What happens at the port of entry?

[angie:) 0]

Ok I don't know how to ask this..but here it goes.

Our port of entry will be in Houston, Texas..now my question is what will they do to my husband there?

Like will he be taken to a room and look at his papers and x-rays or what? I need some details please because

we have no clue to what to expect..and how long does this take? thanks in advanced

[msheesha 548]

At my husband's port of entry - he had fingerprints done first, and then we went into a room where there were lots of other people waiting. They called my husband's name, and asked him some questions, and we went on our way. I was permitted to go into the room as well, and if my memory is correct the waiting for his name to be called took a lot longer than the questions. All in all, about an hour or less.

[Mithra 1,185]

My husband's POE was JFK. He was in a line for immigration, the immigration officer took his envelope, took his fingerprints and put a little card thing in his passport with the case number on it. I don't remember what that paper/card is called. He didn't go into a room or anything. No questions were asked. He said it took maybe 5 minutes, if that.

Now when my husband went back to Egypt for a visit 2.5 yrs ago his entry didn't go so smoothly. He arrived the day after Christmas which was the day after that underwear bomber guy was caught at DTW (which is where my husband was ending up). He arrived at JFK and was questioned and detained with a bunch of others coming from the Middle East for like 6 hours. He missed his connecting flight to DTW so he didn't arrive until a day later. That sucked.

Edited July 11, 2012 by Mithra

[~PalmTreeGurl~ 154]

Wow! I can not imagine what he was thinking and feeling during those hours! Scary!

[Ban Hammer 13,349]

Ok I don't know how to ask this..but here it goes.

Our port of entry will be in Houston, Texas..now my question is what will they do to my husband there?

Like will he be taken to a room and look at his papers and x-rays or what? I need some details please because

we have no clue to what to expect..and how long does this take? thanks in advanced

that was wifey's poe. she turned over the sealed envelope from her k-1. they took her to a room and questioned her - the poe is the last step where cbp can deny entry and send someone back. plan on your spouse being questioned for up to an hour.

[Mithra 1,185]

He was irritated but he knew why he and others were being held.

Wow! I can not imagine what he was thinking and feeling during those hours! Scary!

[Lisamarie 79]

I was leaving Morocco that same day and it took us so long to get through security that we left over an hour late. I missed my flight from JFK to LAX, and couldn't get on another flight until the next day so I had to stay in a hotel. Delta never reimbursed me for anything, claiming it was a weather issue. Yeah it sucked.

My husband's POE was JFK. He was in a line for immigration, the immigration officer took his envelope, took his fingerprints and put a little card thing in his passport with the case number on it. I don't remember what that paper/card is called. He didn't go into a room or anything. No questions were asked. He said it took maybe 5 minutes, if that.

Now when my husband went back to Egypt for a visit 2.5 yrs ago his entry didn't go so smoothly. He arrived the day after Christmas which was the day after that underwear bomber guy was caught at DTW (which is where my husband was ending up). He arrived at JFK and was questioned and detained with a bunch of others coming from the Middle East for like 6 hours. He missed his connecting flight to DTW so he didn't arrive until a day later. That sucked.

[Mithra 1,185]

They didn't even pay for your hotel?

[Lisamarie 79]

No, they didn't pay for anything, and hotels in NY aren't cheap, not to mention the taxi ride getting there.

They didn't even pay for your hotel?

[Mithra 1,185]

Oh wow! That does suck! I got stuck in NYC a few summers ago due to weather and the airline paid for a hotel and transportation to and from. Plus a food voucher (which wasn't much considering the cost of food in NYC). I think I flew NWA that time.

[msheesha 548]

We got stuck in Chicago last year. They paid for the hotel. It was Southwest. A little bit before that, I had booked husband on really cheap flights - two different airlines. THey each blamed the other and neither one would pay for anything when he was delayed getting out of Boston. Lisamarie - were you dealing with the same airline the full trip?

[Ban Hammer 13,349]

unless the poe is the last stop, it's best to have a lengthy layover there. 4 hours would be suggested.

[Mithra 1,185]

That's the same advice I gave my husband when he was booking his flight to come to the US for the first time. He had a 4.5 hr layover at JFK.

[Lisamarie 79]

No, I dealt with Delta here and Royal Air Maroc to Morocco. But it was all booked through Delta. I tried Royal Air Maroc first and they said I had to go through Delta, since the flight originated with them. It was a mess. First of all I had to take a taxi to get from one airport to the other, I had to change my flight home because we didn't get married in the time we had planned so I had to extend my trip. The only flight I could find was switching airports in NYC. But, if we would've left on time that would've been ok. Anyway, I was dragging three big pieces of luggage around in the pouring rain (try doing that with the swinging doors at the airports there), trying to get on another flight, both airports were useless in helping me, and they finally booked me on a plane the next day, around 11am. Hassan was freaking out because I was alone, trying to do all of this stuff. What was I going to do? I told him I was going to have to pay $200 - $300 for a room. He couldn't believe it. It was almost 11pm by the time I finally got into my room, and then I had to get something to eat at the hotel. I was dead tired by that time. And I was ready to be home.

We got stuck in Chicago last year. They paid for the hotel. It was Southwest. A little bit before that, I had booked husband on really cheap flights - two different airlines. THey each blamed the other and neither one would pay for anything when he was delayed getting out of Boston. Lisamarie - were you dealing with the same airline the full trip?

[Sarah B 26]

Since I was living with Anis, we flew from Tunis to Paris to Atlanta (POE) to San Diego (home). We only had 2 hours at the ATL airport but it was enough time to give the envelope, do the fingerprints, and run to the gate to catch our flight home to burritoland