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ResourcesVisa & Immigration LawUS Immigration LawUsing A USCBP Immigration Checkpoint With A CR-1, IR-1, Or K-3 Visa?

Using A USCBP Immigration Checkpoint With A CR-1, IR-1, Or K-3 Visa?

Transcript of the above video: 

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing which line, how to use if you will, which line to use, however you want to look at this, how to travel through an Immigration checkpoint when travelling into the United States on a K-3, CR-1 or IR-1 Visa, so we are talking about the marriage-based Visas here. This is for the spouse of a United States citizen.

Now CR-1 and IR-1 Visa holders are going to be granted, if it's first time the Visa is used in any case, generally speaking you are going to want to go through the Permanent Resident line. Now understand that those entering the United States in CR-1 or IR-1 status are granted immigrant status at the moment of entry. So the moment they are stamped in the United States, they either become conditional or unconditional lawful permanent residents of the United States: generally speaking, sometime after admission to the United States, a Green Card will be mailed out usually within six to eight weeks of arrival. The K-3 is a Non-immigrant Visa but for purposes of this video, in my opinion probably best to just utilize the permanent resident line.

Now meanwhile, it has been my experience US Customs and Border Protection is quite professional and really actually quite nice especially with newly arriving immigrants and where people get confused, they're very helpful. They'll just say "okay go over to that line, wait in that line, you will be processed in." So it's going to vary depending on the checkpoint you are using, the airport, time of day, the amount of volume they're dealing with, things will vary. It's not going to be a uniform protocol throughout all the checkpoints in the United States to get into the United States, it's not exactly uniform. That said, CBP is a Government Agency; it is set up throughout the United States. Many of their protocols are very uniform unto themselves, but again the way the actual physical layout of each given checkpoint is going to be, will vary from play place to place. For this reason, the protocols associated with being admitted into the United States will differ somewhat but the general rule of thumb when bringing an Immigrant or even a Non-Immigrant K-3 spouse into the United States where there is a lawful permanent resident line, that generally speaking is the best line to go through to enter the USA.