Experience of a Family of 6 entering the US for the first time

[holi 5]

Hi All,

 

Yesterday my wife who has an IR-1 visa, myself (US citizen), my 3 US citizen children, and my mother in law who has a B2 visa, entered the US for the first time as a family.

We entered through SFO and had 2.5 hours to make our transfer.

It was very tight.

 

When a IR1/CR1 visa holder enters the US for the first time, they are going to be pulled into secondary to get information on where to send the Green Card to. This took us about 15-20 minutes.

Then you have to pick up all of your checked baggage, load it on a cart, and take it to be rechecked on your transfer flight. This took us about 20 minutes.

We were told to check a bunch of our carry-ons as we were told we had too much baggage. This took another 20-30 minutes.

Then you have to get in line for security, likely end up with multiple bags getting searched. This took around 40 minutes.

We only had around 20 minutes to spare, no real time to rest or grab anything to eat.

 

Be careful not to bring too much on the plane, and do your best to move quickly.

 

[appleblossom 3,786]

**Thread is moved from the Bringing Family Members of Permanent Residents to America forum to the Working & Travelling During US Immigration forum -- topic involves travel logistics.**

[ineedadisplayname 517]

5 hours ago, holi said:

Hi All,

 

Yesterday my wife who has an IR-1 visa, myself (US citizen), my 3 US citizen children, and my mother in law who has a B2 visa, entered the US for the first time as a family.

We entered through SFO and had 2.5 hours to make our transfer.

It was very tight.

 

When a IR1/CR1 visa holder enters the US for the first time, they are going to be pulled into secondary to get information on where to send the Green Card to. This took us about 15-20 minutes.

Then you have to pick up all of your checked baggage, load it on a cart, and take it to be rechecked on your transfer flight. This took us about 20 minutes.

We were told to check a bunch of our carry-ons as we were told we had too much baggage. This took another 20-30 minutes.

Then you have to get in line for security, likely end up with multiple bags getting searched. This took around 40 minutes.

We only had around 20 minutes to spare, no real time to rest or grab anything to eat.

 

Be careful not to bring too much on the plane, and do your best to move quickly.

 

Nothing out of the ordinary here unfortunately. All connecting flights after landing in the US you will always have to pick up and re-check your luggage and go through TSA again, transfer terminals etc.  Glad to see that you made it despite being tight.

[Sam Burns 173]

Yeah I would not have booked a 2.5hr gap, I’d have gone for 4 at least. You got lucky!

[JeanneAdil 6,870]

1 hour ago, ineedadisplayname said:

Nothing out of the ordinary here unfortunately. All connecting flights after landing in the US you will always have to pick up and re-check your luggage and go through TSA again, transfer terminals etc.  Glad to see that you made it despite being tight.

Not always 

depends on how ticket is purchased

we fly from Moroc to Paris (usually but also have transit  in London and Brussels)

we have to even change airlines but our luggage goes to to 'Atlanta with no pick up and recheck

 

however, when wife flew from Peru to Atlanta thru Miami ,  had to pick up and recheck lugguage

from Ecuador to Charolette with Ft Lauderdale layover,  no pick up and recheck

[OldUser 8,819]

33 minutes ago, JeanneAdil said:

Not always 

depends on how ticket is purchased

we fly from Moroc to Paris (usually but also have transit  in London and Brussels)

we have to even change airlines but our luggage goes to to 'Atlanta with no pick up and recheck

 

however, when wife flew from Peru to Atlanta thru Miami ,  had to pick up and recheck lugguage

from Ecuador to Charolette with Ft Lauderdale layover,  no pick up and recheck

That was @ineedadisplayname point? If you change planes in the US you have to pick up and recheck baggage.

[JeanneAdil 6,870]

17 hours ago, OldUser said:

That was @ineedadisplayname point? If you change planes in the US you have to pick up and recheck baggage.

I didn't when we flew into JFK and onto DC then Atlanta 

luggage went all the way  royal air moroc to Air France to Jet Blue

same with me when flying Moroc to Doha (Qatar airlines) and then on Delta  to Nashville with 

 

it was only when wife flew up from South America that luggage was picked up and rechecked

Edited Saturday at 08:41 PM by JeanneAdil