Manipulate Layover Time for K-1 Entry

[acuratlsd 11]

I second this recommendation. If you can arrange the time, I would make a trip out of it for at least a couple days. For my wife and stepdaughter I drove a rented minivan from Washington State to LAX to pick them up. We spent that first night in So Cal and took a couple days to make the drive home, They saw some scenery and got acquainted. Raleigh is a lot shorter drive than that. Yes, I've made that drive too. :-) And many more.

The longest drive I have ever done was from East Carolina to muskegon Michigan. That runs about 17 hours of course I had a second driver and just this pass Xmas, I drove from NC to CT which said 12 hours but i made it in 10 with a 14ft Uhaul, my aunt couldn't keep up with me even when she had her car as a secondary. That is what she gets for buying a 4Cyl CRX honda. No acceleration at all.

[Scafidi454 22]

When I came back to the US from Russia, it took me about 2 - 3 hours to get through Dulles (Washington, DC), and I'm a citizen! For some reason, I actually had to be further examined when entering the US...

Anyway, I'm going to find a flight with about 4 - 6 hours of layover at the POE.

[acuratlsd 11]

When I came back to the US from Russia, it took me about 2 - 3 hours to get through Dulles (Washington, DC), and I'm a citizen! For some reason, I actually had to be further examined when entering the US...

Anyway, I'm going to find a flight with about 4 - 6 hours of layover at the POE.

Don't feel bad about it. The lady interrogated me when I came back from the Philippines. Asking how I paid for my trip.

I have a pretty open personality and I would have loved to joke with her, but she works for the US Government. They are not meant to be funny. I think orientation told them so.

I would have loved to come back from Russian and use the line "In Russia, the trip pays for you."

[Enigma11561 336]

When I came back to the US from Russia, it took me about 2 - 3 hours to get through Dulles (Washington, DC), and I'm a citizen! For some reason, I actually had to be further examined when entering the US...

Anyway, I'm going to find a flight with about 4 - 6 hours of layover at the POE.

Remember you were fling into the nations capital. Bit tougher. BTW. I am Viking at RWD. See you there.

[tru_loves_journey 117]

I have to have my fiancee fly from the Philippines to North Carolina.

Going into Raleigh isn't the easy place to fly into directly so of course she will need a layover in New York which I think will be the POE.

To give her enough time for the waiting time, finger prints, and camera shot at immigration.

Is there a way to manipulate the layover time for your POE while ordering your tickets online?

Hi, My POE was at JFK in August 2011. I had a 2hr.55min layover...At customs it took 15 mins total with the fingerprinting, going through my documents, asking me questions, etc... When I arrived at my gate I had 40 mins to spare for my flight to NC. Good Luck

Edited February 8, 2012 by tru_loves_journey

[Stephen + Elisha 92]

When I came back to the US from Russia, it took me about 2 - 3 hours to get through Dulles (Washington, DC), and I'm a citizen! For some reason, I actually had to be further examined when entering the US...

Anyway, I'm going to find a flight with about 4 - 6 hours of layover at the POE.

My wife's POE on her K-1 was Dulles. The longest part was standing in line, and that was only because the airline personnel mistakenly told us we needed to wait in the non-citizens line. When we finally made it up to the inspector, he told us that we should have gone through the US citizens' line. We were done in 5-10 minutes. No secondary inspection whatsoever.

As always, YMMV and it's always advisable to allow extra time for connections when you have to clear customs/immigration—especially when processing entry on an immigrant/quasi-immigrant visa.

[Scafidi454 22]

My wife's POE on her K-1 was Dulles. The longest part was standing in line, and that was only because the airline personnel mistakenly told us we needed to wait in the non-citizens line. When we finally made it up to the inspector, he told us that we should have gone through the US citizens' line. We were done in 5-10 minutes. No secondary inspection whatsoever.

As always, YMMV and it's always advisable to allow extra time for connections when you have to clear customs/immigration—especially when processing entry on an immigrant/quasi-immigrant visa.

Oh yea - I was there at about 5 a.m. too. So, we were the only line )

[Darnell 8,478]

.so when i am there I can grab her bags and hold it for her while she is being interrogated.

ONLY IF you can get into the Super Secure International Arrivals Area in the airport. It's do-able, but you must write a letter to CBP JFK to ask for permission to meet yer lass INSIDE of the International Arrivals Area at the Immigration Lines. You should be able to call in to CBP JFK and inquire the name of the site supervisor - you'll need to address the letter to him.

Then ya wait for his written response. Figure up to 3 weeks for the turn-around, this postal exchange.

Good Luck !

[Darnell 8,478]

Now a suggestion. I suspect you both will want to be "back home" as soon as possible, but have you considered taking your time doing this? She will be arriving in NY, one of the greatest cities in the world ( I am a New Yorker ) so why not take a day or two to see this city? The ride back to NC passes our Capital, and can be a great time to talk in the car while driving through some beautiful countryside. When will she have the chance to do this again?

Extend it for more than a day - come on - take an entire week and really explore the city ! You may not have time (the OP, rather) once she's actually back in the Carolinas.

[Chicagoguy 2 27]

I have driven 3 times from Chicago to JFK to pick up Russians. About 14 hours.

[skiptex 225]

I was thinking about it and I think that you are implying me flying to JFK to meet her there.

I think that is the best thing to do. Especially, POE and first time in United States.

I think i will meet her there and then fly back to North Carolina with her so that there are no issues. You have to take at least two stops to where I live and it will be hard for her.

So, yeah.. your right.. Didn't really think about flying up there.

yep.. great idea.. spend a couple of days in NYC.. then fly back

congrats!!

[Leatherneck 693]

I know JFK well. Connecting times can be brutal. You need more than 2 hours. Four would be a minimum to be safe. As others pointed out, she needs to clear immigration, get her papers, then baggage, then customs, and there is no way you can be there. You will first see her coming out of the secure area with a ton of baggage. I do not know what airline she is flying on but I would bet she will arrive in the main international terminal, but may have to go to another terminal to pick up the connecting flight to NC. That is not difficult, but for a person not familiar with JFK, it can be very daunting. You must be there for her. Period.

Now a suggestion. I suspect you both will want to be "back home" as soon as possible, but have you considered taking your time doing this? She will be arriving in NY, one of the greatest cities in the world ( I am a New Yorker ) so why not take a day or two to see this city? The ride back to NC passes our Capital, and can be a great time to talk in the car while driving through some beautiful countryside. When will she have the chance to do this again?

:thumbs:

Now that is a great idea, gotta give ya 2 thumbs up an that one. I didn't even think about adding in a day or so of site seeing in the Big Apple, OP might as well since he's there with his fiancee, I think she would enjoy that.

That would save a trip back (and money) to NYC. Except for taking her back to Manhattan in December to see the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center and to experience NYC during the holidays. Huh, no disrespect to New Yorkers, NYC is a great city, but to me the only time I like to go there is during the holidays...the only times New Yorkers seem to lighten up a bite.

Oh but the idea of driving back, that is a long drive back to NC. Although I've done it many times when I only had 72 or a 96 hours for the round trip. But overall a good idea to stay and see NYC.

[Leatherneck 693]

Hi, My POE was at JFK in August 2011. I had a 2hr.55min layover...At customs it took 15 mins total with the fingerprinting, going through my documents, asking me questions, etc... When I arrived at my gate I had 40 mins to spare for my flight to NC. Good Luck

You did get lucky on that one, you must've been at the front of the pack to pull that one off or arrived at an odd time. Because 15 minutes at JFK is certainly not the norm. I'm not mad at ya, that was good for you.

In the case of the OP, he was originally allowing only 2 hrs for the connection, which would mean a missed flight in his fiancee's case even if she had the lucky 15 minute experience as you had.

Edited February 8, 2012 by Leatherneck

[Leatherneck 693]

I second this recommendation. If you can arrange the time, I would make a trip out of it for at least a couple days. For my wife and stepdaughter I drove a rented minivan from Washington State to LAX to pick them up. We spent that first night in So Cal and took a couple days to make the drive home, They saw some scenery and got acquainted. Raleigh is a lot shorter drive than that. Yes, I've made that drive too. :-) And many more.

Now that is a beautiful drive, especially if you took the 101, the scenery starts to change the moment you get out of Thousand Oaks from that steep downgrade and enter Camarillo and it just gets better through Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, then the scenery gets downright breath taking out of Morro Bay along the coast through Monterey. Now the 5 is nothing exciting until you are well beyond Sacarmento.

[Kevin&Lenith 36]

Just curious what flight goes from manila to jfk. I know of no direct flight, so she is going to be stopping somewhere anyway. Unless your talking about a flight to maybe hong,japan or korea, and then directly to jfk. You can also check flights (if you havent already) manila-japan-poe detroit, then to NC. The manila to detroit is same plane, and poe in detroit is easy. Anyway good luck, and best advise was already said dont book until visa in hand!!!