My POE experience!

[sachinky 465]

Ok, by now you all know I do detailed reviews but I promise this is my last one.

I flew from Calcutta to Chicago (ORD) with two three-hour layovers in New Delhi and Frankfurt.

At the Calcutta Airport, I was asked, "What is the purpose of your travel to the U.S.?" to which I replied "To be with my husband who lives there." The immigration officer then spent a few good minutes looking through every page of my passport. Told me to stand up straight and scrutinized my picture and face (it's an old picture from when I was thirteen). Made some random comments about the visa. When it expired and such.

At Delhi, right before boarding the flight, an official asked to see my "visa file." I wasn't sure what he was talking about but then figured he must mean the yellow POE envelope. I gave it to him, ready to scream bloody murder if he showed any sign of opening it but he just examined it, made sure it was still sealed and then let me board the flight.

Landed at Chicago around 11:50AM EST. I pushed and shoved my way out of the plane (y'know what Indians are like) and got to the Arrivals hall. There were about a good 500 people in queue but only 4 immigration officers so they opened up several more counters. I stood in line for about 1/2 hour before someone pulled me aside when they spotted my yellow envelope. I was told to go stand at counter 51. Of course, I got stuck behind 2 Swedish boys who spoke no English and had filled out none of the required forms on the flight. Argh. So that was another 15 minutes of waiting while the officer helped them fill it out. I got called then. Handed over my passport, the envelope, and customs form. The I-94 is NOT required. No matter what the airlines crew tells you. The officer simply threw mine away. I asked him if it would be possible to update my US address. He said that they would take care of me at customs once I was done with baggage. He returned everything in a bright pink folder after the usual fingerprinting was done and the digital photograph was taken.

I then went to pick up my baggage. Of course, the goddamned conveyor belt was broken so they had lined up about 800 suitcases in the waiting area. Took me about 20 minutes just to locate my two bags from the sea of similar looking/colored bags.

Then I went to the Customs/Exit area. An officer told me to go to counter # 1 since I was traveling alone but another one told me to go #2, which was processing family cases. So I headed over to the "New Immigrants Only" corner. I was asked to keep my folder at the end of the desk. This is when I noticed that my passport was missing. I immediately began to hyperventilate and would've passed out from a panic attack when a blonde, tall officer came running, shouting "SACHINKY? Sachinky's passport? Missing passport?" So I was, like, "OMG, THANKYOU!" Anyway, then I went and sat back in my place. There were about a good 30 Indians or so immigrating so there was a LOT of waiting around while one lone Chinese-American man stamped all the papers/passports and filed them. 8 other customs officers stood around chit-chatting.

One girl couldn't speak any English so she asked me to ask the officer if it would be possible to do theirs first since they had a connecting to Detroit in 10 minutes. I did as she requested and was sufficiently rebuked by a loud, rude, "NO! SIT!"

A LOT of people missed their connecting flights because it took so long so I would reccomend keeping at least 3-4 hours between your POE and next connection.

The officer asked me to update my address. I filled out the form and then he told me to do it online as well. Asked me to go back and sit. Finally, around 2:30PM, I was called up again. He made me sign and fingerprint one form on both sides. He asked me how long I'd been married. I replied, "9 months." So he told me that I would be receiving a conditional GC and pointed to the date printed on my passport and said that Mr. Sachinky and I should "contact Immigration ninety days before that date."

I then finally cleared customs (another baggage screening -- they were opening/checking the baggages of almost all of the new immigrants but thankfully, they didn't open mine). I headed out and spotted Mr. Sachinky who had been waiting very anxiously for the last four hours. He was certain I'd been detained or something. He ducked under the blue line and came running towards me. Then there was a lot of crying (this breaks my cardinal rule of NOT crying in public places), hugging and kissing till a security guy came and told us to clear the area. Very Bollywood.

[Cheyemo 8]

Awwww, I feel like crying too! 3 hours!? That seems like a long time! But I'm sure you forgot about all that once you got to see Mr. Sachinky! Send my regards.

[TBoneTX 45,273]

Yee-HAAAAAAA, si man! ("Yee-HAAAAA" is Texan for "si man.")

The U.S. is, more than before, a lovelier, more intelligent, more literate, more gracious place now that you are here, Dear, si man.

Hint: Take some scraps of garishly-colored yarn and tie them around your suitcases' handles, to make conveyor-belt retrieval easier, si man.

[mrs. wife! 3]

Nice Sachi!!!!!!!!!!!!! So happy for you!!!!!!!!! Screw that rule! We like to see Bollywood in real life too!

I wish you all the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Nik+Heather 121]

Hah, Nik got hung up before exiting Customs too - not for all the immigration stuff, but lost bags! I know how your poor hubby felt, waiting and waiting and waiting....We managed to keep the tears to just watery eyes, but reading your review reminded me of how great it was to be together FINALLY.

All the best!

-H

[Married2009 32]

I am happy for both of you! Welcome home!

[yohino 22]

Haha - Stupid swedes!

Have a great time being finally home!

[the_nesh316 1]

so SACHI is back big time...congrats...it would hav been such a gr8 feeling to see mr.sachinky after such a long time!!!the wait is over finally...

[vivekjay 1]

Liked the bollywood ending . Goodluck to you both.

[JohnAnwesha 4]

aww so so happy ,sniff sniff!

And amazing review

[Deep2009 18]

Looks like a happy ending after a long wait...

...Good luck to both of you...

[British_Cupcake 1]

i got emotional reading that silly me!! im so happy for u!

Cant wait till i can go running into my husbands arms

[carolynhotstuff 252]

Great review and welcome to Michigan. All the best to you and your husband!

[bainbridge558 0]

I then went to pick up my baggage. Of course, the goddamned conveyor belt was broken so they had lined up about 800 suitcases in the waiting area. Took me about 20 minutes just to locate my two bags from the sea of similar looking/colored bags.

There is ALWAYS.. and I mean ALWAYS at least one of those things brokedown at O'Hare !!

CONGRATULATIONS !!!!!!!

[Deputy Purple 1,294]

My wife entered at Chicago-ORD six months and 1 day ago. I hated the 2 plus hour wait after her plane landed.

I had sent her an AT&T SIM Card about a month before and called AT&T to add a line & activate it that morning.

She was able to let me know when she landed and a couple of updated before coming out, it helped me with the waiting...