POE

[p&c 0]

I have just gotten my K1 visa and was reading about what happens at the port of entry especially for us africans. So I will like to read about the experiences of some of u who have gone through this. I have read that it could be long and difficult. Maybe tough especially for african. I will be flying into JFK next week so I just want to be prepared. This is because I got drilled at the consulate when for my interview just because I was an african and they wanted to know if I was paying to marry a USC

[Ta Ta 1]

Could you please provide a link to what you read ?

[Ta Ta 1]

What country are you coming from?

[mmarlo 1]

You got your visa, so you seem to have made it through the toughest part. Congrats! I wish I could tell you what the POE experience is like, but we're still waiting for my fiancee to get her visa! Please let us know how your experience goes, however. Thanks!

[wasino 0]

i can't tell you how your will be, but i can tell you how mine was, or rather my now husbands. my husband is nigerian, but went through the embassy in spain. our poe was minneapolis. going through immigraion in minneapolis was very simple,no problems at all. the officer even welcomed my husband and wished him good luck!

flying from madrid, we had to change planes in amsterdam. going through immigration there was very tough, and we almost missed our flight. the immigration officer was an a**hole.

[mmarlo 1]

flying from madrid, we had to change planes in amsterdam. going through immigration there was very tough, and we almost missed our flight. the immigration officer was an a**hole.

I found the security in Amsterdam to be a bit tough too, and I wasn't trying to immigrate anywhere, just get back to the US from Kenya! They asked me so many questions about what I was carrying in my bags, and then I had to explain in detail why I was carrying recording equipment with me. It was sortof intimidating, and I wasn't trying to do anything wrong and should have been the easiest kind passenger to deal with! The guy should have smoked a joint before work to lighten up a bit!

[a&o 4]

I was with my fiance when we came back from Ghana, and everything at JFK was fine (except the long lines at the part of immigration where they gather intending immigrants). The first immigration officer was an Asian-American and he was nice as he asked some questions that seemed to be aimed at verifying O knew me and wasn't faking anything, but then the next immigration officer was just doing her job--not friendly but not necessarily unfriendly either. She stamped the passport and said, "You have ninety days to get married" as she handed it over. Certainly no warm welcoming committee, but I hardly expected that, especially in New York, and I was glad we just got through it.

[taurean 0]

Honestly I wouldn't be worried. JFK is the like the melting pot of airports. People from EVERYWHERE arrive through there. My husband came through Washington-Dulles and had absolutely no problems. As long as everything is in order, you shouldn't have any issues.

[p&c 0]

Thank u all for replying. I am presently living in Stockholm, Sweden and I got my visa here. I come from Cameroon. I have travelled and never had any problems with immigration or even spent more than five minutes at any immigration post. I am here as a student quite capable of doing fine anywhere. At first we wanted to stay here(My wife to be and I) but it will be tougher for her to adjust than for me to adjust. We have the possibility to move to another country if it did not work out here.

We decided to go for the K1. Up until the interview everything was fine I mean we sent in paper work on the November 10 and had the visa interview on the 8 of march. U know when going for the interview I made a mistake as I decided what to take and left some of the letters(my advice is never do that, take all and give them something to do for a while) and emails. I kind of just picked randomly. At the ineterview I was first kept waiting for 1hr 45min after submiting my documents. I sat there looking at all this people come in after me and finish and go. Then I heard my name called and directed to windom B. There I was interviewed by two people needless to say here that by then I was a nervous wreck. I was interviewed for like 45 minutes. They were asking me the same questions over and over and wanted dates and I did not have exact dates but could get them all the emails with the exact dates if they wanted. They said no and then gave a paper saying they regret they cannot issue the visa at that time due to the fact that I was ineligeble because I needed to forward court certified copy of devorce and also due to administrative processing.

After I left I was on the phone and as soon as possible my baby was on the phone with them. They said they were gona call her and ask her a few questions. Most of the questions were the ones they ask me. Then they ask her if she has received any money from me or my family or from anyone. She was aslo asked to send the court certified copy of divorce and the they will review the case. She did send them the paper plus lots of other letters and also western union receipts(I did not give them any). Then a week later we called and the had issued the visa and it was mailled to me.

I really will not want to go through that another time.

[ForeverAmen 0]

You will be fine. My husband is from Cameroon and had no problems.

[randolady 1]

flying from madrid, we had to change planes in amsterdam. going through immigration there was very tough, and we almost missed our flight. the immigration officer was an a**hole.

I found the security in Amsterdam to be a bit tough too, and I wasn't trying to immigrate anywhere, just get back to the US from Kenya! They asked me so many questions about what I was carrying in my bags, and then I had to explain in detail why I was carrying recording equipment with me. It was sortof intimidating, and I wasn't trying to do anything wrong and should have been the easiest kind passenger to deal with! The guy should have smoked a joint before work to lighten up a bit!

Yeah, I went through Amsterdam on my last flight, too! I didn't realize security was asking EVERYONE about where they had been and what they had done, so I thought I was in big big trouble for doing nothing but staying with a native male Tanzanian for two months. I was really worked up about it, but once I saw that they were asking everybody questions, I stopped freaking out. It was REALLY intimidating, though. Hopefully when Ombeni flies over, he'll change planes in a less scary (and confusing! man I hate Schiphol) airport.

[randolady 1]

I have just gotten my K1 visa and was reading about what happens at the port of entry especially for us africans. So I will like to read about the experiences of some of u who have gone through this. I have read that it could be long and difficult. Maybe tough especially for african. I will be flying into JFK next week so I just want to be prepared. This is because I got drilled at the consulate when for my interview just because I was an african and they wanted to know if I was paying to marry a USC

http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/poestats.php You can see visajourney members' reviews of POEs here. JFK's average harassment level is a 0.79 out of 10, so I don't think you should have any problem. Good luck!

[akim oda 0]

I am a USC, when I went to see my fiance in Ghana, I had no problems along the way. Went through Amsterdam and no questions were asked either way. I had a small problem when I arrived in Ghana because I didn't remember the address that I was going to be staying at, so the man behind the counter said I have 1 minute to find the address, I said you are going to have to give me a little longer then that. Luckly though, my fiances sister, has a friend that works in the airport and she spotted me out and gave me her address to use. When I was arriving back to the US, in Orlando, the man at customs, was being such an ###, asking me a million questions, that didn't seem relevant, about where I work, what my profession is, where did I meet anyone from Ghana, how long have I known them, why was I there for 3 weeks. I was thinking dude, just let me through. But to make matters worse, I was also bringing a bag full of bread, kenkey and gari back for my fiances mom. That totally confused the man and he had to go get some help. In the end everything was fine. I can't immagine how they would treat someone immigrating, so when my fiance comes I'll probably have him fly into JFK, then catch a flight to FL.

[wasino 0]

flying from madrid, we had to change planes in amsterdam. going through immigration there was very tough, and we almost missed our flight. the immigration officer was an a**hole.

I found the security in Amsterdam to be a bit tough too, and I wasn't trying to immigrate anywhere, just get back to the US from Kenya! They asked me so many questions about what I was carrying in my bags, and then I had to explain in detail why I was carrying recording equipment with me. It was sortof intimidating, and I wasn't trying to do anything wrong and should have been the easiest kind passenger to deal with! The guy should have smoked a joint before work to lighten up a bit!

Yeah, I went through Amsterdam on my last flight, too! I didn't realize security was asking EVERYONE about where they had been and what they had done, so I thought I was in big big trouble for doing nothing but staying with a native male Tanzanian for two months. I was really worked up about it, but once I saw that they were asking everybody questions, I stopped freaking out. It was REALLY intimidating, though. Hopefully when Ombeni flies over, he'll change planes in a less scary (and confusing! man I hate Schiphol) airport.

i have a love/hate relationship with the amsterdam airport. it's a pretty airport and there's lots to do to kill time. BUT they are so tough with their immigration. i actually met my husband at a wedding in holland, on my way home from spending a couple of weeks in tanzania. the immigration officer was flipping out that i didn't have an itinerary. at that time, i worked for an airline, so i flew on open tickets----tons of airline people fly that way through amsterdam, so it's not an unusual thing. but the officer was such a jerk. he made me put every electronic item i had through the machine one by one, drilled me with questions, and scolded me for spending a few unexpected days in holland. he stayed with me the whole time until i physically boarded the plane. i was just glad to get on that plane!

so i have to yucky immigration experiences with that airport. they were much worse though when it was my husband and i, they actually made us go into the little office area to be questioned!

[p&c 0]

I want to thank u all for ur experiences. I am flying into JFK airport later this week and will let u know how it happened. I have flown through schipol airport twice (coming in) but on both occasions I did not spend more than 5 minutes at passport control there. I am sorry u had bad time there. I will let u all know how is goes. I only hope I get the EAD because I had to cancel a direct flight. I am now spending a lot of money just so I can get the EAD, talk less about the number of extra hours I will spend flying.

Once more thank u all. U have been of great help