POE Review - Blue Water Bridge (Sarnia/Port Huron) Jan 11th

[Danu 19]

Hi Everyone! Sorry I haven't updated you guys yet, had a long trip and was very tired.

We crossed into the states on Monday at Sarnia around 4pm EST. It was fairly empty, no wait at the border kiosk at all. The guy there was fairly young and didn't really understand what was going on with the visa. There was another guy in the booth with him who asked if I had my packet and if it was still sealed and then they instructed us to pull around the side of the kiosk to go into a building. Inside there was quite a few border guards, none of them had anyone waiting in the lineup.

We got an older gentleman processing our application, he was very friendly and had done visa's before but took a bit to process everything on the computer. The young dude from the kiosk had come inside to see what was up with the visa and to try to learn stuff so it took a little bit longer because he was going through it step by step. The older gentleman asked me if I knew about the clock that started that day and I said "yes I have 90 days to get married and then I must apply for AOS as well as EAD for working and AP if I want to leave for a visit". He seemed fairly impressed that I knew everything so well. He finger printed me and then took a picture, then we went on to import the car which was also super easy as I had the letters from Nissan all easily accessible. Took about 40 minutes to do the whole thing, which wasnt bad at all considering there were a few things he needed to check up on to make sure he was doing things right and that he was training the young lad on how to do things.

The trip through the states wasn't bad, didnt have any bad weather but some of the states were really boring going through (the north part of TX, NM and AZ kind of sucked...was nothing forever and then one huge town in the middle of nowhere lol). Glad to be home for sure! Getting a desk tomorrow so I can set up my real computer instead of my mini-notebook so I can catch up on everything I missed this week!

[Hugglebuggles 60]

Hey Danu!! Congrats on making it to the US!

Your driving experience sounds pretty similar to ours coming through Nebraska and Iowa... So flat and boring, nothing around for miles and miles and then you're suddenly you're in the middle of a town! I guess that's how the west works

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

Congrats on a safe drive and arrival! Hey, a boring drive is far preferable to a treacherous one, right?

[darkchilde794 5]

Welcome Danu! Glad you made it safely here!!!

[Sam and Ben 2]

Happy to hear that everything went smoothly and that you've made it safely.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Congratulations on a good POE and a safe trip 'home'.

[frenzyheart 2]

Thanks for the POE Review! We'll be doing POE through Sarnia, too, as that's usually where we cross!

Your driving experience sounds pretty similar to ours coming through Nebraska and Iowa... So flat and boring, nothing around for miles and miles and then you're suddenly you're in the middle of a town!

Iowa isn't THAT bad! You've got cows.... and corn... and SOME... hills...

ohhhh fiddlesticks... what am I saying, lol, it's boring. HAHA!

[Rhiannercakes 14]

Welcome to the US!

[Krikit 1,164]

The trip through the states wasn't bad, didnt have any bad weather but some of the states were really boring going through (the north part of TX, NM and AZ kind of sucked...was nothing forever and then one huge town in the middle of nowhere lol). Glad to be home for sure! Getting a desk tomorrow so I can set up my real computer instead of my mini-notebook so I can catch up on everything I missed this week!

Whenever I'm on a plane looking down I always wonder about that..... How there is nothing around for miles and miles except a couple of roads leading to a huge town in the middle of nowhere. I always wonder about the origins.

Glad you had a great POE! Welcome to America!

[TimandJoyce 1]

Wonderful review Danu!! Glad it all went smoothly for you, and that the trip was good, although ....well...boring... ( like going through parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan )

Welcome to the US of A!!

[lilacvioletiris 11]

Thanks for the review of the Port Huron POE. That is where my fiance' usually enters (although the last time I came back from Canada the 402 was closed due to a terrible snowstorm and I had to drive through Detroit, yuck, construction!) What a LONG drive! So worth it at the end though I am sure!

[ashenflowers 5]

I'm feeling your pain re: the drive! As you know. Glad they gave you an I-94 at the border too Welcome to the dark side!

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Thanks for the review of the Port Huron POE. That is where my fiance' usually enters (although the last time I came back from Canada the 402 was closed due to a terrible snowstorm and I had to drive through Detroit, yuck, construction!) What a LONG drive! So worth it at the end though I am sure!

Geeze, I know that route really well as well. I used to date (before I met Joe) an American who lived in Clinton Township, Michigan. I used to take the ferries at Sombra or Walpole Island (Marine City/Algonac) except in the winter when the ice became too bad and I had to drive the Sarnia route or the Detroit route (6 of one half dozen of the other). I remember coming home through Sarnia during a blizzard where I couldn't stop because I literally had no idea where the road was - I was following the taillights ahead of me at about 10 mph. When I finally got home (did wonder if I was going to make it a number of times!), the snow was packed so hard on the left side of the car that it stuck out fully 16" - rock hard from being pummeled into the car by the wind. The worst thing about all of this? The heater in my car was dead - I drove that whole winter back and forth without a heater bundled in blankets and hot water bottles. For 402 to be closed that storm had to be really bad!

My POE was Port Huron as well - it was good and no problems for us either.

Edited January 17, 2010 by Kathryn41

[Krikit 1,164]

Whoa.

[antda 13]

Hi Danu,

Congrats on a successful POE! Thanks for sharing about that detailed experience about that crossing here on VJ!

Welcome to America, Danu!

Congrats too, on getting married in the new year too, and may you enjoy the happiness that married life brings!

And good luck with the rest of your journey too!

Ant

Hi Everyone! Sorry I haven't updated you guys yet, had a long trip and was very tired.

We crossed into the states on Monday at Sarnia around 4pm EST. It was fairly empty, no wait at the border kiosk at all. The guy there was fairly young and didn't really understand what was going on with the visa. There was another guy in the booth with him who asked if I had my packet and if it was still sealed and then they instructed us to pull around the side of the kiosk to go into a building. Inside there was quite a few border guards, none of them had anyone waiting in the lineup.

We got an older gentleman processing our application, he was very friendly and had done visa's before but took a bit to process everything on the computer. The young dude from the kiosk had come inside to see what was up with the visa and to try to learn stuff so it took a little bit longer because he was going through it step by step. The older gentleman asked me if I knew about the clock that started that day and I said "yes I have 90 days to get married and then I must apply for AOS as well as EAD for working and AP if I want to leave for a visit". He seemed fairly impressed that I knew everything so well. He finger printed me and then took a picture, then we went on to import the car which was also super easy as I had the letters from Nissan all easily accessible. Took about 40 minutes to do the whole thing, which wasnt bad at all considering there were a few things he needed to check up on to make sure he was doing things right and that he was training the young lad on how to do things.

The trip through the states wasn't bad, didnt have any bad weather but some of the states were really boring going through (the north part of TX, NM and AZ kind of sucked...was nothing forever and then one huge town in the middle of nowhere lol). Glad to be home for sure! Getting a desk tomorrow so I can set up my real computer instead of my mini-notebook so I can catch up on everything I missed this week!