnant woman had to deal with all these bags. I felt so offended. I took my bags, went upstairs and went through security.

Here came the next problem. That Mustella turned out to be a big problem. Just because it was 200ml but not 100ml, the security said I:

a ) could throw it in the trash (but I paid $30 for it)

b ) take it with me, go through immigrations, check out, check in again and send the Mustella cream with one of my bags...

Ahhhhh, well, the security supervisor was very helpful though. She asked someone to go and ask AA for a wheelchair for one of their passengers. So, here I come. I have to sit down actually in the wheelchair, otherwise they won't let me use their service... Well, I did. Oh, and my 2 hrs overlay in London got extended with another 4 hrs. My flight was delayed with 4 hrs!!! Someone said lately all flights through Heathrow had delays. I had to stay at the airport for more than 6 hrs. Bummer!!!

Then next step, I have to go through immigration customs. The Immigration officer asks me why I didn't fill out declaration form. I said I didn't have to as I was a citizen of a European country. He gave me another stupid look and said: "And since when Bulgaria is a European Union Country???" and I looked at him like Doh! and said: "Two years so far"... Oh, he said, let me check that in the computer. A minute later some apology and I could go out of the airport.

Then I had to check in again, hehe... I gave them my other backpack that had only shoes inside as I had to take them out in first place from my luggage at SOF airport, then put the Mustella cream in it and check it in again with the AA officer. She started asking me questions about my visa, about my husband... and I looked at her stupid and thought: WTH? Ur not an immigration officer!!!! Then she told me they were going to give me a wheelchair, but I HAD TO sit in it, and then go through security again, and they'd leave me in the emergency room. She also said if I was 5 months pregnant and was having contractions, I shouldn't fly in a first place before making so much noise for one wheelchair. WTH? What? What? OK, I had enough $H!T from this airport. I thought that Air companies valued their passengers and it turned out they didn't give a #######, or... oh, wait a minute, I'm a foreigner, not an American citizen, so I probably don't know my rights and they can threat me as bad as they want.

I was left in the Emergency room to wait for the next 4 hrs, and have been said not to move anywhere. If I wanted to go to the restroom, I was expected to take my luggage with me. And I said to the girl: "Then what's the point of having a wheelchair for help, if I'll have to take my luggage with me if I need to go to the restroom, or to buy something to eat?" She just shrugged her shoulders, said not to leave my luggage unattended and left with the wheelchair.

There was another pregnant woman waiting as well. And an old couple sitting next to me. They said they were going to watch my luggage if I wanted to go to eat something. I thanked them and I did as kept crying all the time. When I got back, another lady from OSC came and asked me if I was OK. I laid down on a bench because I got contractions again and my belly was as hard as a stone and it was so painful. I couldn't answer at all. All I could do was nodding for an answer. And I fell asleep. At some point a guy came, woke me up, took my luggage and gave me a ride to my gate with a luggage cart. Then I got on the plane and the flight was safe. I did not have to fill in I-94. But I did have to fill in Customs Declaration.

I arrived in BOS at 12.20 am on Sept 1st, instead of 8.30 pm on Aug 31st.

Our flight was the only one arriving so late. There were all these hundreds of people waiting to go through immigration. I went to an officer, showed him the two orange packages I had with me from the embassy and asked where I should go. He sent me to Non-immigrants/Visitors line. There were only 3 booths open - 2 for US citizens and 1 for visitors. After 10 min of waiting, another officer came to check our visas. He sent me to booth #3 which they just opened. I stepped up there, the officer asked me how am I, when did I get married, since when I haven't seen my husband with very friendly voice. I answered, then I said last time he came to visit we went on a second honeymoon and this is when we made our baby, and when we found out about it hubby said no more honeymoons. The officer started laughing, he said I should've kept it a secret till I get back. I answered in the same friendly joking way: "Yeah, hunny, surprise! I got bigger " and he started laughing again, then he took my fingerprints, took a quick snapshot with the camera which made me ask what was that for, he said for X-mas cards. I asked if I was going to get one, he answered yes; I asked if he'd promise, he laughed and said yes, and then said: "OK, dear, now I'll take you to another level of immigration downstairs. Give me that bag here". So he took my heavy backpack and brought me to a second Immigration office downstairs, right where the luggage pick up was. He left my package on desk #1 (out of totally 3), said good luck with the pregnancy, welcome to USA and left. Total time upstairs - 5 min.

I sat down on a bench to wait to be called. A woman showed up, looked at my 2 big orange packages and said: "Holly $h!t, what is that?" I went to her and asked if I could go to the restroom while she is working on my CR-1 visa. She took me to it, unlocked it for me and said: "Take your time, hun, that's the biggest package of immigration paperwork I've seen lately"

If anyone would like to know what they have in the secret orange envelope that says DO NOT OPEN, I'll tell you the secret

I had 2 envelopes for some reason.

- In one of them I suppose I had the DS-230 stamped and signed at USEM, medical record, I-130, G-325A, I-864, DS-3032.

- In the second one was all the evidence we sent to USCIS and NVC as a proof of a bona fide marriage - pictures, copies of chat history, e-mails, swarn affidavits from friends and relatives, copies of cell phone invoices and call history, copies of my old visas to US ans all issued documents to me.

How do I know? Someone at the embassy has torn off the package at one of the edges and it was enough to be able to see what is inside.

So, after working over my paperwork for about 20 min, she called me, took the fingerprint of my right index twice on two dif papers, made me sign them twice, gave me back my passport with a stamp that said CR-1 visa and said I'm all set. I asked about the SS# but she told me as I already had one it was forever. I knew she wasn't right, I mean, I know I'm supposed to receive a new card no matter (although it's the same number), but just didn't want to argue with her. Took my stuff and left.

Went to pick up my luggage. Someone already have put it all for me on a luggage cart, yayyyy

Went through customs. They asked me if I had any food with me. I asked if the jelly is considered to be food. The girl said NO, just any fresh vegetables, fruit... I answered NO. Then the 4 guys were staring at my suitcases. One of them asked me if I had any stones in my luggage. I answered I had some shells from the Black Sea, as well as a stone with two dead mummified crabs on it. He made a joke about Bulgaria and that we had a sea but not an ocean, then he said I'm good to go, and I left. It's already 1.20 am... I'm tired and sleepy, my feet are swelling a lot, they are so big... I'm pushing the carriage...

...

First door after Customs - big empty room

...

Second door after Customs - Bostan Logan Airport, a huge bouquet of 36 red roses and a hubby, waiting impatiently to hug and kiss me and our Daisy for finally welcome back home

Wow! what an experience....I'm glad that you made it here to the states!! Welcome to America!

[Jonara 0]

Welcome to Boston.

Your story got me to tears. Enjoy your new home.

[raymaga 25]

Welcome "home" and good luck with the rest of your pregnancy.

[redBlue 1]

I know how difficult it is to travel while pregnant since I had to go tru the similar stuf last year.

I'm glad you are home now...

happy & healthy pregnancy :-)

[KGH 0]

Congrats

[Chris Me lil D 17]

Welcome to Boston.

Your story got me to tears. Enjoy your new home.

Welcome "home" and good luck with the rest of your pregnancy.

I wanted to thank you. Actually it's been my home for the past 6 years, so while I've been back to my country couldn't wait to come back to my life here... Went back to college, back to work, new cell, new car... Only thing that bothers me now after trying to get my life back to normal - Mass health won't give me insurance since my hubby's income is over the poverty guideline, NO MATTER I'm pregnant

No GC yet, no welcome letter and it's been 3 weeks already...

[redBlue 1]

I'm sorry to hear that they are not insuring you;for the same reason ,my hubby put me on his insurance the same day that we got married....

i hope you'll find one who would be willing to insure you..

happy pregnancy

[Terca 6]

Nice very detailed. Thanks

welcome back