question about entering the country on K1 visa

[gdaf123 1]

My fiancee received her K1 visa this week. She's only had limited experience with international travel (none requiring connecting flights), so she's scared to travel alone. I'm going to fly out to Thailand and escort her back to the States. A couple questions about immigration/customs when entering:

1. She will have to go through the non-citizen/non-permanent resident immigration line. Is there any issue if I go through the same line with her since we are traveling together?

2. Only a single customs form is required for families, but I assume that since we are not married yet we'll need separate forms, correct?

3. How long should I anticpate her processing through immigration to take? I booked our flights using miles, so I didn't have much choice and ended up with a relatively short layover.

[christeen 966]

1. Yes, you can go through the line with her, when you get to immigration they will direct her (usually seeing the big brown envelope) but she will go by herself usually to secondary processing...

2. You each will need a customs form

3. It all depends on the POE what airport are you flying to/from and how short of a layover are you talking about?

[baron555 934]

Yes

Yes

1 - 2 hours

[Harsh_77 718]

1. She will have to go through the non-citizen/non-permanent resident immigration line. Is there any issue if I go through the same line with her since we are traveling together? - Most airport has an officer who would guide you which line one needs to go to, follow the direction.

2. Only a single customs form is required for families, but I assume that since we are not married yet we'll need separate forms, correct? - 2 forms

3. How long should I anticpate her processing through immigration to take? I booked our flights using miles, so I didn't have much choice and ended up with a relatively short layover. - would vary from airport to airport and time. There are times when multiple international flights arrive at same time and processing time can be upwards of an hour.

[dandk 72]

My fiancee received her K1 visa this week. She's only had limited experience with international travel (none requiring connecting flights), so she's scared to travel alone. I'm going to fly out to Thailand and escort her back to the States. A couple questions about immigration/customs when entering:

1. She will have to go through the non-citizen/non-permanent resident immigration line. Is there any issue if I go through the same line with her since we are traveling together?

2. Only a single customs form is required for families, but I assume that since we are not married yet we'll need separate forms, correct?

3. How long should I anticpate her processing through immigration to take? I booked our flights using miles, so I didn't have much choice and ended up with a relatively short layover.

Assuming your POE at LAX, be prepared to answer the same questions your fiancee answered during her Embassy interview. That was our experience going through at LAX with K-1.

[gdaf123 1]

We are flying on ANA from NRT into SJC (San Jose, CA), which is a small airport, so I don't anticipate a lot of international arrivals. We only have 1:10 layover, but that was the only flight available using my miles. I figure worst case we'll get rebooked after we miss our flights. I already checked our connecitng airline and they have 4 more flights leaving later that day.

Edited June 25, 2013 by gdaf123

[Dave&Roza 748]

We are flying on ANA from NRT into SJC (San Jose, CA), which is a small airport, so I don't anticipate a lot of international arrivals. We only have 1:10 layover, but that was the only flight available using my miles. I figure worst case we'll get rebooked after we miss our flights. I already checked our connecitng airline and they have 4 more flights leaving later that day.

I know you are using miles and that limits your options, but I think a call into the airlines with an explaination that you are arriving with your finacee on a K-1 and you do not think 1:10 is enough time to make the connection and would like to rebook to a later flight now as apposed to later. You may make it, but the smaller POEs tend to not see the K-1 visa and it may take them awhile to figure out what they are doing. You might also see if there are any posts here on VJ for a review for SJC. I know when my wife entered on her K-1, it took longer for the bags to get off the airplane than it did for her to go thru immigration at DEN.

Good luck and congrats on getting the visa,

Dave

[Harsh_77 718]

We are flying on ANA from NRT into SJC (San Jose, CA), which is a small airport, so I don't anticipate a lot of international arrivals. We only have 1:10 layover, but that was the only flight available using my miles. I figure worst case we'll get rebooked after we miss our flights. I already checked our connecitng airline and they have 4 more flights leaving later that day.

yep if you miss your connection, they will re-book you on the later flights.