Questions asked and POE Experience upon entry back into the US

[whitefeather]

I was wondering if we could get a list of questions/experiences that people have encountered at the POE upon entering the US within:

(Please specify the type of visa used to acquire the green card and any documents you carried as proof)

1. 180 DAYS

2. > 180 DAYS < 365 DAYS

3. > 365 DAYS

Obviously, under the assumption that you possessed a green card at reentry and/or a reentry permit (as required).

Please post your experiences and the type of questions you were barraged with. I'm sure it would serve purposeful.

Thanks.

[harvydonald]

the last time I entered, the office said only two words...
"welcome back"

[wik]

My wife arrived back from the UK today at SFO and the officer didn't say a single word. Just swiped and stamped. Last September, when we both re-entered with our daughters, the officer just said 'welcome home'. Original visa was an O-1, AOS was EB1-EA self-petitioned. Did not carry any additional documentaiton beyond passports and green cards.

I am guessing from your post though you are looking for what kinds of questioning to expect after extended absences.

[whitefeather]

Wik, you are right my question is related to 'extended absence', however, not quite > 180 days, more like a 5 month absence.

I understand that if the absence was more like a couple of weeks or a month or even two months there wouldn't be much questioning to do other than say 'welcome back' since it amounts to a long vacation. But in my case it's still under less than 180 days (about 5 months) and since this borders around the 180 days, I was wondering if there would be any questioning since 5 months is not like a long vacation neither is it much like giving up residency.

Obviously, I would be paying bills and rent while I am out for 5months, but do I need to carry proof of that or shouldn't matter?

Thanks.

[pralay]

Originally Posted by whitefeather

Obviously, I would be paying bills and rent while I am out for 5months, but do I need to carry proof of that or shouldn't matter?

Thanks.

If you have residence in USA (renting apartment in your name) and not doing something abroad that can prove contrary (e.g. taking up job outside), you will be fine. If it is purely vacation, then it's vacation - no matter if it is 1 month or 5 months.

[whitefeather]

Thanks for your responses.

My question therefore being, if it is a 5 month vacation, do I need to carry proof, that during these 5 months I did not give up my residency (eg. proof of paying rent, bills, etc.) and that I didn't take up a job while I was out?

Or is it simply by word that they'll believe me when I say that I was out for 5 months on a vacation?

[baikal3]

The last time I entered was in Chicago in early July of 2005, after about 5 weeks in Europe. The officer at the immigration control did not ask any questions regarding where I have been or what I have been doing there and did not ask for any extra documents, other than GC and passport. However, he did bitch quite a bit about the fact that my Russian passport was not machine-readable. He was quite nasty about it and seemed to be blaming me for making his life difficult. I knew better than to argue and simply kept my mouth shut.