How to enter US once CR1 was approved (consular filing)

[ChelseaW 11]

Hi, 

 

This might be a dumb question, or I'm overthinking it, but for those of you who went through consular processing outside the US and got the visa page in your passport... "how" do I enter the States? 

 

1) United Airlines asks for travel document... So, am I technically still arriving on ESTA until my CR1 page has been stamped, or do I select "US visa" and type in the number listed on passport page? 

 

2) in case someone knows Dulles Airport.. what line did you end up in? I'm coming in through Dulles and used Global Entry before... Am I a US Citizen/LPR line candidate, am I a foreign visitor, should I still go through Global Entry? 

 

Thanks!!! Just don't want any confusion by checking "ESTA" with the airline if it should be a visa.

To my understanding it's only a valid visa once it's stamped by the agent there. 

[SalishSea 18,219]

10 minutes ago, ChelseaW said:

Hi, 

 

This might be a dumb question, or I'm overthinking it, but for those of you who went through consular processing outside the US and got the visa page in your passport... "how" do I enter the States? 

 

1) United Airlines asks for travel document... So, am I technically still arriving on ESTA until my CR1 page has been stamped, or do I select "US visa" and type in the number listed on passport page? 

 

2) in case someone knows Dulles Airport.. what line did you end up in? I'm coming in through Dulles and used Global Entry before... Am I a US Citizen/LPR line candidate, am I a foreign visitor, should I still go through Global Entry? 

 

Thanks!!! Just don't want any confusion by checking "ESTA" with the airline if it should be a visa.

To my understanding it's only a valid visa once it's stamped by the agent there. 

I'm confused - has the CR-1 been issued?

[hunny&me 277]

46 minutes ago, ChelseaW said:

Hi, 

 

This might be a dumb question, or I'm overthinking it, but for those of you who went through consular processing outside the US and got the visa page in your passport... "how" do I enter the States? 

 

1) United Airlines asks for travel document... So, am I technically still arriving on ESTA until my CR1 page has been stamped, or do I select "US visa" and type in the number listed on passport page? 

 

2) in case someone knows Dulles Airport.. what line did you end up in? I'm coming in through Dulles and used Global Entry before... Am I a US Citizen/LPR line candidate, am I a foreign visitor, should I still go through Global Entry? 

 

Thanks!!! Just don't want any confusion by checking "ESTA" with the airline if it should be a visa.

To my understanding it's only a valid visa once it's stamped by the agent there. 

No, do not use Global Entry as that uses whatever document you previously registered.  With your CR1 stamp in your passport, enter LPR line.  You will be processed as LPR, make sure to check your passport for your entry stamp before leaving the officer.  Later on, update your Global Entry enrolment documents with your green card and other info needed.

Your travel document is now your CR1 stamp on passport.  Becomes your I-551 once endorsed by the immigration officer on your point of entry.

[JeanneAdil 6,697]

you have to turn in passport to have the visa page added so if interview has taken place , u would not have a passport 

embassy needs your passport 

[pushbrk 13,175]

You are not an LPR and cannot use ESTA this time.  Just enter as a foreigner.  You'll get the appropriate attention and processing.  Don't expect anything like expedited.

[ChelseaW 11]

10 hours ago, SalishSea said:

I'm confused - has the CR-1 been issued?

 

I have the passport with the page, yes. 

So it's been issued. 

 

.. But I thought it's only "activated" once stamped, so I was unsure what my travel document is at this point. 

 

 

 

I will provide United Airlines the travel document type "US visa" and type in the number. 

 

Thanks pushbrk, it's kind of confusing with the lines. Last time I traveled through IAD as a foreigner I waited 3.5 hours in line.. It's always a pain there 🫣 Hopefully it'll go quicker this time. 

Edited Wednesday at 05:29 AM by ChelseaW

[S2N 17]

Ask the CBP or airline “greeters” after you get off the silly Dulles people movers which line to get in.

 

Every airport processes these in a different way and if you’re entering with your spouse the answer might change.

 

You’re not entering on ESTA though and don’t use Global Entry.

 

For what it’s worth Dulles these days is one of the more relaxed CBP stations around. Depending on the time of day it’s also pretty quick. Usually takes my husband 20 minutes max to get through CBP after the plane lands, but he’s always arriving between midnight and 2am.

Edited Wednesday at 05:38 AM by S2N

[pushbrk 13,175]

2 hours ago, S2N said:

Ask the CBP or airline “greeters” after you get off the silly Dulles people movers which line to get in.

 

Every airport processes these in a different way and if you’re entering with your spouse the answer might change.

 

You’re not entering on ESTA though and don’t use Global Entry.

 

For what it’s worth Dulles these days is one of the more relaxed CBP stations around. Depending on the time of day it’s also pretty quick. Usually takes my husband 20 minutes max to get through CBP after the plane lands, but he’s always arriving between midnight and 2am.

Further, you will never use ESTA again unless you lose or give up your LPR status.  You are using  your foreign passport plus the US immigrant visa as your travel documents.  In the future, you will use your foreign passport and green card to enter the USA.  If and when you become a US Citizen, you MUST ALWAYS enter the USA as a US Citizen with your US Passport, no matter what or how many other citizenships you may have.

 

[Tesco 81]

I had the same quandary on my IR1 when I recently booked my flight. I left the visa field empty with the airline, as one of the questions asked for the visa expiration date. I won’t be able to check in online as APIS is incomplete, so it’ll be the old fashioned manual check in with an agent.

[carmel34 3,661]

6 hours ago, ChelseaW said:

But I thought it's only "activated" once stamped, so I was unsure what my travel document is at this point. 

 

 

 

I will provide United Airlines the travel document type "US visa" and type in the number. 

You have an approved immigrant visa to enter the US, a CR-1 visa.  It was approved and issued by the consulate and will be valid until its expiration date, usually six months after the medical exam.  When you enter the US using the CR-1 visa in your passport, it will be stamped by CBP as evidence that the visa serves as proof that you are a legal permanent resident of the USA until your green card arrives in the mail (up to three months after US entry). Good luck with your transition to life in the USA!

[garebear397 84]

3 hours ago, Tesco said:

I had the same quandary on my IR1 when I recently booked my flight. I left the visa field empty with the airline, as one of the questions asked for the visa expiration date. I won’t be able to check in online as APIS is incomplete, so it’ll be the old fashioned manual check in with an agent.

 

17 hours ago, ChelseaW said:

Hi, 

 

This might be a dumb question, or I'm overthinking it, but for those of you who went through consular processing outside the US and got the visa page in your passport... "how" do I enter the States? 

 

1) United Airlines asks for travel document... So, am I technically still arriving on ESTA until my CR1 page has been stamped, or do I select "US visa" and type in the number listed on passport page? 

 

2) in case someone knows Dulles Airport.. what line did you end up in? I'm coming in through Dulles and used Global Entry before... Am I a US Citizen/LPR line candidate, am I a foreign visitor, should I still go through Global Entry? 

 

Thanks!!! Just don't want any confusion by checking "ESTA" with the airline if it should be a visa.

To my understanding it's only a valid visa once it's stamped by the agent there. 

 

To make sure everything is abundantly clear here: 

• The CR1/IR1 page in your passport is a valid VISA (even before stamped), it is your legal status for being able to enter the US (not as a visitor, not with your ESTA, not with anything else). If anyone asks for your visa number or have to fill it out on the form, that IR1/CR1 visa page and number is what you need to provide
• You are not a LPR/resident until you have entered the US for the first time with your IR1/CR1 visa, so especially if you are traveling alone the default line should be the "foreigner" line, because you are not a LPR yet. Now if you are traveling with your US citizen spouse, you can ask the workers and they may direct you to the US citizen/resident line (this has happened to us and my non-citizen wife, even when she was traveling with her B2 visa), but if any doubts just use the foreigner line. 
• Now, once you enter for the first time with your CR1/IR1 and get your temporary I-551 stamp, you are now a LPR! If you travel again before you get your physical green card, you can use your IR1/CR1 visa with the stamp, and use the resident line during immigration. And it is still your visa, and you can use that number for any forms or questions until you get your physical green card -- though if there is ever an option to select "resident" you can now select it. 

Hopefully that is clear for everyone, @pushbrk feel free to correct if I missed something. 

 

 

 

[Melancholic Mage 130]

Just to add my experience, I entered with my CR-1 in October. For what it's worth, I had an ESTA on the system that was still valid and Dublin was my POE.

 

Being with my US spouse, we asked an officer which line was acceptable to join and they pointed us towards the one for returning US citizens, as @garebear397mentioned with their own partner. At the front we notified the border official of my shiny new visa within my passport. We were then led towards a backroom where a lovely gent ran through some questions, officially stamped my visa, told me when to expect my Green Card, and off we went.

 

Don't worry too much @ChelseaW. There's always someone to ask. Word of advice though, make sure you leave plenty of time between connecting flights. I ended up having to run to catch my plane despite giving myself near 3 hours in-between because of the volume. Though it may have reduced at this juncture in time.

[ChelseaW 11]

Thanks everyone for the detailed answers! 

I'll be traveling back with my husband, so we'll ask what line to go for. Luckily no connecting flights. 

 

Also interesting facts here, I did not know I could update global entry to my CR1. That would indeed be nice. Dulles is always packed if not arriving late at night. 🙂

[pushbrk 13,175]

2 hours ago, ChelseaW said:

Thanks everyone for the detailed answers! 

I'll be traveling back with my husband, so we'll ask what line to go for. Luckily no connecting flights. 

 

Also interesting facts here, I did not know I could update global entry to my CR1. That would indeed be nice. Dulles is always packed if not arriving late at night. 🙂

You are going to go through extra processing because of the immigrant visa. You cannot use Global entry fast lane for this entry.  If you try, you will be redirected.  When you ask, they'll tell you that, for this time. You will never again use your visa to enter the USA.  It will be your passport and green card, or if before green card the "endorsed visa" is a temporary green card.

 

[ChelseaW 11]

Yes, understood! Global entry "update" for future travel would be nice though.