Traveling to US on an AP via Abu Dhabi (immigration pre-clearance)

[shiva_82]

Hi - My wife will be traveling to US on a AP through Abu Dhabi. As you might know, Abu Dhabi has US immigration pre-clearance which means you complete your US immigration in Abu Dhabi before boarding your flight to US. This could be beneficial in general if everything is smooth so you can relax in the long leg from Abu Dhabi to US knowing you have cleared immigration. I would like to know if anyone in this forum has experience traveling on AP through Abu Dhabi. I am interested to know a couple of things
1. How different is the immigration experience in Abu Dhabi, especially because I am not sure if the officers in Abu Dhabi can make certain exceptions which otherwise the officers in US might make. In my wife's case, her AP was approved after she left US for an emergency on a humanitarian basis. The USCIS officer did tell me that my wife could use the AP to enter even while it will be effective after she left US. In this case I am not sure if the CBP officers in US would have more idea than the ones in Abu Dhabi with respect to admitting my wife to enter US.
2. The layover in Abu Dhabi is 3 hours. Will this time be enough to complete immigration and board the connecting flight to US especially when using AP where secondary inspection might be involved.

Your help will be much appreciated. Thank you.

I know this is not the right place to post this but there is hardly any response in any other topics within immihelp so posting it here.

[Vsamsr10]

shiva_82

Few times we used Abu Dhabi route.
I personally feel it’s easier than US immigration. That’s the reason I use etihad. Most important I have never seen anyone taken aside. ( I have only been 4-5 times). Also I have never been in your situation so I am unsure.

3 hrs is more than sufficient. Even if it is late the officers/ ppl who work there, help all the specific flight passengers to clear security and immigration faster( they move them up the line). We traveled from Blore to US. In Abu Dhabi after u land, I think u clear security and than it’s abt 15-20 mins walk to other side of airport.
even 2 hrs is more than sufficient for clearance.

PS: it’s been 4 yrs since my last travel, thanks to COVID.

[shiva_82]

shiva_82

Few times we used Abu Dhabi route.
I personally feel it’s easier than US immigration. That’s the reason I use etihad. Most important I have never seen anyone taken aside. ( I have only been 4-5 times). Also I have never been in your situation so I am unsure.

3 hrs is more than sufficient. Even if it is late the officers/ ppl who work there, help all the specific flight passengers to clear security and immigration faster( they move them up the line). We traveled from Blore to US. In Abu Dhabi after u land, I think u clear security and than it’s abt 15-20 mins walk to other side of airport.
even 2 hrs is more than sufficient for clearance.

PS: it’s been 4 yrs since my last travel, thanks to COVID.

Thanks a lot for sharing your experience. Now I feel more comfortable. Thanks again.

[randUser9]

I have traveled via Abu Dabhi 6-7 times in the past 4.5 years & as recent as 2 months ago. 3 hours is more than enough. Usually it's not crowded. Immigration process is more or less the same. If you have a letter or something in written, that states that entry on AP will not be a problem, better to carry that.

PS: do not buy anything (or maybe liquids) from duty free before pre-immigration. They will throw it all away.

[shiva_82]

I have traveled via Abu Dabhi 6-7 times in the past 4.5 years & as recent as 2 months ago. 3 hours is more than enough. Usually it's not crowded. Immigration process is more or less the same. If you have a letter or something in written, that states that entry on AP will not be a problem, better to carry that.

PS: do not buy anything (or maybe liquids) from duty free before pre-immigration. They will throw it all away.

Thanks a lot for sharing your experience. In my case, I have an email from my attorney stating that traveling in AP specific to my wife's case will not be a problem but I don't have a letter from the USCIS officer. The only evidence I have is the appointment confirmation with USCIS for me and my son and that we got emergency APs. My wife's AP was also approved the same day as the appointment and when my and my son's emergency AP was approved. It is not a concrete proof though as the visa officer in Abu Dhabi might think it is a coincidence that both the emergency AP and my wife's EAD/AP got approved on the same day as our appointment.

The only concern in my case is that for this reason, my wife's AP is effective after the date she left US but again the fact that her AP was approved when in ideal situations it would be denied because she exited the country says that USCIS had approved it based on some humanitarian and other additional factors.