Airport "Escort" for non-English speaker

[nygnyy 7]

A friend of mine is nearing the point of the K-3 visa process where his wife will be able to join him in America. They're both older (>55 yrs old), and he doesn't want to make a third several thousand mile journey in a year to meet and travel back, mostly due to the cost and toll it takes on his body.

 

Does anyone know of any service at airports that would allow for someone (working for the airport, airline or CBP I guess) to meet and escort her through customs, to the baggage area and out of the terminal or connecting terminal/flight? She's working on improving her English skills, so the primary concern is being able to communicate, and providing extra assurance/some comfort things will be OK. Her native language is Vietnamese.

 

Airports could be either JFK, EWR or BOS - each is within a reasonable distance 

I feel like this is a common problem with a solution, but my google skills failed me -- lots of posts about people's partners working as escorts before, or it's for older relatives that are wheelchair-bound. 

 

He's confided in me because he knows I went through the K-1 process with my wife. Visa Journey was an invaluable resource and I thought I'd ask here.

[Mike E 11,739]

22 minutes ago, nygnyy said:

friend of mine is nearing the point of the K-3 visa process

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof

 

22 minutes ago, nygnyy said:

Does anyone know of any service at airports that would allow for someone (working for the airport, airline or CBP I guess) to meet and escort her through customs

Never heard of one. She can order a wheel chair and a wheel chair pusher to meet her  at the gate.

 

22 minutes ago, nygnyy said:

Her native language is Vietnamese

 

22 minutes ago, nygnyy said:

Airports could be either JFK, EWR or BOS

It is likely CBP will have access someone (such as an airline or airport employee) they can ask who can translate. She should hand the officer a paper that says in English:

 

* I do not speak English

* I speak Vietnamese

* My husband’s mobile phone number is +1 nnn nnn nnnn

 

Change the arrival airport to LAX, SFO, or SJC, and:

 

* 100 percent chance there will be a translator

 

* Likely at least one CBP officer speaks Vietnamese

 

 

Edited April 21, 2023 by Mike E

[JeanneAdil 6,491]

1. The flight attendant on the plane leaving her country will speak her language and help with wheel chair and how to transit to connecting flight
2. don't try JFK as that involves getting on a tram with all luggage (with a wheel chair???) to go from international to a domestic flight 
3. wheel chair helper can't help with customs 
4. husband may not want to fly out international again because of cost but he could meet her at POE and they  fly domestic together back to his residence

Edited April 21, 2023 by JeanneAdil

[Boiler 45,462]

We have had a few with Only Fans but do not recollect Escorts

 

Airports are well used to handling wheelchairs and by definition other languages 

[Boiler 45,462]

Th K3 I also find fascinating especially the mention of it being a year out. How would you know and why?

[nygnyy 7]

2 hours ago, Mike E said:

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof

 

Never heard of one. She can order a wheel chair and a wheel chair pusher to meet her  at the gate.

 

 

It is likely CBP will have access someone (such as an airline or airport employee) they can ask who can translate. She should hand the officer a paper that says in English:

 

* I do not speak English

* I speak Vietnamese

* My husband’s mobile phone number is +1 nnn nnn nnnn

 

Change the arrival airport to LAX, SFO, or SJC, and:

 

* 100 percent chance there will be a translator

 

* Likely at least one CBP officer speaks Vietnamese

 

 

Thanks Mike!

[nygnyy 7]

29 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Th K3 I also find fascinating especially the mention of it being a year out. How would you know and why?

He said his lawyer filed for a spousal visa, and mentioned "not an immigrant visa", so I assumed it was nonimmigrant and a K-3. I can doublecheck. I know he filed more than a year ago too.

 

Also, the basis for the travel discussion is based on updates his lawyer gives him. I've told him to take the case numbers and use the tools that I think CBP still provides to check the status. I told him it was good that he hasn't gotten any RFEs, at least not yet 😄

[nygnyy 7]

2 hours ago, JeanneAdil said:

1. The flight attendant on the plane leaving her country will speak her language and help with wheel chair and how to transit to connecting flight
2. don't try JFK as that involves getting on a tram with all luggage (with a wheel chair???) to go from international to a domestic flight 
3. wheel chair helper can't help with customs 
4. husband may not want to fly out international again because of cost but he could meet her at POE and they  fly domestic together back to his residence

Thanks for the tips, Jeanne! 

[SteveInBostonI130 3,432]

12 minutes ago, nygnyy said:

He said his lawyer filed for a spousal visa, and mentioned "not an immigrant visa", so I assumed it was nonimmigrant and a K-3. I can doublecheck. I know he filed more than a year ago too.

 

Also, the basis for the travel discussion is based on updates his lawyer gives him. I've told him to take the case numbers and use the tools that I think CBP still provides to check the status. I told him it was good that he hasn't gotten any RFEs, at least not yet 😄

 

Spouse visa is CR1/IR1.  I would ask to see the NOA1 document from your friend before assuming K-3.

[Boiler 45,462]

Wonder if this is a proper lawyer or someone in the Community who helps?

[Redro 4,611]

2 hours ago, nygnyy said:

He said his lawyer filed for a spousal visa, and mentioned "not an immigrant visa", so I assumed it was nonimmigrant and a K-3. I can doublecheck. I know he filed more than a year ago too.

 

Also, the basis for the travel discussion is based on updates his lawyer gives him. I've told him to take the case numbers and use the tools that I think CBP still provides to check the status. I told him it was good that he hasn't gotten any RFEs, at least not yet 😄

Tangent/Ask your friend about the paperwork he filled out… ask how much he paid. 
you can’t file a K3 without first filing the immigrant petition (I-130) and then the K3 (I-129F) is filed after you receive NOA1 (I797) AND it is free… 

Yourfriend might still be several months away from interview. Does he know if he filled out the I864 (affidavit of support) and DS260 (application for spousal visa)? 
While the first step is taking over a year... I worry your friend might have been scammed by a “lawyer”. 

Edited April 22, 2023 by ROK2USA

[Cathi 5,746]

K-3 are rarely, if ever, approved. Obsolete.

[nygnyy 7]

Thanks again, all. I chatted with my friend today. He really appreciated all of your suggestions, especially the flying to a west coast airport and meeting his wife there.

 

He actually had the case status printed out, but it just said I-130 so still not clear which visa type he filed for. He hired an actual lawyer, one that was recommended to him by someone else. He's hesitated to call and speak w/ them because he ends up speaking with a paralegal and gets non-answers.

[Redro 4,611]

3 hours ago, nygnyy said:

Thanks again, all. I chatted with my friend today. He really appreciated all of your suggestions, especially the flying to a west coast airport and meeting his wife there.

 

He actually had the case status printed out, but it just said I-130 so still not clear which visa type he filed for. He hired an actual lawyer, one that was recommended to him by someone else. He's hesitated to call and speak w/ them because he ends up speaking with a paralegal and gets non-answers.

Spousal visa. This is an immigrant visa. If he hasn’t received a notice the case has been approved and has been sent to NVC he might be waiting for a few more months. Do you know if his wife has given the lawyer all the addresses she lived at since the age of 16? Has she gone for a medical or obtained her police checks yet?