Do you use the "wrong" line at immigration?
Aug 13, 2005 | 3:25 am
#17
Join Date: Nov 2003
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Originally Posted by DeafFlyer
I'm a US citizen and my wife is a Danish citizen. We always go through the US citizen line without a problem.
Aug 13, 2005 | 7:54 am
#19
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: MCI
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Originally Posted by B747-437B
Do NOT try this as a non-US citizen using the US citizens line at a US airport.
There are documented cases of people being denied entry and subjected to expedited removal as this may be construed as misrepresenting oneself as a US citizen.
There are documented cases of people being denied entry and subjected to expedited removal as this may be construed as misrepresenting oneself as a US citizen.
Aug 13, 2005 | 12:58 pm
#20
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Originally Posted by jpdx
Can you recommend a place where one could get in trouble for this ("you were standing in the wrong line, call your lawyer")?
Speaking of which, I was once reprimanded for standing in correct lane.
I flew to Vladivostok, Russia's Far East, from Osaka Kansai. On that flight, all non-Russian passport holders are usually Japanese. I was standing in the line for Foreign Passport Holders.
A woman in khaki uniform approached me and barked in Russian - what was I doing in foreigners' line?
That was a bad case of profiling based on height and facial features
Aug 13, 2005 | 3:10 pm
#21
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 13,143
Originally Posted by DoubleJ
He added that if we wanted to stay together, a US citizen could accompany a non-US citizen spouse in the non-US citizen line.
Aug 13, 2005 | 7:20 pm
#22
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: SYD
Posts: 1,466
Fortunately, Australia is pretty good about letting non-Australian travelling companions through the Citizen Line, which saves a load of time if you have ever been through SYD immigration. Otherwise I also try not to mess around with the immigration people since they can make your stay very unpleasant.
Aug 16, 2005 | 1:57 pm
#23
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: MCY
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Posts: 448
Originally Posted by DoubleJ
My wife and I have also done this for the past 15 years with no problems, until two weeks ago coming into the US, the immigration officer said non-US citizen spouses could no longer accompany their US citizen spouses in the US citizen line, and directed her to the non-US citizen line. He added that if we wanted to stay together, a US citizen could accompany a non-US citizen spouse in the non-US citizen line.
Aug 16, 2005 | 2:10 pm
#24
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Europe
Programs: M+M, VN
Posts: 576
My wife and I tend to separate (she's a US citizen, I'm British) unless directed otherwise. At some airports we've been told to ignore the labels and go whereever we want and others we've been told clearly to make sure we go to the right ones. I prefer to play itself as we've both had attention from immigration at times and it's easier to avoid it.
Aug 16, 2005 | 2:35 pm
#25
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Palm Beach/ New England
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Posts: 4,459
When travelling it's usually one passenger w/ US passport, one passenger w/ EU passport for us. We select the quickest line together. Never had a problem.
Aug 16, 2005 | 2:47 pm
#26
Join Date: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,965
I have personally seen a Canadian passport holder being directed to the non-citizen line, after having finally made it to the front of the long citizen line. Of course the non-citizen line was even longer and slower than the citizen line.
Originally Posted by industry_killer
As far as a know and have done, Canadians can use the US citizens line at immigration. I have never had a problem or odd glance using it whenever flying back into the US.
Aug 30, 2005 | 1:30 am
#27
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: London, UK
Programs: AA EXP 1MM, HH Gold, dirt loads of places.
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Originally Posted by DeafFlyer
That stinks. Did the rules really change or was it just this one officer?
This weekend, Mrs c (US) and I (UK) flew into ORD and went through the US Citizens line with no problem. Noticed another couple (also US & UK) do the exact same thing in an adjacent line.
We had no difficulty using the EU line at LHR on our return, either.
That said, we make it our practice that whoever is a citizen of the country in question takes the lead, presenting the documents etc.
Aug 30, 2005 | 2:36 am
#28
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: NRT/PDX
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Originally Posted by wallaby
Does she have a green card?
There's usually someone "directing traffic" at immigration, sending US citizens to the lines on one side and non-US citizens to the lines on the other side. Next time I'll just ask this person first what the rules are (which line to use), and if there're any questions concerning the line we're in from the immigration officer at the booth, I can just refer them to this person.
Last edited by DoubleJ; Aug 30, 2005 at 2:44 am
Aug 30, 2005 | 8:02 am
#29
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: London, UK
Programs: AA EXP 1MM, HH Gold, dirt loads of places.
Posts: 1,657
Originally Posted by DoubleJ
There's usually someone "directing traffic" at immigration, sending US citizens to the lines on one side and non-US citizens to the lines on the other side.
Aug 30, 2005 | 8:48 am
#30
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Washington, DC USA
Programs: UA; Amtrak
Posts: 2,002
I am still not sure if I used the correct line at ATH. In the course of IAD-AMS-VIE-ATH, UA/OS had misplaced my checked bag, and I just stormed out of the baggage claim area without choosing a door too carefully... to find myself in the entrance hall with my large carryon, no customs check, no immigration check. I'd arrived from a Schengen country of course, but I'd been waved through at AMS too, and I assuredly do not pass for a native in, well, any European country. Was a little concerned that if there were trouble there'd be no entry stamp in my passport.
No such shortcuts on the return to IAD of course.
No such shortcuts on the return to IAD of course.