Jeannie & Al
Difficulty:  | Review Topic: Port of Entry Review
My fiance is not a member here but I asked him to write up a review:
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I came into Newark for my entry on my K1 visa. I've been to this airport many times. They've done some work on the area in the last twelve months but it remains relatively similar.
On my flight, I knew I had to fill out a white card as well as the blue one but the (dumb) flight staff kept telling I didn't - I think they didn't have any white cards. Nevertheless, I filled out the blue one on the plane.
When you enter the Customs & Immigration room (down the escalators or stairs) you need to join the line immediately to you're left. Prior to joining the line, I asked a Immigration Worker (red jackets) where I could get a white card from. He told me to join the line and ask for one when I reach the front.
Just before I reached the front, I saw the same red jacket guy again and asked if I could jump out of line to fill the white card in at the designated table. He said I could but that he'd have to get a white card for me as there weren't any at the table ready. It took me less than a two minutes to fill out and surprisingly, they let me join the front of the queue rather than go back in where I jumped out. Probably saved me twenty minutes of queuing.
I approached the customs desk and hand over my envelope and passport (with both the blue and white cards inside the page with the visa sticker). The Officer viewed my passport, and asked me to scan the fingers on my right hand on the pad and then stare into the camera. He asked if I'd been to the US before - an obvious trick question given my passport shows at least 6 trips in stamps. He then radioed for another Officer to take me downstairs.
I did have to wait for around five minutes, much to the annoyance of the people in the queue behind me having to wait.
I followed the new, second, Officer downstairs via the elevator and was told to sit in the waiting area. One tip: sit near the front because none of the Officers behind the desk call your name loud enough for anyone to hear and when you don't react, they get annoyed - all of them. I knew this due to a visit to this area during a prior trip.
My envelope was brought downstairs by the second Officer who handed it to another Officer behind the desk, of which there are three. He dealt with one or two other people before getting to my envelope. I watched him tear it open and swear when he realised he'd torn one of the papers inside, which he then had to tape up. He stamped it, shuffled some papers, check a few things and a good ten minutes later called me over.
This third Officer was the same one who'd grilled me in December. I recognised him and said, with a smile that we'd met before. He wasn't impressed and asked how it had gone. I responded by saying he'd let me in. "Then you're lucky," he said without an ounce of humour or sincerity.
He asked when we were planning to get married. I was in the middle of my answer when he cut in to say I had until Nov 27th. He stamped one last document before handing my passport back with the white card tear-off piece stapled inside along with the blue card. They keep all the documents inside you envelope. I wasn't asked for the x-rays or anything else.
He told me to leave and pointed me towards the exit to luggage collection. Another Officer used his key card to let me out through the large bullet-proof glass doors.
(This fourth Officer had scolded a girl fifteen minutes earlier for doing exactly what she'd been told to do by another Officer. The poor girl had very little English and couldn't answer him quick enough when he screamed his questions at her. As he walked away from her, he uttered an insulting phrase under his breath which only I and another traveller could hear.)
I collected my luggage and joined the (unusually enormous) queue for the last check point where they take your blue card. Make sure you have this out ready as they want it quickly. On occasions, they may ask for your passport here too.
Given how busy Customs & Immigration was, the whole process was relatively quick. I've only ever seen queues as long as that once before.
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Port of Entry Member Review #15510
Entry Date: 2013-08-25