Trouble At The Us Border! What Next?, K3 Visa expired 8 days ago!

[DLL66 0]

My family and I arrived in the states on the 27th of Feb., but my wifes passport was seized by the Dept. of homeland secutity at the border! On the actual visa stamp in her passport at the very bottom it says"K3 Visa application expires on 20 Feb 2010". The visa was isued by the Embassy the last week of Jan, last month. I knew about the application expiring but wasn't concerned because the actual Visa expires in 2012 and the Embassy never told my wife she only had about 3 weeks to get to the states.

They let her come in to the country but I was told to call the Immigration dept. and make an appointment to get everything straightened out. It sounds like the passport will most likely be returned and I'll just have to apply for an adjustment of status at that time, but I'm not sure and had not planned to apply for the adjustment now because we live over seas. We also need to wait a month for the appointment but we were scheduled to leave the US at the end of the month.

Any ideas on what may happen and why the expiration of the visa was so soon?

Thank You!!

[Otto 83]

It sounds like someone made a mistake (CBP I mean).

[DLL66 0]

It sounds like someone made a mistake (CBP I mean).

I'm hoping that you are right! They really didn't seem to know what a K3 visa was, they asked if we were married!

[Otto 83]

they asked if we were married!

Well duh... what border did you enter through?

[SPSguy 18]

My family and I arrived in the states on the 27th of Feb., but my wifes passport was seized by the Dept. of homeland secutity at the border! On the actual visa stamp in her passport at the very bottom it says"K3 Visa application expires on 20 Feb 2010". The visa was isued by the Embassy the last week of Jan, last month. I knew about the application expiring but wasn't concerned because the actual Visa expires in 2012 and the Embassy never told my wife she only had about 3 weeks to get to the states.

They let her come in to the country but I was told to call the Immigration dept. and make an appointment to get everything straightened out. It sounds like the passport will most likely be returned and I'll just have to apply for an adjustment of status at that time, but I'm not sure and had not planned to apply for the adjustment now because we live over seas. We also need to wait a month for the appointment but we were scheduled to leave the US at the end of the month.

Any ideas on what may happen and why the expiration of the visa was so soon?

Thank You!!

My wife's K3 says the same thing. They let her in fine. However, her I 94 was only valid for 12 months on first entry. We even went to get her a drivers license on her first visit, over a year ago.

We have reentered the U.S. three times since. and everything was fine. We entered Chicago POE.

Sounds to me you have a rookie CBP. When we were asked why the visa says the application expires on xx/xx/xxxx we told the CBP that of course it expires because the visa is approved. After some checking, everything was good and my wife's passport had no problem.

THEY REALLY SHOULD TAKE OUT THE STUPID PETITION EXPIRATION DATE. It confuses the confused.

[DLL66 0]

My wife's K3 says the same thing. They let her in fine. However, her I 94 was only valid for 12 months on first entry. We even went to get her a drivers license on her first visit, over a year ago.

We have reentered the U.S. three times since. and everything was fine. We entered Chicago POE.

Sounds to me you have a rookie CBP. When we were asked why the visa says the application expires on xx/xx/xxxx we told the CBP that of course it expires because the visa is approved. After some checking, everything was good and my wife's passport had no problem.

THEY REALLY SHOULD TAKE OUT THE STUPID PETITION EXPIRATION DATE. It confuses the confused.

I told them the same exact thing and they just shrugged! The Embassy confirmed today that the visa is still good for two years. Now I just have to get the passport back.....

Thanks For The Reply!

[DLL66 0]

Thanks for all the reply's. We got the passport back already. It was a mistake on their part. Hopefully some one else can learn from my experience.

[Justine+David 218]

What knuckleheads...sorry this happened to you, but glad it got straightened out!

[SPSguy 18]

Thanks for all the reply's. We got the passport back already. It was a mistake on their part. Hopefully some one else can learn from my experience.

Where did you end up going to get it back? Did they give you anything in writing to prevent the same thing from happening next time? If you can provide a bit more detail I think others can learn from your experience, in the event the same situation happens to them.

[sdw 10]

Glad you got everything straightened out.

[DLL66 0]

Where did you end up going to get it back? Did they give you anything in writing to prevent the same thing from happening next time? If you can provide a bit more detail I think others can learn from your experience, in the event the same situation happens to them.

I just realized that I never followed up on this, Sorry!

We had to go to our local DHS office, gave them our report/receipt that we were given when the passport was taken, waited about 20 minutes and were handed the passport with no explanation at all! I checked, asked the officer if everything was in order, he said fine and we just left!

It was their mistake, I didn't bother to complain because I knew that they couldn't change what happened and an apology wouldn't help things or be offered!

I hope that this thread helps somebody if they find them selves in a similar situation.

[SunDrop 59]

I'm curious if seizing an ID document that was issued by a foreign state is even legal. It potentially left your wife with no means of providing a picture ID of herself or of her legal presence in the US.