Etherial
Difficulty:  | Review Topic: Port of Entry Review
Before the travel ban was lifted, we planned to spent 14 days in Canada and then drive to the us.
When it was lifted, we decided to take the same route. So on 17 January we crossed the borders from Canada to the US with my boyfriend (US citizen). I come from a Schengen zone country.
We flied together from my (our) country to Canada, via Heathrow. In Heathrow the lanes were fine, the only problem is that we followed the signs to connections to end up in the domestic ones so they sent us through control again to reach the international ones.
We arrived in Canada normally but weather was horrible (Toronto had 40cm of snow) and the roads were closed until the morning we arrived. We had rented a car since he lives in Ohio so it's not far to drive.
We waited 2 hours for our luggage because the vehicles that take them off the plane couldn't move due to the snow.
After that we drove to the borders. There only 1 lane was open at 9.30pm
My boyfriend gave our passports to the CBP officer at the border booth and told him I am an EU citizen. He asked if I have a visa and I told him I come on ESTA and that I am full vaccinated. He asked what was the last time I was in the US and I told him it's my first time. He asked what country and when I said Greece he made a joke if we know Gianni (Antentokoumpo) and said he loved Gianni and Santorini 😂 Then he asked us to drive few meters ahead to the CBP building and that an agent will call me for a short interview and he held our passports.
Inside the building there was no one else and I was immediately called to the booth. The agent was friendly but firm and asked me of its my first time visiting, where I am from and I told him I am traveling with my boyfriend from my country. He asked how long was he there for and I showed him my return ticket in 84 days. He then asked what I do for living and asked what I am applying for (tricky question u will see below why). I said I have only applied for an advance i94, 2 days before arrival. He asked again if I am traveling with my boyfriend and I said yes he is here with me. He then called my boyfriend also to the booth and asked him where are we traveling from, how long was he in my country and what for, where I will be staying here in the US and discussed a bit for his job. He then told us to wait
He was talking with his supervisor while we waited a few minutes and he called us both again. He said that when he previously asked me if I had applied for anything, he actually meant if my boyfriend had applied for anything in my behalf. My boyfriend said we have applied for a fiance visa. The agent asked what is the status of the application and we both said we are still waiting.
He told us then that although there is no rule that I can't visit while the visa is pending, one might think that I won't go back and we should be careful. I said yes, we know and that I plan to go back on the 10th of April anyway for my job. He asked when I plan on moving if the visa is approved and I said it won't be soon as I also have a business back home and I will have to find someone to manage it, so it will be a few years.
He told us that he is gonna stamp my passport and to be careful and asked my boyfriend to write down the address I will be staying at.
After long 27 hours we made it to my boyfriend's home.
Hope this helps someone and sorry for the long post.
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Port of Entry Member Review #17320
Entry Date: 2022-01-17