Dilemma - IAD pick up this Friday

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're foreigners (now green card applicants too!) and it's not a double immigration he has to do - just the long line, with the grumpy officers who hate you and automatically think you're out to defraud the United States My kids slept on the floor when they were little, in the line. We're treated like cattle.

If he's unlucky, he or any other foreigner (regardless of whether they're on a visa waiver, visa or green card application) will be asked to wait in a second area to answer more questions. My EU parents on a visa waiver once had to do that, while I waited for 4 hours at Arrivals not knowing what they were up to. But that's rare.

I would consult Waze for the most accurate driving time estimate, then plan to arrive an hour after the plane lands. At that time of the day, a lot of international planes land at Dulles, so there's practically no chance he'll be waiting for you. -and if he does, no big deal, he's safely arrived. But it might cut short your own waiting time, if his immigration process takes longer. I would never tell my college kid to take Metro after landing at Dulles. I would brave any amount of traffic. Bring a book and a travel mug of tea, or something When I was waiting for my college kid at Dulles, I bought him balloons, ha! He's a dual citizen, but the airline lost his luggage, so even though he had no immigration process, it still took a while for him to make it out!

(I'd worry more about Border Control taking issue with his travel authorization, to be honest. The emergency number. That risk decreases massively if he's already traveled on his travel authorization without issue.)

I'm sorry Green Card applicant... citizens are treated like cattle too, and I have been in the International line where the foreign visa holders had twice as many agents helping them as the citizens. Get over yourself. And guess what... hundreds of thousands of Visa overstays occur each year, so there are a lot of people out to defraud the U.S.

What matters is ratio of agents to travelers. The international line takes at least double the wait time of the citizen lines nearly 100% of the time. In the afternoon rush of international plane arrivals, it's more like triple, quadruple or more! I use Dulles often. This is from lived experience.

Secondary immigration is even worse and can feel like a holding pen. When we travel as a family, we go through it with him. Nothing worse than the interminable waiting when there is one agent processing passengers but 4 or 5 others having a chat over a coffee in the background. Certainly makes me aware of my white privilege as everyone else is usually from less developed countries (hence being referred for secondary screening) and probably encounter this a lot. At some stage, another agent finishes their break and ambles over.

Contrast with BWI where it once took us TWENTY MINUTES from disembarking to doing both immigrations, picking up our checked bags and making it outside. The gods surely smiled upon us. The agent used to work at IAD and said it is a nightmare. Unfortunately it wasn’t an option this time.

Yes! I recently flew internationally into BWI and was out of there in minutes. Why can’t Dulles staff up more, since there are so many international arrivals??

[Anonymous]

I drive from Bethesda to Dulles frequently and it's not the big a deal. Much worse coming back to Bethesda than getting to Dulles, but even then you aren't on the beltway for that long (although I get on/off at Clara Barton so right at the bridge). Normally takes me 30-40 minutes to get there, even at rush hour.

Obviously the downtime due to the unpredictability of the immigration process is a bigger factor. I would track his flight, and leave so you get there about an hour after the flight lands. If you really want to kill time elsewhere go to Reston Town Center and have him text you once he's gotten through the first round of immigration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I drive from Bethesda to Dulles frequently and it's not the big a deal. Much worse coming back to Bethesda than getting to Dulles, but even then you aren't on the beltway for that long (although I get on/off at Clara Barton so right at the bridge). Normally takes me 30-40 minutes to get there, even at rush hour.

Obviously the downtime due to the unpredictability of the immigration process is a bigger factor. I would track his flight, and leave so you get there about an hour after the flight lands. If you really want to kill time elsewhere go to Reston Town Center and have him text you once he's gotten through the first round of immigration.

Thanks for your thoughts. I do drive that route a reasonable amount. It’s the Memorial Day weekend traffic I’m more concerned about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I drive from Bethesda to Dulles frequently and it's not the big a deal. Much worse coming back to Bethesda than getting to Dulles, but even then you aren't on the beltway for that long (although I get on/off at Clara Barton so right at the bridge). Normally takes me 30-40 minutes to get there, even at rush hour.

Obviously the downtime due to the unpredictability of the immigration process is a bigger factor. I would track his flight, and leave so you get there about an hour after the flight lands. If you really want to kill time elsewhere go to Reston Town Center and have him text you once he's gotten through the first round of immigration.

Thanks for your thoughts. I do drive that route a reasonable amount. It’s the Memorial Day weekend traffic I’m more concerned about.

Really don't think it will be that bad. Holiday traffic is a lot more spread out now post-covid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I drive from Bethesda to Dulles frequently and it's not the big a deal. Much worse coming back to Bethesda than getting to Dulles, but even then you aren't on the beltway for that long (although I get on/off at Clara Barton so right at the bridge). Normally takes me 30-40 minutes to get there, even at rush hour.

Obviously the downtime due to the unpredictability of the immigration process is a bigger factor. I would track his flight, and leave so you get there about an hour after the flight lands. If you really want to kill time elsewhere go to Reston Town Center and have him text you once he's gotten through the first round of immigration.

Thanks for your thoughts. I do drive that route a reasonable amount. It’s the Memorial Day weekend traffic I’m more concerned about.

Really don't think it will be that bad. Holiday traffic is a lot more spread out now post-covid.

To be clear- general statement. Obviously specific chokepoints like the bay bridge are going to be busy no matter what. But by Friday afternoon a lot of people driving out of the DC area will have already gotten out.

[Anonymous]

Reston Town Center or Herndon has to pay $6 toll. Would not do it.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I appreciate everyone’s input. It was almost all redundant as I was woken by a text from my son saying he had boarded the plane and could not find the advance parole document which he needs to enter the US.

Within seconds, I had a copy and was ready to drive out to IAD to plead with immigration. Since he hadn’t taken off yet and lost connection, I urged him to recheck everything, although I assumed he had already done that. Then I got a message that he had found it… in his money belt with his passport.

At this stage, I can’t figure out whether I will tell him to get the metro, pick him up at 10pm or skip the torture and just murder him immediately.

[Anonymous]

I mean, what’s the big deal here?

Most moms would happily schlep to the airport and wait however long it takes to pick up their kid.

Hasn’t everyone been in a position where they had to wait or were inconvenienced by traffic?

This seems like a nothing burger.

Personally, I’d rather sit in my car at Dulles killing time on my phone than be chained to my desk working or doing mundane chores at home.

Weird post.

Will there be traffic? Probably. It’s a rainy Friday heading into a holiday weekend. It’s also NoVA—which always has traffic. So?

The only real issue I see here is to make sure you and your kid use the restroom before you drive home.

[Anonymous]

I think it will be a light traffic day--my daughter also returning from abroad today to IAD and DH is leaving home at the time she touches down. (coming from NW DC)

[Anonymous]

so OP, how's traffic?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:so OP, how's traffic?

At 5:45, Google Maps says 35 minutes from downtown Bethesda to Dulles

[Anonymous]

A nothing burger again…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:so OP, how's traffic?

39 min to IAD and 1 hr 5 min home. Turns out I needn’t have worried about Memorial Day traffic horror stories! I’ll know for next time