My POE Experience

[biglos 0]

Hello everyone!

Here is my POE experience.

Originally from Burnaby, British Columbia, for the duration of my relationship we have used the Pacific Highway Truck Crossing in Blaine Washington so naturally I chose this border as my POE. Had a hard time packing, streamlining my stuff as my car is STILL out of commission, so I had crossed with my wife and my step daughter in her car.

Sunday night about 7:30pm, 5 minute wait at the border, approached the female officer in the booth, whom I've recognized over the years of going back and forth and I remember she's a nice border officer from a conversation we've had a one point. I gave her my wife's and step daughters passport IDs and showed her my Visa stating that' "I get to go home today!!!"

She said "so your are immigrating today?", I said yes, so she wrote me an orange piece of paper, stuck it to the windshield and directed me towards the building where I am to park and take my DO NOT OPEN packet and orange slip into the building where they will process me and that she will keep the IDs and my passport and another officer will come and get the IDs from her.

So we went into the building and waited for an officer to call us, it wasn't busy at all but we waited about 5 minutes, most of the officers were just sitting around and talking to each other. After a few minutes, an officer called me up and I showed him the packet and orange slip and he said "Whoa! I don't process immigration packets, I haven't done that in a long time, you might want to wait for a senior officer." Okay, I so I went back in line for a moment(we were the only ones in line) and then a younger looking officer had called us up.

At first, he slammed down our IDs and my passport. he seemed annoyed and confused and had an annoyed tone with me, took a few glances at the visa in my passport as well, I think he was thinking I had immigration problems and approached it that way, he asked me, where's home? What do you do for work? what is your intention today?

I was a little confused myself, but I answered him as best I could. He also asked, if I had owned my home in Canada I said no, that's my fathers house. He asked what my plan was, I said to tie up my life in Canada asap and register everything with my US permanent address.

After that weird beginning, the officer seemed to bring me up on the computer and his attitude changed, the original older officer that had called me up had came by to watch my officer process me to refresh his knowledge of the process which kind of relaxed the situation as he was chatty and more friendly.

Next my officer opened my DO NOT OPEN packet and all the paper work we had sent to the NVC originally was in there, including the pictures we sent as well. He was surprised as all the photos that were in the packet, including my wife's photos too. He was like, "So many photos..."

He proceeded to look through the papers, took a look at the medical records from the medical exam I took in Vancouver and was impressed for some reason, I'm assuming because my medical records were complete. He even stated,"Wow, look at you, all complete". From there on he was quite friendly.

Another older officer walked by and asked what the other officers were doing and the officer taking the re-fresher, told him that he hadn't done an immigration packet for a long time and the other officer said you need to remember to do to three things, do the paper work, stamp the passport (the I-94), and sign and do the fingerprint for the green card.

So my officer then said, "okay,we'll get you processed and get you on your way." I was very polite and thanked him. He took a brief look at my inventory list and asked if this was all the things crossing with me today, I said yes and he gave it back to me. He said my wife and step daughter can go and sit while he processed me.

He stamped my passport with the I-94 stamp, then took out another form which is for my green card, he walked me through the steps of having to sign the form and do an index finger fingerprint with ink on both sides. He then asked me what kind of car I had back in Canada, I stated it was a Ford Taurus. He then said "oh okay, it's an American Car." so I guess whatever he was going to say didn't apply, so he continued to tell me about importing the car and it was duty free and the time frame I have to bring it over as well as the rest of my personal belongings.

He then briefly told me that the conditions of my Visa and the I-551 is good from one year from today's date, my POE date and NOT the visa issued date on my passport and that the Visa is good to work, live and reside in the USA. Also that my green card should come within 6 months, because the Government is slow but if I haven't received it in 3 to 6 months that I should start making phone calls to find out what going on.

Then he asked me to take a seat as he finished up the paper work.

After sitting for a few minutes and monkeying around with my step daughter, the older officer called up my step daughter and asked her name, drew her a mouse on a piece of paper and stamped it and said here's your own I-94....it was a cute gesture.

A couple minutes later, my processing officer approached us with our IDs, pointed out on my passport the "registration number" on my Visa is known as my "A" number and that number is the one the government will know me as, so that if anyone asks me about my "A" number that's what they are referring to.

He then said, That's it, Welcome to the Untied States. I was so relieved and happy, so was my wife!

We head back to the car, which wasn't inspected at all, considering I had packed it to the brim with all my stuff, it would have been a mess if they did take everything out and we head home to Everett.

Glad to be home, POE was great after we got passed the confusing beginning, officers were very friendly and now its time to settle into my young adult dream coming true of living in the USA.

AMEN!

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

Fabulous review!

So do you recommend going through that crossing? It looks like they were a bit rusty on the process. Maybe you've warmed them up for my own POE there next month!

Congratulations!

[Married2009 32]

Grats on your successful crossing, and welcome home!

[biglos 0]

Yea, I was a bit weary about crossing so late in the evening but overall its wasn't bad at all. I say if you are used to the Peace Arch, go through there, but if you are used to the Pacific Highway Truck crossing go for it. Either way, you can't predict what officer you are going to get. Also, they did seem rusty but the process wasn't too difficult for them to get on track with. They did everything vocally on the computer, as the older officer was getting a re-fresher, from entering data, to activating the visa, to stamping and fingerprinting, it all seemed pretty straight forward. Good Luck! You will be so relieved when its all said and done!

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

Yea, I was a bit weary about crossing so late in the evening but overall its wasn't bad at all. I say if you are used to the Peace Arch, go through there, but if you are used to the Pacific Highway Truck crossing go for it. Either way, you can't predict what officer you are going to get. Also, they did seem rusty but the process wasn't too difficult for them to get on track with. They did everything vocally on the computer, as the older officer was getting a re-fresher, from entering data, to activating the visa, to stamping and fingerprinting, it all seemed pretty straight forward. Good Luck! You will be so relieved when its all said and done!

I think I may stick with my initial plan and go through the Peace Arch. It's only five minutes difference from the Truck Crossing for me.

I don't know how I would have reacted when he was sounding annoyed with you... I guess it's just further proof that it's the POE that's the last step, and NOT the visa interview!

[lgg 2]

OOOH, So exciting, Biglos... my POE is in 2.5 weeks! I hope it's as smooth and painless. Thanks for posting all the details and such.

Good luck and all the best to you in you life in the US.

LGG

[sdw 10]

Glad you had a pretty painless POE.

[Revenesque 2]

Thanks for the fabulous review! Congrats on your sucessful POE. :-)

[CDAgirlMI 51]

Welcome to America!

[raymaga 25]

Welcome to the U.S.!!!

Enjoy your new life with your family!!!

[sdhiman 0]

Wonderful review! Glad the officers were able to overcome the initial hiccups Thanks for the detailed posting. I loved it when when I read about your daughter's I94 stamp

[Kukolka 8]

Thanks for sharing your experience! Best wishes to you and your family!

[BriCar 0]

WELCOME to the US of A!!

[Kimbear 53]

Congrats Biglos! Glad the Poe wasn't too bad.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Welcome to the US! Great review - and I loved the part about your daughter's mouse I-94 too .