Customs Question
 

Does anyone have idea on what the procedure is for going through customs in the U.S when one family member (wife) holds a foreign passport? The customs form specificly says "one per family". So do I do threw the U.S citizens line or the Foreign nationals line with my wife. I've called the U.S customs office and they have no idea on what to do on this situation. I've spent over an hour in different lines being told diferent things upon arriving in the U.S from overseas.

Hi jack,

Customs doesn't care about your passport, only what you bring in.

Immigration is concerned about passports.

I would go through the US citizen's line, since your wife is married to a US citizen. (Please note that this is my opinion only and that I am not learned in immigration law.)

I am an American and was married to someone with a foreign passport. You go through customs together, but through separate lines for immigration. I've never had any problems with this.

If the family member is a foreign national and not a US citizen and whether married to you or not then you'll probably be forced to go through Immigration in separate lines since they are usually divided by citizenship..US and all others.

Passport Control (immigration) has nothing to do with Customs. Passport Control is getting your body into the US. Customs is getting your stuff into the US. (And while we're at it, airport security has nothing to do with Customs or Passport Control.)

You will have to stand in separate lines for Passport Control, your wife with non US citizens, yourself in the US citizens line. Now in a smaller airport there may only be one line for everyone at Passport Control. You of course could stand together in that one.

After you clear Passport Control you can meet up on the other side. You'll then get your checked baggage and go through Customs together as a family with one form. The only line you may have as a choice with US Customs is "nothing to declare" or "items to declare" line. You are not separated out by passport in the Customs line.

By the way it'll be a miracle if you clear Passport Control at the same time. I'd decide to meet down at the luggage carousel so the first one there can be looking for you bags.

My husband held a British passport for years before becoming a US citizen. When we'd go to the UK, I'd dutifully get in "my" line; he in his. The UK was always shorter. More often than not, I'd be called from my line and stamped through with my husband. It happened often enough that I began going with my husband, and I was never turned away. Maybe British officials are more lenient than most? We never tried it on return trips to the US.

You can always try lining up together in whatever line is shorter. At worse, one of you will have to go to the proper line, and you'll only have lost a little time, nothing more.

If your wife is a permanent resident (greencard holder) then she goes through with the US citizen line if she is here on some other visa then she goes to the visitor line. As a Canadian living in the US waiting for a greencard I've asked this question a few times at the airport.

I have a Dutch friend who has had this issue when entering the US with her American spouse. She used to get into the foreign line, but was finally told by US immigration that as long as her spouse is American, she can get into the US line with him.

I don't know if this applies at every US entry point, however.

I am a Canadian citizen, but I live in the US with a green card. I always go through the U.S. line and have never had any problems.

Make sure your wife has her green card with her!!!

Yes, I almost got deported back to Mexico once because I forgot my green card. I had to pay a hefty fine before they would let me back into the US. I never leave home without it.

OK who else besides me is scared that the US Customs office could not answer this question for Jack31 ?! This question flummoxed them? They have never encountered this question before??

Love to see my tax dollars being wasted like this. . . .