PerthtoMass
Difficulty:  | Review Topic: Port of Entry Review
After exiting the airplane we walked for what seemed a very long hallway until we finally reached the customs hall. On our way there many people were joining us from other planes and buses so by the time we reached customs the room was half full. We made our way to the USC line and were redirected to the new immigrant desk at the far end of the hall. We sat down and waited as per instruction and giggled a little as the hall was filling up with ever more people and we were the only people at the immigration desk, with no staff in the vicinity. We figured we may have to queietly wait until the several hundred people in the visitor queue had been processed. It all seemed quite comical to us in our overtired state.
Happily within a few minutes a female officer came over to us asked my husband and daughter to take a seat and she began processing my package. She was kind, helpful and had a sense of humour, what more could I ask? She did not keep my x-rays as we were only visiting Hawaii for a few days before we travel on to Massachusetts, so I will hand them in to the department of health there.
My (now) legal husband and I had been in a defacto relationship for almost 14 years. Defacto relationships are very common in Australia and New Zealand and treated in law as a legal marriage; even our Prime Minister is in a defacto relationship. As we had only legally married in September 2012, I researched our situation and hoped that our ongoing relationship would be recognised by the US authorities and I might receive an IR1 Visa. It had been suggested that I speak to the CBP officer, which I did but was informed that no, as the embassy were aware of our long term relationship and had indicated CRI, I was only eligible for CR1. I had hoped to avoid more paperwork and very probably more fees – oh well. As I plan to apply for citizenship as soon as I am eligible, I guess there is still plenty of paperwork ahead of me anyway.
After completing biometrics the officer asked why after all the time we had been together in Australia we had decided to move to USA. I replied that after visiting Massachusetts for the first time in 2012 our daughter and I both loved it, as the contrasts between Massachusetts and Western Australia are striking to say the least. My husband had always hoped to return to live there some day. As my parents have both passed, and his are still alive I have long been keen for him to spend as much time with them as possible; so here we are…
The officer then explained the visa was for those wishing to live permanently in the USA, what was required of me with regards ROC, and had me sign and keep a copy of a document attesting to this discussion. She completed my husband and daughter's processing, welcomed me to the USA and directed us to the exit. We headed to Waikiki 4 days before heading to main land USA.
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Port of Entry Member Review #15442
Entry Date: 2013-05-08