Return to K-1 Visa main pageK-1 Visa Port of Entry: Chicago
Choosing a Port of Entry
We really wanted a port of entry where Dan could get his first EAD right away. (By entering on the K-1 Visa, you are, in theory, eligible for work authorization for 90 days/until you get married. After the marriage, you are expected to file an I-765 as category (c)(9) if you want to continue to work.) We kept an eye on the K1 POE List up until the point we had to make the decision and buy Dan's plane ticket. Unfortunately, no POE looked particularly promising. Atlanta and Chicago were the best possibilities for us logistically, and since Atlanta wasn't giving out work authorization with any regularity (it seems that they did until the end of 2000) we opted for the much much closer airport in Chicago.
Going through Customs
There really isn't much to tell. Going through customs was surprisingly easy. They looked at Dan's documents, took his "mysterious sealed brown envelope," squiggled something across his visa and stamped it, stamped his I-94, and sent him on his way. Dan also had an envelope with his x-rays from his K-1 medical exam. The customs official didn't know what to do with that, so he just left it with Dan.