من این مطلب را قبلا در گروه یاهو فرستاده بودم. حالا هم که دوباره فصل سفر کسانی است که ویزا گرفته‌اند دیدم که بد نیست دوباره آن را اینجا هم بفرستم شاید که بدرد بعضی‌ها بخورد. البته احتمالا شرایط از دو سال پیش تا حالا خیلی تغییر کرده. ولی خواندنش خالی از لطف نیست.


Hi pals,

Here is what went on during my journey to the US.

I had my flight on August 18th. The flight was due at 3:30 AM, on
Friday, from Mehrabad Airport.

I was there at 12:30 AM. At first, I need to make it clear that you
will NOT have any problems with a one-way ticket. The only thing
that will be checked by Turkish Airlines agent is that if you have a
valid F-1 visa in your passport. He will sign your ticket, and you
can check your luggage in.

Beware, that during your flight from Istanbul to Chicago you will
face much more intense security measures. So be advised, and don't
take any unnecessary things on board. Try to check-in as many items
as possible. Whatever you check-in here, you will receive at Chicago
Airport.

The plane took off with a little delay. There was no problem on
board and we landed at the Istanbul Airport.

You may have some 3 hours between your arrival and departure flight.
But don't let that deceive you. Since the check-in officer in
Mehrabad only gives you the Borading Pass for your first flight, you
will need to obtain another Boarding Pass for your flight to
Chicago, here at the Istanbul Airport.

Here's the only interview-like conversation during the course of
your trip to the US. Before obtaining your boarding pass you must be
interviewed by a Security Officer. They stand just opposite the
Connecting Flights Counters.

The security officer will check your visa and may ask some stupid
questions, like why you got your visa from Nicosia!! I just said
that it was the only post I could arrange for, and the answer must
have been OK. He also asked why my I-20 was not sealed. I just went
on that the Nicosia post does not seal I-20s at all, and showed him
that the envelope had the US Embassy letterhead on it. He also asks
if everything you carry is for your own, and if you have packed your
luggaged yourself.

They will take photocopies of your documents and hand them over.
They will put a label on your passport to show that you have been
inspected.

If your first flight was delayed and you have the fear to miss your
next flight, don't hesitate and go ask a counter officer to expedite
the issuance of your boarding pass. They will openly accept and do
that for you.

Do not waste any time after getting your Boarding Pass. Just head on
to the Gate of your flight. I don't remeber the Gate number. But
this gate is specifically used for the departing flights to New
York, Chicago, and Tel Aviv.

You will face intensive security measures. As soon as the officer
finds out that you are from Iran, he waves to his colleague that you
should be inspected with more care.

Here, all your accompanying belongings will be inspected item by
item. Do not take anything with you if you don't want anyone to have
a close look at them, e.g. underwear , family pictures, etc. Only
take the most necessary documents with you. You must have checked-in
all your bags in Tehran. I emphasize again. If you don't need
something during the course of your flights, just check them in and
don't take them on board. I had a money-belt (those bags that you
wear like a belt) with me and it was OK. Other people had cabin
luggage with them and they could take them on board, but I advise
against it.

They will take photocopies of your documents and let you in the
waiting lounge. While I was there, this 22 or 23 year old officer,
who enjoyed learing my name, approached me in the waiting lounge and
called me by my last name, and asked if he could check my luggage
tags again, i.e. the tags that they give you at Mehrabad airport so
you will be able to claim your luggage at the destination airport.
He announced my tag numbers into his walkie talkie, thanked and went
away.

I'm sure you have the impression why he asked for the tags. They
will separate your bags before taking them to your flight to
Chicago. Your bags will receive extra careful inspection as an
Iranian. All of these, happen behind the scenes and you don't need
to worry about that. Just beware to pack your bags yourself. and be
especially careful about the presents you receive at the airport by
relatives. Just to make sure, inspect everything before putting them
in your luggage.

On board, there were almost 95% of passengers from Turkey. While
boarding, the crew will give you a hand-set. it contains tooth brush
and paste, a comb, and a pair of socks. You can put on those socks
over your own ones and then remove your shoes during the flight
without having the fear of ruining your socks. Do that or you will
have sore feet.

During the flight you will be given two forms to fill. The first one
is your I-94 card which is a white form. The other form is a customs
form which is blue. In order to fill the I-94 card, you should have
the address at which you will stay in the US.

And about the customs form, you will need to declare all the
articles that you have taken to the United States. Non-Americans can
get exemption from duty if their articles are worth less than $100.
What I mentioned was: Clothing $50, Books and Pamphlets $5, Personal
CDs $5, etc. If the money that you are taking with you to the US is
below $10,000 it does not need to be mentioned. There is also one
peculiar question on the form which asks how much of your articles
will remain in the US. I put $0. I thought that I would consume
anything or take them back with me. So I would not leave anything
there.

When you get off the plane at the Chicago Airport, just follow the
pass to Passport Inspection. You will have to stay in a line. The
Passport Inspection counters have been assigned either to American
Citizen and Card Holders, or Visitors. Take the path that leads to
Visitor counters.

There is an officer which will lead you to a counter when it is your
turn. Tell her that you are on F-1 and he will guide you to write
more information on the back of your I-94 card, e.g. SEVIS number,
School Name, and School SEVIS Code.

OK. Now your heart does not need to race. You are not going to face
anything horrible. The officer will examine your documents and after
a short period tells you that you need 'Special Registration'. He
asked me to stay there and wait until another officer came and
picked me up.

Your registration is not a priority and you have to wait and see
that other passengers are registered in a few seconds and you still
need to wait. The officer came and took my passport from the counter
and asked me to follow him. He took other 'Special Registration'
passports from other counters on his way and took us to counters 1
to 4. These counters were separated from the rest and they had an
area in front of them which was separated from the rest of the hall
with seats only. No surrounding walls or jail conditions. He asked
us to take a seat in that area and that we were not allowed to leave
that area until we were registered.

Here again nothing special is going to happen. Your 'Special
Registration' only includes another extra form that you need to
fill. The form asks for your personal information, your permanent
address in your home country, the address at which you will stay in
the US, your parents information and their addresses. You need to
provide a contact person information in the US as well. I just gave
the information for the Associate Director of International Programs
and Services Office at my university. You will also need to provide
your advisor's information. So beware, and take all these
information "on board" with you (Adresses, and telephone numbers).

The only thing that makes you wait for so long, I assume, is that
the officers are very slow to enter those information into the
computer. Sometimes they just stop and wait for some reaction from
the computer.

Do your best to be among the first ones to reach to this point. Each
person may take about 15 minutes to be finished and if you are among
the last ones to be registered, probably you will miss your
connecting flight. But again, don't worry about that. The Turkish
Airlines agent was there and told us that our Airline will provide
us with another flight if we don't manage to take our flights. She
took us one by one to collect our bags while still waiting for our
turn.

The only questions the officer asked me was whether it was my first
time to go to the US, and if I was single. No interview takes place
here by any means. No deportations. Don't worry. It will be quite
normal. Your finger printing will not be any different from
other 'normal' visitors. Only index fingers will be finger scanned,
and your picture will be taken right there in front of the counter
with a webcam. He will give you a brochure that contains some
information regarding your departure from the US, and emphasizes
that before you leave the US, you have to be finger printed at one
of the listed airports.

He will hand over your passport and a part of your I-94 card is
detached and stapled into your passport. That's one piece of
important document. Your university will ask for that during the
enrollment.

Now you will go on to customs officers. They will inspect the blue
form you had filled during the flight and if they don't find
anything peculiar, they will guide you to pass through the Green
Lane. Through this lane you can pass without your luggage being
inspected by an officer. Only the x-ray. and don't be astounded if
the officer shouts to the other one that you come from Iran and your
luggage should be inspected with more care.

Voaaallllaaa!!!! Welcome to the United States. Now you have the time
to make comparisons between reality and your imaginations of the
most powerful country and the most prosperous economy on the planet.
Most probably you will start your 'Fascination' phase in
the 'Culture Shock', in which everything fascinates you until the
next phase starts and all differences make your tired and bored, and
you should be prepared for the 'Fight' phase where you may react
inproperly to the differences between your own culture and that of
the US.

Just enjoy your 'Fascination' phase. I'm still in that phase

I hope the full story helps you pals out there. Be advised that you
are not going to face your enemy here. Be confident and enjoy your
trip. And do not blame those Turkish security officers. Their
behavior makes sense to me. May be they want to show that they are
reliable servants and are doing their job very good.