POE - What to expect?

[nickbits 43]

I will be crossing with my fiancee and her K1 Visa next month and just want to double check we get everything we are supposed to when we cross.

From what I have read, she will get an I94 which is a piece of paper stapled into her passport and they will also stamp her passport. Is that correct?

I assume we will get pulled into secondary inspection for them to process the visa (Ambassador Bridge if that matters)?

Thanks!

--nick

Edited July 23, 2010 by nickbits

[ashenflowers 5]

I will be crossing with my fiancee and her K1 Visa next month and just want to double check we get everything we are supposed to when we cross.

From what I have read, she will get an I94 which is a piece of paper stapled into her passport and they will also stamp her passport. Is that correct?

I assume we will get pulled into secondary inspection for them to process the visa (Ambassador Bridge if that matters)?

Thanks!

--nick

Oh gawd... good luck with that crossing. I crossed there, and not only did they forget to give me the I-94 (I was too distracted and nervous to think to REMIND them how to do their own freaken jobs), but my medical was lost somewhere, and I suspect they had something to do with it since the one processing me just all around seemed very unsure what to do.

Good luck. And yes, you will be pulled into secondary.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

You will pull up at the border booth and then tell the guard that you are activating a K-1 visa. He will direct you over to Secondary. You will be told to park your vehicle and leave it unlocked and go inside. Both of you should be allowed to go inside. Go up to the counter, present your passport with the visa in it, plus a large brown sealed envelope that you will receive back in the mail along with the visa-issued passport. The envelope can't be opened by anyone other than the border guard - and they will open it in front of you. It contains all of the immigration paperwork the two of you have submitted to date. In effect, you are couriering your own file back to the US . You will be asked some basic questions, including your address in the US You will be fingerprinted. You will have a card stock I-94 placed into the passport and a stamp saying that the K-1 is used as of this date. There will be another date 90 days in the future - that is the date the I-94 expires and is the date by which you need to be married. The whole processing should take about half an hour but may take more if there are a lot of people being processed. The guard should also caution you about not leaving the US until you get a green card or the Advance Parole. Hopefully, they will also welcome you to the US. Good luck!

Edited July 23, 2010 by Kathryn41

[Kimbear 53]

lol poor ashen had a bad experience there..however i had a good one

well the fact it was during shift change was bad..but i was just so damn happy to get to process my visa i didn't care

What you can do is research the poe reviews, ashenflowers did one, i did one, Sam&Ben, there are a few others that crossed there in the last year as well. that may help you.

my tips are make sure you get an i-94 and pay the 6$ for it, and make sure your name is spelled correctly on it. Mine had to be reprinted and that was no easy feat.

[Flames9_RN 358]

You will pull up at the border booth and then tell the guard that you are activating a K-1 visa. He will direct you over to Secondary. You will be told to park your vehicle and leave it unlocked and go inside. Both of you should be allowed to go inside. Go up to the counter, present your passport with the visa in it, plus a large brown sealed envelope that you will receive back in the mail along with the visa-issued passport. The envelope can't be opened by anyone other than the border guard - and they will open it in front of you. It contains all of the immigration paperwork the two of you have submitted to date. In effect, you are couriering your own file back to the US . You will be asked some basic questions, including your address in the US You will be fingerprinted. You will have a card stock I-94 placed into the passport and a stamp saying that the K-1 is used as of this date. There will be another date 90 days in the future - that is the date the I-94 expires and is the date by which you need to be married. The whole processing should take about half an hour but may take more if there are a lot of people being processed. The guard should also caution you about not leaving the US until you get a green card or the Advance Parole. Hopefully, they will also welcome you to the US. Good luck!

I'm telling KRIKIT that you said "ACTIVATE THE VISA!!!" lol

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I know, I know - but it is the best word to indicate what actually happens - you actually 'use it up' but that doesn't sound nearly as helpful as 'activate' . Besides which, that word worked for me when I used my K-1 - the border guard knew exactly what I meant, hehehe.

Edited July 23, 2010 by Kathryn41

[Kimbear 53]

semantics activate , process etc. or just say you would like to cross with your k1 visa

Edited July 23, 2010 by Kimbear

[Flames9_RN 358]

I prefer to use the word "Activate" too,lol Just giving krikit a hard time,lol

[OBX 51]

I prefer to use the word "Activate" too,lol Just giving krikit a hard time,lol

I remember how I worried over what to say; activate, apply for entry with, use up.... I think I eventually just said I'm crossing for the first time with my visa. I was so excited/nervous but the officer just looked at me totally unimpressed, took my passport and sent me over to secondary.