American Border Crossing with foreign husband

[elenetxu]

Stupid question, but hates crossing the border since he hardly speaks English. Do you cross in the American line with your foreign partner, in the foreign line with your partner, or do you each cross in your respective lines? Should I bring my "family book" proving our marriage?
It's the first time we've been back since we got married.

[Deleted]

I went in the foreign line so that H didn't have to wait by himself. I haven't tried him coming into the american line though. For France, they let me in the european passport holders line which is nice.

[ktkl09]

I go in the American line, he goes in the "visitors". I'm always afraid that they will say something if I go into the visitor line.

I've never tried to go into the EU/CH passport line when we are in Europe even though I have resident card...

[dulcemariamar]

We always wait in the American line. I remember a few years ago that we were told by one of the agents that families should stick together and since I was American we could wait in that line. I am not sure it makes a big difference because both lines are really long. I never bring my "libro de familia." but it couldnt hurt. They never asked us to prove our marriage status.

[dulcemariamar]

Jul 16, 2012 12:33:14 GMT -5 @ktkl09 said:

I go in the American line, he goes in the "visitors". I'm always afraid that they will say something if I go into the visitor line.

I've never tried to go into the EU/CH passport line when we are in Europe even though I have resident card...

I always go through the EU passport line if I am with my DH. If not then I go in the other line.

[mrsukyankee]

We go through the shortest line in either direction. No one has ever commented.

[elenetxu]

Thank you guys!!

[mrsukyankee]

And we don't bring anything to prove we.re married, though the same last name helps.

[potatopie]

Yeah, we were told that we can go in either line as a family. I got a little trouble at the Italian border last time because they said they had no way of knowing we were actually married. But they let us through anyway (I did get a little grief when I left through Frankfurt after that since I hadn't gotten my passport stamped on entry, but whatever). The US has never given us trouble.

ETA: We'd just go in whichever line is shorter.

[crimsonandclover]

We actually got in a little trouble once when DH went through the visitors's line and I went through the citizens' one (we were standing next to each other talking at one point and they asked us something like how we knew each other). They told us he should always go through the citizens' line with me. His English isn't bad, but he always has trouble understanding the border agents (especially when we go through Atlanta!), so he's very happy he gets to come with me and I answer all the questions.

[Shreddingbetty]

Before I became a US citizen I would go through the citizen line with DH (coming back to the US) even before we were married. It was never a problem. When we go to Europe we always go throught the EU line (even when it was me with 3 US citizens (DH and 2 SD) and that was never a problem either.

What I really like about Charles De Gaulle (Haven't flown into anywhere else with kids) is that they let you cut in line for customs when you have small children. That really ruled (especially the first time when I had a kid in the Ergo and a boot on my foot for my broken foot). They have never done that in the US (and probably never would)

[clogged]

Jul 16, 2012 12:58:07 GMT -5 mrsukyankee said:

We go through the shortest line in either direction. No one has ever commented.

We do too. It's a perk to being a mixed family.

[americaninoz]

we go through the American line together - I was told that is what we should do now that we're married

[bugabean]

We stay together and go through whatever line is shortest.

Jul 16, 2012 13:56:51 GMT -5 Shreddingbetty said:

What I really like about Charles De Gaulle (Haven't flown into anywhere else with kids) is that they let you cut in line for customs when you have small children. That really ruled (especially the first time when I had a kid in the Ergo and a boot on my foot for my broken foot). They have never done that in the US (and probably never would)

It absolutely does happen in the US! Happened for us at JFK and ATL. We didn't have kids when we flew into Heathrow, but they pulled another family ahead while we were there. I thought this was normal, tbh.

[Cheesecake]

Interesting to read that you all have been able to enter through the citizens and permanent residents line with foreign people in the group. That's not my experience. We tried that once and my stepmom and dad could enter, while me and my brother were sent to the back of the visitors line. We were both minors then. After that we always stood in the visitors line.
I guess it all depends on how faul of a mood the dude that sits there is in...

I have fat fingers, please excuse typos!

[clogged]

It's a group thing.... you don't have to be married. They are supposed to allow you to keep the group together, and you go in under whichever line you feel like. They prefer to use the "orgin" lines- so the American line in America, EU line in the EU. You still need proper VISAs and forms.

If they seperate you, then sweetly ask for a supervisor. Sometimes it's just a case of a newbie not knowing what to do.

[pittpurple]

We got in trouble with this in Israel. We waited on the 'other's' line (I have an Israeli passport but don't speak Hebrew) and there was a long chat about that!

[frlcb]

We have never been pulled out of the line in Atlanta with our kids, I wish. And dh has always gone through with me in the US line, even before his green card. I, however, get yelled at every time I try it in the UK, and they tell me I have to go through the non-EU line, even though dh and both my kids have UK passports. They are more strict about it in Newcastle than in London.

[klingklang77]

We go through the American line together. They told us all families should go through together. We have different last names and never got asked about that.

[lin]

We've flown a lot already since being married (less than 10 months) and for the first few times we each went to our separate lines. When coming in the US one time the guy asked me where my husband was (I had told him we were just coming back from visiting husband's family in the UK) so I told him he was in the Visitors line, and he said it would be fine to bring him through the US line with me and that more than likely no one would have a problem with that, given that we're married. Since then, we've always gone through together and never had a problem in either the US or the UK, though as others have said I think the same last name helps. If you've kept your maiden name it might help to have a scanned copy of your marriage license on your phone or something to show them. I figure the worst that can happen anyway is that they make you go get in the other line but if you can get through with the natives it's worth it cause they're so much faster!

[bail229]

When we go into the US we go through together, we have never had any problem. Coming back into Australia we still go together but I had an Aussie passport so we would go together anyway.