Email order bride - POE

[Rose&Jorge 8]

I saw this on netflix. one thing concerned me. A man was waiting for his woman to arrive at the airport and they showed standing there, they switched a different couple, going back to showing him waiting. Finally after 3 hours she came out. they said customs was asking her questions. What can they ask for so long, and why? K-1 is not where there would be so much suspicion.

I watch this show too.

They are mail order brides. Only thing I can think of is that should did not clear customs before she landed in the US.

In Dublin I went through US customs so everything was sorted before I boarded my flights. there wasn't much of a queue. It only took me about 15 mins in total.

[Jon York 156]

Hi, congrats for I-129F approval. I read some of your posts a while ago. Good luck for the next steps.

Thank you so much Girl from Celebes! It sure feels good to get to this point!

[Rich and Wen 101]

In November I brought my fiancée and her 20 yr old son here, POE Chicago. I stepped forward, told the CO, "I've brought my fiancée here on a K-1 and K-2". He asked them to step forward, asked for the envelope, slit it open and looked at all papers inside. Stamped a few, kept the envelope, took fingerprints, and welcomed them to the US.

Nothing to it.

[Sekhvaruli 74]

In November I brought my fiancée and her 20 yr old son here, POE Chicago. I stepped forward, told the CO, "I've brought my fiancée here on a K-1 and K-2". He asked them to step forward, asked for the envelope, slit it open and looked at all papers inside. Stamped a few, kept the envelope, took fingerprints, and welcomed them to the US.

Nothing to it.

What you have described was actually the first step, which everyone goes through, even US citizens.

The topic starter was talking about the second part of the immigration control, which I am not sure why your fiancee missed.

After the first guy who slits the envelope open, there is another one, who takes some papers out of it, like medical exam results and gives you the copy. He is the one who "asks questions". At the airport they would tell you where to go to for that second part of control.

[shikimo 8]

I watch this show too.

They are mail order brides. Only thing I can think of is that should did not clear customs before she landed in the US.

In Dublin I went through US customs so everything was sorted before I boarded my flights. there wasn't much of a queue. It only took me about 15 mins in total.

For counterpoint, the last time I came to the US I waited in line for nearly three hours...and I'm a US citizen.

The number of airplanes that land just before yours is as important as which line you go through in determining wait time. I knew I was in trouble when the line to get into the immigration/customs hall was so backed up that we couldn't all get off the plane at the same time.

[Girl from Celebes 588]

Thank you so much Girl from Celebes! It sure feels good to get to this point!

I did not mean hijacked the OP's post, but I am truly happy your I-129F has been approved after waiting more than 6 months and all the troubles and dangerous situation that your fiancée has had. Edited July 5, 2014 by Girl from Celebes

[C-ma'am 684]

I came through Atlanta two years ago. One of the signs, over the CBP counters, said K- Packets. I was put first on the line, got called, handed out my envelope and was done in less than 5 minutes.

That was all...

[steve n songsang 45]

in my experiences coming thru Chicago/O'Hare many times it seems that immigration control are not too concerned about non-U.S. citizen entries judging by how few agents they have servicing these lines. My wife had no "secondary" interview at immigration, she said the long wait was because of the long line leading to only 2 agents while the U.S. citizen line leads to probably at least 8 every time I have come back. (it took her 2-1/2 hours from landing to my arms)

[lyublyu Iru 1]

the only people guaranteed entry are US Citizens. Valid visa holders can be denied at POE, for any number of reasons (fraud, smuggling, criminal activity).

What is striking is that you call this woman an email order bride. The law doesn't allow for this; you have to have met in person at least once. So surely this woman is not in fact an email order bride if you have met her. But you still call her that? Telling.

Excellent point

[lyublyu Iru 1]

i dont have permission to edit my post. but this was a woman from RU, not Iran, or some place where they need to be concerned about a muslim coming here and... doing whatever. Just some RU woman coming to be with a man and get married.

To answer your first question, is that customs officials can take a large amount of time

and it's more than likely that some of the people in line don't have their paperwork in

order or decide to fill it out once they get to the front of the line.

There are zero email order brides. A man must meet a woman in person to apply for

a K1. These are called international relationships. See the difference? They don't have

wives on Amazon that you can point and click from.

Have you ever heard about Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev? they built pressure

cooker bombs at the Boston Marathon. Do you know what country they are from?

In your town they have a library where they have books, periodicals, maps and

reference materials that you can read (for free) to become better educated about

the world around you.

Good luck

[KayDeeCee 4,893]

What you have described was actually the first step, which everyone goes through, even US citizens.

The topic starter was talking about the second part of the immigration control, which I am not sure why your fiancee missed.

After the first guy who slits the envelope open, there is another one, who takes some papers out of it, like medical exam results and gives you the copy. He is the one who "asks questions". At the airport they would tell you where to go to for that second part of control.

What they described is what happens. An officer takes the envelope, opens, may type in a few things, ask you some questions, do your photo and fingerprinting, remind you that you have 90 days to marry and send you on your way. It takes longer for some than others. I think most of the time is usually spent waiting. Some are asked more questions than others. I believe it also depends on how experienced the officer is.

At what point does someone else remove papers from the envelope and give you copies? They do not give you back any papers from the envelope. The copy of your DS-3025 vaccinations sheet is given to you at the time of your K-1 medical by the clinic that does your exam, if it is a country that does vaccinations for a K-1 exam.

[Sekhvaruli 74]

What they described is what happens. An officer takes the envelope, opens, may type in a few things, ask you some questions, do your photo and fingerprinting, remind you that you have 90 days to marry and send you on your way. It takes longer for some than others. I think most of the time is usually spent waiting. Some are asked more questions than others. I believe it also depends on how experienced the officer is.

At what point does someone else remove papers from the envelope and give you copies? They do not give you back any papers from the envelope. The copy of your DS-3025 vaccinations sheet is given to you at the time of your K-1 medical by the clinic that does your exam, if it is a country that does vaccinations for a K-1 exam.

When I arrived with K-1 visa, after the initial passport control they showed me to some other facility of the airport, where a few people were waiting.

And there was another immigration officer, who "asked questions". He did gave me the copy of my medical from the yellow envelope and thoroughly checked the contents of it.

Though I understand some people might have different experience.

[TBoneTX 45,550]

One insulting post and four more off-topic posts have been removed. The next posters who fail to heed Kathryn41's directions above will be thread-banned. Thanks for your awareness.

[KayDeeCee 4,893]

When I arrived with K-1 visa, after the initial passport control they showed me to some other facility of the airport, where a few people were waiting.

And there was another immigration officer, who "asked questions". He did gave me the copy of my medical from the yellow envelope and thoroughly checked the contents of it.

Though I understand some people might have different experience.

That is interesting. They usually do not give you anything back from the envelope. Some have had success asking for a copy of something they needed, and other times they say no. I wish they gave everyone a copy of their medical documents. It could help with AOS, and I think everyone has the right to see their medical forms too.

[*Snowdrop* 604]

I think all this thread proves is that there is no 'set' way immigration POEs are done. Different airports clearly have different ways of organizing their immigration lines.

The best advice would be to research your particular POE via the reports on this site. Take most notice of the recent entries as clearly things change. And be prepared for it still to be completely different for you on the day itself as individual immigration officers sometimes do things differently.

The USC spouse should be prepared for a long wait but be there on time just in case there is no long wait.

Edited to add: And as per the original OP's question. A long wait does not indicate that the person going through immigration is being questioned or held longer than 'normal' or that there is any issue about their entry. It can simply be the time it takes to process through the long queues and systems.

Edited July 6, 2014 by *Lynne*