POE - any advice?

[riss 12]

Hi everyone,

So after much delay I'm finally flying out next week. I have my yellow envelope - is there anything else special that I need to know or have? Grateful for any advice.

Riss

[canadian_wife 1,826]

http://www.visajourney.com/reviews/poereviews.php

Congratulations!

Try the POE reviews!

good luck

[riss 12]

Thanks Canadian Wife! I just went over and read through a few. It sounds like it's not too much of a big deal.

One thing I'm wondering - I have a stopover at my POE for 2 hours before I have to take a connecting flight. What happens if you end up having to wait too long and can't catch the next flight? Would the airlines figure something out?

[canadian_wife 1,826]

What airport will be your POE?

For example, Atlanta - 2 hours is no where near enough.

You'd go to the ticket counter and get on a new flight.

good luck

[Lainie B 465]

I had a 2 hour layover in LA before my connecting flight. CBP was taking a very long time. Finally they told everyone who had connecting flights within half an hour to go through the US Citizen line, which I did. Then I ran to my gate. The plane was fully loaded and about to take off, but it was waiting for me. I assume that if I had taken too long they would have taken my bags off the plane and rebooked me.

If CBP is taking too long, tell the staff who direct people into the lines that you have a connecting flight and they might put you at the front of the line. If the worst happens and you miss your flight, don't worry, they deal with this all the time.

[riss 12]

Cool, thanks Canadian_Wife and Lainie. My POE is also at LAX. I'll keep all that in mind and hopefully everything goes smoothly.

[Lainie B 465]

As long as you made the connecting domestic flight as part of the same booking as your international flight, you'll be fine. The airline will take care of it if you get delayed. Your bags will get checked through to your final destination, though you will need to pick them up in LA and take them through customs yourself, but once through you just dump them onto the conveyor belt and they get transferred to your connecting flight. You don't have to recheck them.

[riss 12]

Thanks Lainie. You are such a sweetie!

[riss 12]

That X-ray - do I need it for anything, or can I throw it out? The one that they do during the medical, of your chest?

[Lainie B 465]

That X-ray - do I need it for anything, or can I throw it out? The one that they do during the medical, of your chest?

Sorry I didn't reply earlier.

You shouldn't need it, but I have occasionally heard that some people have been asked for it at the POE. It's silly because there will be a doctor's report on the x-ray in your medical package, which is all they need. POE or USCIS staff don't know how to read an x-ray. The x-ray is (or should be) just for your records.

I guess you are on your way over soon - good luck!