Entering US / Airport ???

[Amber & Catty 0]

My fiancé was approved for his k1 visa on 1/14/14!! I booked his flight for 1/31/14.

His flight is Ghana to Casablanca to New York.

I was planing to travel from North Carolina to New York to pick him up. But I'm no longer able to travel to New York to get him. I want to book a flight for him from JFK to Charlotte,NC. (( the ticket Ghana to New York is non refundable))

My question is, he goes through immigration and all that in New York and he gives them the package the embassy gave him in New York and gets his 90day I94???

Is he then able to check into another airline by himself and get through Charlotte immigration on the I94??

The tickets will have to be booked separate. Ghana to JFK. And then JFK to CLT

Can someone just give me a step by step....he is a first time flyer.

[Penguin_ie 5,996]

Yes absolutely, two different tickets is no problem. Make sure to leave plenty of time between the two flights!

[crissycris 0]

Hi,

I live in North Carolina and I followed the same route.I came from Europe to JFK(which it was my PortOfEntry) where I gave them the embassy package and after long 11 hours(I couldn't find flights with a shorter gap) I had to fly from JFK to Charlotte.No one asked me a thing in Charlotte because I had already my POE in New York.So I had flights with 2 different airlines.

Just be sure you book flights with at least 4 hours gap between,because you never know how busy the CBP is and how long he'll stay there,it varies from case to case and more than likely he will have to switch terminals in the airport.If he is a first time flyer

[crissycris 0]

If he is a first time flyer I would recommend to take a look at JFK airport map to figure where the terminals are located.

Good luck!

[Fabian&Rossy 120]

Since he will pass thru immigration at JFK, then the second flight will only be a domestic flight. This means that he will only have to show his passport and boarding pass at airport security (TSA) to get to his next flight's terminal in JFK. Then when he arrives at CLT, he will be able to step off the plane and walk directly to baggage claim, where you will be waiting; no immigration or customs at all.

Also, you both might want to check out the POE reviews page to see how CBP in JFK operates.

Congrats!

Edited January 26, 2014 by Fabian&Rossy

[Lainie B 465]

My fiancé was approved for his k1 visa on 1/14/14!! I booked his flight for 1/31/14.

His flight is Ghana to Casablanca to New York.

I was planing to travel from North Carolina to New York to pick him up. But I'm no longer able to travel to New York to get him. I want to book a flight for him from JFK to Charlotte,NC. (( the ticket Ghana to New York is non refundable))

My question is, he goes through immigration and all that in New York and he gives them the package the embassy gave him in New York and gets his 90day I94???

Is he then able to check into another airline by himself and get through Charlotte immigration on the I94??

The tickets will have to be booked separate. Ghana to JFK. And then JFK to CLT

Can someone just give me a step by step....he is a first time flyer.

JFK to CLT will be a domestic flight. He will not go through immigration in Charlotte.

[Amber & Catty 0]

Thanks so much everyone!! I called the airline and explained my situation. ((I could not find a flight leaving JFK late enough)) so they gave me a refund and I re-booked a flight where he can keep the same flight, yet end in clt.

So when he gets to JFK he goes straight to his terminal, and will go through CBP at CLT.

That's how it works right? If his flight on the same ticket ends in CLT?

[Fabian&Rossy 120]

Actually no. He will still need to clear immigration in JFK. You always pass immigration at the first US port of arrival, regardless of final destination.

Edited January 27, 2014 by Fabian&Rossy

[crissycris 0]

Thanks so much everyone!! I called the airline and explained my situation. ((I could not find a flight leaving JFK late enough)) so they gave me a refund and I re-booked a flight where he can keep the same flight, yet end in clt.

So when he gets to JFK he goes straight to his terminal, and will go through CBP at CLT.

That's how it works right? If his flight on the same ticket ends in CLT?

Port of Entry is the place where he lands his foot for the first time in USA which in your case is JFK as I understood,so here he will go through CBP,here is the place where he will let his embassy package,here is the place where they might ask him questions,here he gets his I94.

If he would have a direct flight from Ghana or Casablanca straight to Charlotte then his Port of Entry would be at CLT.

After he will deal with CBP in JFK,he will have to find his terminal and at the airport security to show his ticket and his passport for his domestic flight to CLT and after to find his gate,that's why he needs enough time between flights.

He will not deal with immigration in Charotte at all.He will only have to pick up his bags at the baggage claim.

[Kelli/Ozzy 8]

probably just repeating what was said before but since JFK New York will be his first entry into the United States that is where he needs to go thru customs and present the package for the K-1 visa. My hubby went thru JFK last year and it took him 2 hours to get thru customs. My friend just went thru the same thing two weeks ago and he was thru in an hour. so he must do customs at JFK and hopefully his connecting flight is at least 2-3 hours layover so he makes it thru all the way smoothly, best of luck, congrats !!

[Sukie 1,465]

My fiancé was approved for his k1 visa on 1/14/14!! I booked his flight for 1/31/14.

His flight is Ghana to Casablanca to New York.

I was planing to travel from North Carolina to New York to pick him up. But I'm no longer able to travel to New York to get him. I want to book a flight for him from JFK to Charlotte,NC. (( the ticket Ghana to New York is non refundable))

My question is, he goes through immigration and all that in New York and he gives them the package the embassy gave him in New York and gets his 90day I94???

Is he then able to check into another airline by himself and get through Charlotte immigration on the I94??

The tickets will have to be booked separate. Ghana to JFK. And then JFK to CLT

Can someone just give me a step by step....he is a first time flyer.

You've been given some really good info - but here is a step that has not been included:

Your fiance will get off the plane in JFK. First step will be immigration, where he will turn in his packet. Then he will go to baggage claim and pick up his luggage. Then he will have to clear customs (really be sure he knows what can be brought into the country - find the "Know Before You Go" booklet that Customs puts out).

After he clears customs, he will have to "re-check" his luggage. If you have booked him on one ticket, and the two airlines are affiliates, then his luggage will be checked through all the way to Charlotte - so he only has to find the desk where they re-route his bags to Charlotte. It's usually just outside the customs desk. It was good advice to look at a map of whatever terminal his Ghana flight arrives at.

If the two airlines are NOT in cahoots (I mean, affliliates!), his luggage will only be checked to JFK. He will have to find the check-in desk for his JFK-CLT flight and have his bagged checked from JFK to CLT.

As long as he has his passport and boarding pass, that's all he'll need to board his flight to Charlotte. Most likely he will be changing terminals, which means he'll have to go through security again.

Best of luck to you and yours!

Sukie

[Sukie 1,465]

Oh - and here's something that can be important - especially to folks that are first time fliers...

There is a real difference between "Immigration" and "Customs".

"Immigration" is concerned about YOU. This is where you are checked to see if you have a lawful reason to enter a country. One always goes through Immigration first.

"Customs" is concerned about your baggage - anything you are bringing into the country - whether on your person or in carry-on or checked luggage.

They are not the same thing. But they both have their own sets of rules, and challenges.

To a newcomer, understanding each step can be very important, especially if they are asking questions at the airport.

Sukie

[sharky-rex 76]

Good catch. Domestic flights usually allow fewer checked bags, so he will probably have to pay for any additional bags he has, unless you can arrange something with the airline. I'd at least ask about it, especially if the airline is an affiliate of the original airline. In the end it might be cheaper to try to rebook the original ticket.

You've been given some really good info - but here is a step that has not been included:

Your fiance will get off the plane in JFK. First step will be immigration, where he will turn in his packet. Then he will go to baggage claim and pick up his luggage. Then he will have to clear customs (really be sure he knows what can be brought into the country - find the "Know Before You Go" booklet that Customs puts out).

After he clears customs, he will have to "re-check" his luggage. If you have booked him on one ticket, and the two airlines are affiliates, then his luggage will be checked through all the way to Charlotte - so he only has to find the desk where they re-route his bags to Charlotte. It's usually just outside the customs desk. It was good advice to look at a map of whatever terminal his Ghana flight arrives at.

If the two airlines are NOT in cahoots (I mean, affliliates!), his luggage will only be checked to JFK. He will have to find the check-in desk for his JFK-CLT flight and have his bagged checked from JFK to CLT.

As long as he has his passport and boarding pass, that's all he'll need to board his flight to Charlotte. Most likely he will be changing terminals, which means he'll have to go through security again.

Best of luck to you and yours!

Sukie

Edited January 27, 2014 by sharky-rex

[Sukie 1,465]

Good catch. Domestic flights usually allow fewer checked bags, so he will probably have to pay for any additional bags he has, unless you can arrange something with the airline. I'd at least ask about it, especially if the airline is an affiliate of the original airline. In the end it might be cheaper to try to rebook the original ticket.

If the bags are checked all the way through to Charlotte on an affliliate airline there will not be any issues. If he has to completely re-check his bags in JFK (as opposed to merely "re-routing" them), then yes, it will be an issue, and he will probably have to pay for any extra (or heavy) bags unless the OP pre-pays for them.

Sukie

[crissycris 0]

You've been given some really good info - but here is a step that has not been included:

Your fiance will get off the plane in JFK. First step will be immigration, where he will turn in his packet. Then he will go to baggage claim and pick up his luggage. Then he will have to clear customs (really be sure he knows what can be brought into the country - find the "Know Before You Go" booklet that Customs puts out).

After he clears customs, he will have to "re-check" his luggage. If you have booked him on one ticket, and the two airlines are affiliates, then his luggage will be checked through all the way to Charlotte - so he only has to find the desk where they re-route his bags to Charlotte. It's usually just outside the customs desk. It was good advice to look at a map of whatever terminal his Ghana flight arrives at.

If the two airlines are NOT in cahoots (I mean, affliliates!), his luggage will only be checked to JFK. He will have to find the check-in desk for his JFK-CLT flight and have his bagged checked from JFK to CLT.

As long as he has his passport and boarding pass, that's all he'll need to board his flight to Charlotte. Most likely he will be changing terminals, which means he'll have to go through security again.

Best of luck to you and yours!

Sukie

Good point ,I forgot to mention about that.I booked 1 ticket but with 2 different airlines which were not affiliates,the first airline was an European one,the second one for the domestic flight from JFK to CLT was an american airline.So yes,it's really important to know where he will clears custom.After I was done with immigration I claimed my luggage in JFK,and after when I looked for my terminal for the domestic flight,I re-checked again and, yes,you have to pay the fee for bags when you re-check.I tried to pay mine online when I bought my ticket but they didn't let me and I had more than one bag.

For sure he will switch terminals,because his flight is an international flight,so he will land at JFK to a terminal on an international flight(that's why all the planes landing in that terminal(and is not the only one for international flight) will just go straight to proceed through Custom and Immigration.When you switch terminals and you remain inside the country,what you do is to move from a terminal that receive international flights to a terminal that do domestic flights most of the time.This was my understanding about JFK after I checked the airport map and I saw that to the terminal that I moved at ,there were only domestic flights,and indeed after I got there I saw that all the flights shown were inside the country.I don't know if it's a rule,but this was my case.

And by the way,if the gap between flights is big and he needs to spend hours over the night in JFK,you have to know that all terminals except T4 are closed during the night time between 12am and 5 or 6am.I found that when I arrived to my terminal and they were just ready to lock the doors because it was close to midnight.They told me it's only one open over the night and I moved there.In the morning I moved back to my terminal with my luggage!!!