IO discretion at POE

[jelo]

There is a big rumor going around about sending back the people with valid visas at the port of entry. Can the IO just send the people saying,there aren't enough jobs? I definitely think it is not that simple. But would like to know what are the guide lines given to them. Like what could be the standards that should be met. How this is different for the people entering with H1b status and using AP. What are the options if somebody is denied the entry but is genuine. Please through your opinions as someone could be more prepared while they travel.

[gc_buddy]

I heard that rumor. Not sure if it is rumor or really happened. I was told that this incident happened somewhere in Virginia. Also, one of my friends was grilled at POE in SanFrancisco before letting him in.

But the IO at POE has the authority to deny entry. On what basis, I am not sure..

If anyone or direct friends of yours faced this experiance..please post here for benefit of everyone..

There is a big rumor going around about sending back the people with valid visas at the port of entry. Can the IO just send the people saying,there aren't enough jobs? I definitely think it is not that simple. But would like to know what are the guide lines given to them. Like what could be the standards that should be met. How this is different for the people entering with H1b status and using AP. What are the options if somebody is denied the entry but is genuine. Please through your opinions as someone could be more prepared while they travel.

[bestofall]

My friend is Travelling thru JFK to Tampa last week.

He was asked who is the client , who is vendor , who is the employer.which city he is working , How Long ...blah blah ....asked to show the Client Employee Badge( If any) ... Luckily my friend had one in hand and showed it
the POE officer did some search for some time and sent my friend to some other officer...after some grilling he was granted entry.. He was on H1B Visa( He got stamping at Chennai on his India Trip) ..it seems stamping was smooth at Chennai , but more grilling at POE ..

[WaitingUnlimited]

IO at IAD airport was rude when I was entering into US last year. I work for american financial company.

I came with flight that was operated by airlines A but the ticket was issued by airlines B. I mentioned on I94 that the flight no as airlines B XXX (as there in the ticket issued by airlines B).

The officer asked me why I entered flight no of airlines B on I94. I said since the ticket was issued by B, that is the reason why I entered like that. Then the officer got angry and said he was working from last 15 years and know what is what and seen many many cases in his experience. :confused:

He looked at my I797 and asked me from how many years I have been working with my current employer. I said 2 years. He said that 2 years is not sufficient. :eek::eek:
He started using f*** word, for believe me, above conversation.

On valid h1 any one can go out of the country, there is no restriction that we should work for certain years before leaving the country for vacation or whatever.

He entered some details about me on his system to find anything to trouble me. He can not find anything. He entered some details about my employment as well.

He took my finger prints and let me in.

It was bad experience. :mad::mad:

[nogc_noproblem]

As per your profile: your Category is EB1C, priority date is Feb 02, I140 Mailed date is Aug 2006 and I485 mailed date is blank. You entered into US last year (2008) using H1B, I am curious to know the rationale behind this, could you please throw some light for better understanding?

IO at IAD airport was rude when I was entering into US last year. I work for american financial company.

I came with flight that is operated by airlines A but the ticket was issued by airlines B. I mentioned on I94 that the flight no as airlines B XXX (as there in the ticket issued by airlines B).

The officer asked me why I entered flight no of airlines B on I94. I said since the ticket was issued by B, that is the reason why I entered like that. Then the officer got angry and said he was working from last 15 years and know what is what and seen many many cases in his experience. :confused:

He looked at my I797 and asked my from how many years I have been working with my current employer. I said 2 years. He said that 2 years is not sufficient. :eek::eek:
He started using f*** word, for believe me, above conversation.

On valid h1 any one can go out of the country, there is no restriction that we should work for certain years before leaving the country for vacation or whatever.

He entered some details about me on his system to find anything to trouble me. He can not find anything. He entered some details about my employment as well.

He took my finger prints and let me in.

It was bad experience. :mad::mad:

[vrbest]

One of my friend came back earlier this week. He had H1B stamping from old employer valid till 2010. He did not do stamping this time even though he transferred H1B before he left to India. On his POE, they just asked if he works for same employer and he said no and they asked for new H1B and allowed him IN with no other questions. He had come to US only 1.5 yrs back and working as consultant..

There is a big rumor going around about sending back the people with valid visas at the port of entry. Can the IO just send the people saying,there aren't enough jobs? I definitely think it is not that simple. But would like to know what are the guide lines given to them. Like what could be the standards that should be met. How this is different for the people entering with H1b status and using AP. What are the options if somebody is denied the entry but is genuine. Please through your opinions as someone could be more prepared while they travel.

[EkAurAaya]

i normally would stay away from rumor mongering - but one of my friend told me a guy from Citi holding h1 was not allowed to enter cause Citi has taken TARP money.

Can anyone from Citi confirm if this really happened (check with lawyers maybe?)?

[WaitingUnlimited]

I heard similar news for Bank of America employee. Don't know if it is true.

[wandmaker]

I heard similar news for Bank of America employee. Don't know if it is true.

1. You have a PD of Mar-08 when your labor got approved on 10/02/2007
2. You mailed your 140 ( before labor approval and is w/ future PD) on 08/02/2006, and USCIS received two years later (03/12/2008) and they receipted in 10 days (03/22/2008) - And your 140 got approved while in transit with USPS/FEDEX/UPS (12/02/2006)
3. & Your 485 is in pending state.....

If all of these are true then your handle makes sense to 'WAITINGUNLIMITED' because you have no paper work....

Take sometime to update IV tracker

[Devils_Advocate]

i normally would stay away from rumor mongering - but one of my friend told me a guy from Citi holding h1 was not allowed to enter cause Citi has taken TARP money.

Can anyone from Citi confirm if this really happened (check with lawyers maybe?)?

Has the TARP officially come into effect for those retards to turn away Citi/BOA employees at the POE (even though its totally not their discretion to do the same, TARP doesnt mean NO h1B's its just means additional hurdles to hire them)?

[EkAurAaya]

Has the TARP officially come into effect for those retards to turn away Citi/BOA employees at the POE (even though its totally not their discretion to do the same, TARP doesnt mean NO h1B's its just means additional hurdles to hire them)?
I really think this rumor is just what I called it a "rumor" - I just wanted to get input for Citi employees or folks who can confirm this.

[sundevil]

There is a small brush fire for this smoke but not the forest fire everyone is making it to be.

This is POE in Dallas. In Nov'08 on my return flight, I was sitting next to a consultant who went back to India for 2 months after the project was done. We started talking about immigration etc on the plane and she had casually mentioned that she is praying she gets a project because of the October tanking of economy while she was out. She was at a different window and then she started walking behind the IO crying and ran into me. All she said was "client letter"-no time for a conversation. I do not know whatever happened to her, didn't see her come out while I waited for bags and went through customs.

TARP POE problems sound like rumors to me. But they are cracking down on benched consultants.

[chanduv23]

There is a small brush fire for this smoke but not the forest fire everyone is making it to be.

This is POE in Dallas. In Nov'08 on my return flight, I was sitting next to a consultant who went back to India for 2 months after the project was done. We started talking about immigration etc on the plane and she had casually mentioned that she is praying she gets a project because of the October tanking of economy while she was out. She was at a different window and then she started walking behind the IO crying and ran into me. All she said was "client letter"-no time for a conversation. I do not know whatever happened to her, didn't see her come out while I waited for bags and went through customs.

TARP POE problems sound like rumors to me. But they are cracking down on benched consultants.

I have always carried client letter (when I was consulting) along with their contact info, co workers contacts info - appraised my client management of this issue where IO can give trouble at POE and to be ready to asnwer a phone call or probably fax information when I return back.

Now I am in fulltime job on EAD but I still did the same, appraised my HR dept about possible trouble these people can give and got a letter and also asked her to be available to answer any queries if called.

I never had any issues at POE till now - I travelled to India around 10 times now, there was only one incident at POE in Atlanta in 2004 where the IO kept saying he is not able to look me up in his computer and kept asking whether it is really a visa and sent me for secondary inspection where they asked me about my company (if it is a Indian consulting company and I said it is a US product company, then the officer explained that the reason why I was not on their computer is because Chennai consulate sometimes uploads batches late and there are delays which is not the case always - she called USCIS or some other place shared my i 797 number talked for a min and then just let me in.

Folks MUST expect to be asked questions. Keep all your w2, paystubs, client letters and all information. Do not take immigration lightly.

[jelo]

http://www.uscis.gov/propub/DocView/slbid/1/2/31?hilite=

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/legally_admitted_to_the_u_s.xml