My wife is a new GC holder. Just got approved last week and the card is on its way. However, I have a couple of questions regarding procedures for GC holders when they arrive at a POE. If the POE is a big airport (like JFK) and they have one line for USC and one for all others, does a GC holder get in the USC line? Does a GC holder get fingerprinted at the POE? Also, if coming in from a country other then Canada, does a GC holder present their GC only to CBP or do they have to also present their passport?
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POE with a GC
- Thread starter dhlunar
- Start date
Since she is not a USC, she will use the others line. Yes, all GC holders are now fingerprinted. A passport is not required for GC holders but it is a good idea to have one for a complete record of entry/exits which will be useful to prove residency at the time of filing for US citizenship.
gc_wait_485
Registered Users (C)
I am not sure about the other airports, but USC & GC get one line always and I am to show my passport always, and of course FP always.
sanjoseaug20
Registered Users (C)
I am not sure about the other airports, but USC & GC get one line always and I am to show my passport always, and of course FP always.
That is my experience too - "citizens and residents" is how they call it to the best of my recollection @ SFO/LAX/ORD/JFK.
Jackolantern
Registered Users (C)
It depends on the airport and the time. You just have to look around and figure it out.
It used to be the case just about everywhere that citizens and permanent residents shared the same line (or set of lines), and there was another line (or set of lines) for everybody else. However, some airports have split that into citizens and noncitizens, so green card holders will line up with the visitors, due to the fingerprint requirement that was introduced last year for permanent residents.
And once when I arrived last year, there was just one line for everybody including citizens. This may have just been a night-shift arrangement, as it was a late night arrival and they had fewer staff at the immigration counters.
It used to be the case just about everywhere that citizens and permanent residents shared the same line (or set of lines), and there was another line (or set of lines) for everybody else. However, some airports have split that into citizens and noncitizens, so green card holders will line up with the visitors, due to the fingerprint requirement that was introduced last year for permanent residents.
And once when I arrived last year, there was just one line for everybody including citizens. This may have just been a night-shift arrangement, as it was a late night arrival and they had fewer staff at the immigration counters.
I landed at JFK last month from a trip abroad, Terminal 4. There were three different lines, USC, GC and Visitors. Ultimately they forward you to whatever booth is available at a given time, landing time was 3PM.
Two months ago I landed at Newark (EWR) from an international flight. There were two lines for immigration, USC/GC and Visitors, landing time was around 10PM.
GC holders get fingerprinted, I can't remember if I was photographed, was too tired.
Regards,
Stoned!
Two months ago I landed at Newark (EWR) from an international flight. There were two lines for immigration, USC/GC and Visitors, landing time was around 10PM.
GC holders get fingerprinted, I can't remember if I was photographed, was too tired.
Regards,
Stoned!
If they separate the lines so USC goes in one and GC goes in another, what are couples supposed to do if one is a USC and the other is a GC? Should each person fill out a customs form and get in prospective line, or should the USC get in line with the GC or the other way?
sanjoseaug20
Registered Users (C)
If they separate the lines so USC goes in one and GC goes in another, what are couples supposed to do if one is a USC and the other is a GC? Should each person fill out a customs form and get in prospective line, or should the USC get in line with the GC or the other way?
Both take any one line --- usually you "upgrade" (from a US status perspective). So when our kids had USC and we did not, we always went with the USC line with no questions asked. When going back to our home country, I think they had a "visitors" and "citizens" line, and we took either one.
You are not the first one to do it ... they get lots of mixed status families everyday. I think the officers are generally qualified to handle any case, the lines are only for the ease of workload management. And if they are not aware, they will call someone or send you to secondary (just kidding).
Both take any one line --- usually you "upgrade" (from a US status perspective). So when our kids had USC and we did not, we always went with the USC line with no questions asked. When going back to our home country, I think they had a "visitors" and "citizens" line, and we took either one.
You are not the first one to do it ... they get lots of mixed status families everyday. I think the officers are generally qualified to handle any case, the lines are only for the ease of workload management. And if they are not aware, they will call someone or send you to secondary (just kidding).
Thanks. However, jokes aside, when I used to cross the US-Canadian border coming back into the US by land the officers in the lanes where unable to handle I-94's or passport stamping. So, most of the time when I cross the border it was with a non-USC, and some of the time they needed a I-94 or a form stamped. The officer at the booth would take all of our documents and tell us to park the card and go inside and wait to be called (so we were sent to secondary). They took all documents including my US passport and didn't return it to me until they where done processing.
It really doesn't matter which line you take, they'll process you at whatever booth is available. Last time when I landed at JFK, I went directly to the GC holders line. When my turn came to be forwarded to a booth, they asked me to go to the booth where mostly Visitors were going just because it was the next one available.
Regards,
Stoned!
Regards,
Stoned!
wiliamjoan
New Member
I believe they only need your full name and date of birth to find a match in the database.When I was in process of getting a GC replacement by filing I-90,I got a stamp in my passport.I traveled to Canada with just my passport, and on the way back,the officer would only scan my passport and would not even open the page where the temporary stamp was.I informed her of my situation, but she probably did not need to look at the stamp or manually enter the A number unless there was no hit.Scanning my passport took exactly the same time as scanning my wife's GC.
Jackolantern
Registered Users (C)
They need more than that to uniquely identify an individual. The passport barcode has additional information such as the passport number (and possibly the previous passport number). So if you previously used that passport during the GC process, or to enter the US with a GC, it would be easy for them to find a match using the passport number.I believe they only need your full name and date of birth to find a match in the database.
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Jackolantern
Registered Users (C)
They don't scan by name and DOB, as that is not unique. They scan using unique information such as passport number or A#. They use it to locate some of your immigration data ... e.g. visa/green card, and your entries and exits.
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