Round trip ticket for arrival to US?

[Ryan76 46]

I'm so confused.

I feel like every time I think I'm in clear and we are done with stressing out, something new happens to make me worry. Please help me try to understand this.

My fiancee bought her plane ticket, and she had her Aunt's travel agent help her. And the travel agent, as well as LAN and Avianca airlines who she called, told her that because of some kind of taxes it was actually cheaper to buy a round trip ticket.

So she sent me this itinerary in Spanish and I see it has round trip info, so naturally i'm confused, and she explained to me about the cost and taxes. I originally sent her $500 for her flight and this was about the cost of her round trip ticket, so the money isn't an issue at all. I'm just worried that someone at customs, either in Colombia or in the US is going to ask her why she has a round trip ticket when she is flying to the USA to get married on a Fiancee visa. Now I'm worried that this is going to cause a problem, because it specifically says in the K-1 guidelines that you cannot leave the USA for 8 months after being married. I reminded my fiancee of this, and now she's stressed about it too and wondering if she should cancel the return flight (the return flight i told her NOT to get in the first place!) But then if she DOES cancel the return flight, is she going to have to pay some huge exit tax fee that I'm unaware of? Ugh. It seems like she keeps getting advice from people in Colombia and it's the wrong advice. Or maybe I'm the one who is confused here. Can someone give me some advice on all this?

Bottom line is if she has a round trip ticket will this cause her problems at customs at either exit or entry?

Edited July 19, 2012 by Ryan76

[ClaireGio 35]

No trouble at all.... It means nothing to them. Its almost always cheaper to book round trips! The airline will just see it as a no-show. Im sure at her POE they will be more interested in her packet!

[JohnR! 5,495]

Bottom line is if she has a round trip ticket will this cause her problems at customs at either exit or entry?

You need not worry, her ticket in a non-issue as far as CBP/USCIS is concerned.

Chances are she will not be asked about any return ticket because she is coming to the US with the intention to immigrate.

If they were to ask her, the truth should be more than enough reason. A RT ticket was cheaper and that is compelling enough.

[Dave&Roza 748]

I'm so confused.

I feel like every time I think I'm in clear and we are done with stressing out, something new happens to make me worry. Please help me try to understand this.

My fiancee bought her plane ticket, and she had her Aunt's travel agent help her. And the travel agent, as well as LAN and Avianca airlines who she called, told her that because of some kind of taxes it was actually cheaper to buy a round trip ticket.

So she sent me this itinerary in Spanish and I see it has round trip info, so naturally i'm confused, and she explained to me about the cost and taxes. I originally sent her $500 for her flight and this was about the cost of her round trip ticket, so the money isn't an issue at all. I'm just worried that someone at customs, either in Colombia or in the US is going to ask her why she has a round trip ticket when she is flying to the USA to get married on a Fiancee visa. Now I'm worried that this is going to cause a problem, because it specifically says in the K-1 guidelines that you cannot leave the USA for 8 months after being married. I reminded my fiancee of this, and now she's stressed about it too and wondering if she should cancel the return flight (the return flight i told her NOT to get in the first place!) But then if she DOES cancel the return flight, is she going to have to pay some huge exit tax fee that I'm unaware of? Ugh. It seems like she keeps getting advice from people in Colombia and it's the wrong advice. Or maybe I'm the one who is confused here. Can someone give me some advice on all this?

Bottom line is if she has a round trip ticket will this cause her problems at customs at either exit or entry?

Just be sure to cancel the return leg as there have been horror stories where the airline said the immigrant left the country on the return leg and they then had to prove that they did not leave. Trying to prove a negative is very hard as no documentation exists. So take the two or three minutes to cancel teh return leg and keep the confirmation number until the AOS is approved. That is what we did.

Good lcuk,

Dave

Edited July 19, 2012 by Dave&Roza

[Lorenzoid 12]

It will be no problem. It is unlikely that anyone will inquire about her plane ticket. Moreover, even if someone asked, it is a perfectly reasonable explanation to reply that a roundtrip ticket cost less than a one-way ticket. It's well known that roundtrip tickets often cost less than one-way tickets. Nothing odd or suspicious about it.

[X Factor 1,112]

It will be no problem. It is unlikely that anyone will inquire about her plane ticket. Moreover, even if someone asked, it is a perfectly reasonable explanation to reply that a roundtrip ticket cost less than a one-way ticket. It's well known that roundtrip tickets often cost less than one-way tickets. Nothing odd or suspicious about it.

Just plain cheaper for round trip on many occasions.

[Ryan76 46]

Just plain cheaper for round trip on many occasions.

Okay, thanks guys for the advice. Neither one of us has every had any experience with one-way tickets before. I guess i was just assuming 2 flights (one round trip) would cost more than a one-way ticket. I'm still not sure that makes any sense to me, but that doesn't really matter at this point.

So we're all good to go, and just to tie up any loose ends we should have the return flight cancelled after she's arrived and we're sending off our AOS papers?

Thanks again..this is a big stress relief.

[Reyan 56]

You just need to cancel it before the return flight date. I was able to do this online with the airline I used.

[JohnR! 5,495]

So we're all good to go, and just to tie up any loose ends we should have the return flight cancelled after she's arrived and we're sending off our AOS papers?

If you can cancel the return flight it would be nice, so the airline can sell it again.

Even if you do not cancel, there is no problem for the airlines normally overbook their flights to compensate for no-shows.

[KayDeeCee 4,893]

If you can cancel the return flight it would be nice, so the airline can sell it again.

Even if you do not cancel, there is no problem for the airlines normally overbook their flights to compensate for no-shows.

It isn't about helping the airline though. It is to make sure it is completely clear that the return ticket was not used by the K-1 visa holder. It has happened that the airline resold the seat but did not update the passenger list and it looked like the intending immigrant left the country. I do not think this happens often, but it has happened, so it is better to cancel and be completely safe about it.

[Bryan and Isabel 29]

Great information, I also needed this. One way from brazil to New York is around 1100 USD and round trip 700 USD. Booking flight as soon as we get a Interview date =D :thumbs:

[JohnR! 5,495]

It isn't about helping the airline though. It is to make sure it is completely clear that the return ticket was not used by the K-1 visa holder. It has happened that the airline resold the seat but did not update the passenger list and it looked like the intending immigrant left the country. I do not think this happens often, but it has happened, so it is better to cancel and be completely safe about it.

The airlines only report to CBP the list of actually boarded passengers and that is done automatically by their departure control system, which is linked to the check in and boarding system. If a passenger does not board the plane, that passenger is removed from the list and is not reported to immigration. So the only reason to cancel the return ticket is to make it possible for the airline to resell that ticket.

[Calicolom 266]

You could have booked and paid for the ticket in the U.S. one way is $100.00 cheaper. Seems like Colombians make things more complicated, I know this.

[KayDeeCee 4,893]

The airlines only report to CBP the list of actually boarded passengers and that is done automatically by their departure control system, which is linked to the check in and boarding system. If a passenger does not board the plane, that passenger is removed from the list and is not reported to immigration. So the only reason to cancel the return ticket is to make it possible for the airline to resell that ticket.

And I(and Dave&Roza above) am warning people that in the past someone was being denied AOS because USCIS told them that the intending immigrant used their return ticket to leave the US, even though they never actually left on that return flight. This doesn't happen all the time and I have not seen anyone mention having this problem recently, but the fact remains that it has happened before. Better to cancel it and be completely safe than stuck in the nightmare of trying to prove to USCIS that you did not really use the ticket booked in your name.

Do not know what happened in this case as they never updated, but here it is: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/255674-denial-of-aos-due-to-inaccurate-info/

[JohnR! 5,495]

1342734478[/url]' post='5539730']

And I(and Dave&Roza above) am warning people that in the past someone was being denied AOS because USCIS told them that the intending immigrant used their return ticket to leave the US, even though they never actually left on that return flight. This doesn't happen all the time and I have not seen anyone mention having this problem recently, but the fact remains that it has happened before. Better to cancel it and be completely safe than stuck in the nightmare of trying to prove to USCIS that you did not really use the ticket booked in your name.

Do not know what happened in this case as they never updated, but here it is: http://www.visajourn...naccurate-info/

Duly noted!

It goes without saying that such a glitch represents a breach in security and immigration procedures. If the airline is in any way responsible for this, it is a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Thatnks for sharing this!!!