Lines, lines, everywhere lines....
April 7, 2010 1:28 AM Subscribe
My (German) boyfriend and my(American) self will be going through passport control upon arrival in Chicago (O'Hare). Can we go through the same line?
I know that they have different areas for American passport holders and visitors, but since we're traveling together, would it be ok for me to go with him through the visitor's line? I'm guessing this would be better received then him going with me through the American passport holder's line.
It's not a huge deal if we have to go through different lines, obviously, but I was just thinking about long lines plus lack of sleep equals more fun in line together.
I know that they have different areas for American passport holders and visitors, but since we're traveling together, would it be ok for me to go with him through the visitor's line? I'm guessing this would be better received then him going with me through the American passport holder's line.
It's not a huge deal if we have to go through different lines, obviously, but I was just thinking about long lines plus lack of sleep equals more fun in line together.
No. You will be in different lines. Also, depending on the time of day, it shouldn't take more than 15 minutes.
posted by halogen at 2:18 AM on April 7, 2010
posted by halogen at 2:18 AM on April 7, 2010
Best answer: I have gone through the visitor's line with my husband (Swiss) many times. He did get some questioning about previous visits* but otherwise everything went smoothly. Have proof of onward travel for him.
*They asked how could he afford to travel for over six months as previously marked in his passport? He's Swiss, they save. They let him through.
posted by Elli at 2:27 AM on April 7, 2010
*They asked how could he afford to travel for over six months as previously marked in his passport? He's Swiss, they save. They let him through.
posted by Elli at 2:27 AM on April 7, 2010
Best answer: You should be fine. My wife and I go through the American line together all the time when we enter the US.
Sure, we're married but I don't recall them asking us about it. And its not like we carry around our marriage certificate.
posted by vacapinta at 2:30 AM on April 7, 2010
Sure, we're married but I don't recall them asking us about it. And its not like we carry around our marriage certificate.
posted by vacapinta at 2:30 AM on April 7, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks for the replies. I'm not really worried that they'll do anything other then say "nope, you can't be in this line, miss. Now go back to the end of that line" And then there will be evil laughter as I follow the finger he's pointing to the back of a line that's 4 times as long as it was when we'd started and filled with my fellow Americans who are all bitching about how long this is taking.
I just kind of hate waiting and lines. Like most of humanity. Which is why I was thinking about passing time in line with my fella.
posted by monkey!knife!fight! at 4:23 AM on April 7, 2010
I just kind of hate waiting and lines. Like most of humanity. Which is why I was thinking about passing time in line with my fella.
posted by monkey!knife!fight! at 4:23 AM on April 7, 2010
Note: The people who wait in lines together are already married. If you make it obvious you are a couple they will hassle you. Suck it up for 15-30 mins on different lines it'll make it a lot easier.
posted by JPD at 4:30 AM on April 7, 2010
posted by JPD at 4:30 AM on April 7, 2010
I spent many years in a relationship with a UK citizen, living abroad (I'm US). When I asked sweetly, the immigration folks were ok with me going through the (longer, slower) non-US citizen line with him, as long as I offered it that way. They were clearly more used to people asking the opposite, so were ready to say "no", but when I asked clearly and politely, I was never denied the ability to go through with him (not vice-versa). This was true despite our not being married. Good luck!
posted by pammeke at 4:34 AM on April 7, 2010
posted by pammeke at 4:34 AM on April 7, 2010
I'd go through different lines for the legal reasons listed above.
posted by Ironmouth at 6:04 AM on April 7, 2010
posted by Ironmouth at 6:04 AM on April 7, 2010
Depending on the visa he has this could cause trouble. Some of the visas are given on the promise that the visa holder totally intends to go back to their home country and there is no reason they would want to stay in America. If this is his kind of visa, and he shows up in line with an American girlfriend they could wonder if he lied in getting his visa, etc. I wouldn't risk it. I never spent more than 10 minutes in the immigration line in O'Hare (but I am usually near the front of the plane and I make a point of rushing to the line). My non-American boyfriend usually spends 5 minutes more in the line. We never go through the line together, and never would for the reasons cited above.
posted by ohio at 6:17 AM on April 7, 2010
posted by ohio at 6:17 AM on April 7, 2010
Different lines. Speaking as someone who was deported and had his visa waiver rights rescinded because Charlie Chuckles of the DOHS decided I was trying to immigrate into the US when I came to see my girlfriend (I wasn't), it's absolutely not worth it for 15 minutes of apart time.
I am now married to my US girl and we come through the US line together with no problem but that's because we're married and ended up doing the immigration paperwork.
posted by merocet at 6:24 AM on April 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
I am now married to my US girl and we come through the US line together with no problem but that's because we're married and ended up doing the immigration paperwork.
posted by merocet at 6:24 AM on April 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
Immigrations and customs people spend their entire careers scanning lines and crowds for people who act differently or unexpectedly. That's what they're paid to do. If you make an exception for yourself, expect increased attention.
I just kind of hate waiting and lines.
I think you'd hate being pulled out of a line more.
posted by gimonca at 6:28 AM on April 7, 2010
I just kind of hate waiting and lines.
I think you'd hate being pulled out of a line more.
posted by gimonca at 6:28 AM on April 7, 2010
I'm not really worried that they'll do anything other then say "nope, you can't be in this line, miss. Now go back to the end of that line"
You should be worried, though. See some of the stories above, and elsewhere on MetaFilter, Flyertalk, and the rest of the internet.
posted by grouse at 6:44 AM on April 7, 2010
You should be worried, though. See some of the stories above, and elsewhere on MetaFilter, Flyertalk, and the rest of the internet.
posted by grouse at 6:44 AM on April 7, 2010
Passport control is pretty speedy at O'Hare unless you happen to arrive at the same time as five other planes from Asia (those are the really big planes!), which only happens like twice a day (when all the long-haul Asian business flights arrive at once). So regardless of what you do, you shouldn't be stuck in line too awful long.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 7:42 AM on April 7, 2010
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 7:42 AM on April 7, 2010
You need to be a lot more careful here. As merocet and others have explained, the customs officials can easily refuse entry to your boyfriend because of suspicion he may try to overstay and seek to remain with you permanently in the USA.
You need to go through separately and he needs to say he is just coming on vacation to visit friends. He can give your address, just don't tell them about a romantic relationship. There is no way they can find out about that unless he tells them.
posted by teedee2000 at 8:11 AM on April 7, 2010
You need to go through separately and he needs to say he is just coming on vacation to visit friends. He can give your address, just don't tell them about a romantic relationship. There is no way they can find out about that unless he tells them.
posted by teedee2000 at 8:11 AM on April 7, 2010
Best answer: Wow. I seem to be in the minority here. To clarify, my wife has no status in the US other than being a visa-waiver. She has never immigrated. So, to the US, we are basically just boyfriend and girlfriend.
We fly to the US several times a year. We'll be there again in May. We have gone separate, we have gone in the non-US line and we have gone in the US line. It has been friendliness and chatter all along.
From my experience also, there is no difference between the people who handle US and those who handle non-US. All of stations are capable of handling anybody. When we go in the US line, they glance at my passport then they pull out the biometric devices for my wife while I stand by. The different lines, as I understand it, is just crowd control. I've seen them shift all the ropes quickly when one line seems to be much bigger than another.
I can backup merocet in the sense that my wife says that when she goes alone - they give her a harder time.
posted by vacapinta at 8:12 AM on April 7, 2010
We fly to the US several times a year. We'll be there again in May. We have gone separate, we have gone in the non-US line and we have gone in the US line. It has been friendliness and chatter all along.
From my experience also, there is no difference between the people who handle US and those who handle non-US. All of stations are capable of handling anybody. When we go in the US line, they glance at my passport then they pull out the biometric devices for my wife while I stand by. The different lines, as I understand it, is just crowd control. I've seen them shift all the ropes quickly when one line seems to be much bigger than another.
I can backup merocet in the sense that my wife says that when she goes alone - they give her a harder time.
posted by vacapinta at 8:12 AM on April 7, 2010
Response by poster: Just to clarify - I also live in Germany, and hold a German work visa. I think I've been suitably scared into a different line, though.
posted by monkey!knife!fight! at 8:22 AM on April 7, 2010
posted by monkey!knife!fight! at 8:22 AM on April 7, 2010
Well, this is disturbing
like vacapinta my partner (US) and I (UK) have gone through the visitor line every one of the dozen or so times we've visited the States in the last few years and we've never had a problem. Not sure it'd work as well going through the US line though (although that might just be because then I'd be in the wrong line and I'm cowardly about stuff like that)
posted by VoltairePerkins at 10:54 AM on April 7, 2010
like vacapinta my partner (US) and I (UK) have gone through the visitor line every one of the dozen or so times we've visited the States in the last few years and we've never had a problem. Not sure it'd work as well going through the US line though (although that might just be because then I'd be in the wrong line and I'm cowardly about stuff like that)
posted by VoltairePerkins at 10:54 AM on April 7, 2010
Response by poster: So here's what happened:
We decided to wait in separate lines. When we got off the plane and down to passport control, it was so backed up on the non-American side that it was crazy. The US side was packed, too, but not as badly. I decided, screw it, and went to wait in line with my guy.
After about 45 minutes, we were halfway through, and I was getting antsy. The US side had about 12 people in it, and so when I saw a worker walking past the non-American cattle pen, I said "excuse me, I'm an American..." and she'd already opened up the rope next to me and motioned me over to the American line before I could finish. I said "no, my boyfriend is German" and she said, "that's fine, you can both go into the other line. We walked over there, walked right up to an agent, who saw us talking to each other and said we could both wait at her window together. She looked at our passports, joked around with us and was super pleasant. We were out of there in 2 minutes flat.
I'm not sure if it was a fluke, but I am sure that next time, he'll be coming with me through the line. And next time we'll try not to fly back to Europe during a volcanic eruption...but that's a whole other story.
posted by monkey!knife!fight! at 8:35 AM on April 28, 2010
We decided to wait in separate lines. When we got off the plane and down to passport control, it was so backed up on the non-American side that it was crazy. The US side was packed, too, but not as badly. I decided, screw it, and went to wait in line with my guy.
After about 45 minutes, we were halfway through, and I was getting antsy. The US side had about 12 people in it, and so when I saw a worker walking past the non-American cattle pen, I said "excuse me, I'm an American..." and she'd already opened up the rope next to me and motioned me over to the American line before I could finish. I said "no, my boyfriend is German" and she said, "that's fine, you can both go into the other line. We walked over there, walked right up to an agent, who saw us talking to each other and said we could both wait at her window together. She looked at our passports, joked around with us and was super pleasant. We were out of there in 2 minutes flat.
I'm not sure if it was a fluke, but I am sure that next time, he'll be coming with me through the line. And next time we'll try not to fly back to Europe during a volcanic eruption...but that's a whole other story.
posted by monkey!knife!fight! at 8:35 AM on April 28, 2010
the fact that customs was such a shitshow actually makes it less likely they will hassle you. Its when things are normal that it is riskier.
I once saw a guy at Newark get taken in the back just for complaining about how long the line was and his need to make a Jets game. Immigration guys can be incredibly capricious.
posted by JPD at 8:51 AM on April 28, 2010
I once saw a guy at Newark get taken in the back just for complaining about how long the line was and his need to make a Jets game. Immigration guys can be incredibly capricious.
posted by JPD at 8:51 AM on April 28, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
They will likely scrutinize him more if they see he is with an American citizen. They might think that he is using the Visa Waiver Program to get into the US so he can marry you and not wait to come to the US. (This is somewhat frowned upon.) I have heard that Customs may even make a notation on the I-94 if they suspect that the VWP may be abused. Then if you were to get married, USCIS may (or may not, depending on the mood of the person looking at your case) give you a harder time.
posted by Monday at 2:09 AM on April 7, 2010