Automated system means U.S Citizens now clear customs at Ohare in 5 minutes.
 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/l...0,825824.story

5 mins now as opposed to 2 hours. I don't get the 2 hours though. I have been to O Hare only once but i know they have a line for US Citizens? I don't see how that can take 2 hours to clear? I thought it took about 30 minutes to clear as USC? They don't really grill them and they don't take prints they just stamp the customs forms yes?

Re: Automated system means U.S Citizens now clear customs at Ohare in 5 minutes.
 

If several international routes land around the same time, there could easily be 500 USCs trying to pass through. That can easily take hours.

Re: Automated system means U.S Citizens now clear customs at Ohare in 5 minutes.
 

But the USC/ prem residents side of the room always seems to move quite quickly at jfk. Some of the arrival time for a USC has to do with the flight they choose. Virgin is always 80% english whereas ba or aa might be half and half. I just can't get over 2 hours at O Hare for american I just can't get over it

Re: Automated system means U.S Citizens now clear customs at Ohare in 5 minutes.
 

My husband has flown in to O'Hare hundreds of times and it's never taken 2 hours to clear customs as an immigrant. Surely USCs don't wait longer.

Re: Automated system means U.S Citizens now clear customs at Ohare in 5 minutes.
 

They look the same as the Global Entry kiosk I use coming back.

Re: Automated system means U.S Citizens now clear customs at Ohare in 5 minutes.
 

The vice president of United Airlines is quoted in that article as saying it does. Apparently the airlines have paid for this new stuff not the CPB. Nice business for them maybe they can open a couple more booths for the visitors now.

But what does some airline guy really know about immigration matters?

Re: Automated system means U.S Citizens now clear customs at Ohare in 5 minutes.
 

I like the system they use at Heathrow now for UKCs. You walk in, it scans your passport and then your face looking for similarities, then opens the other side when it recognises you.

Re: Automated system means U.S Citizens now clear customs at Ohare in 5 minutes.
 

I have reentered at O'Hare as a permanent resident, along with my American wife. They do ask questions in that line also, or at least they did at O'Hare. Maybe not as many as they do visitors but if I think of it, I think I cleared immigration just as quickly as a visitor the first time in than I did coming back from Toronto as a resident.

I can certainly see if maybe four or five busy international flights arrive at once (that could be anything up to 1,000 people getting off the planes at the same time) how one might have a long wait, even in the returning citizens line.

O'Hare sort of sucks in general though, it always seems really disorganised there when I go. I much prefer Mitchell (Milwaukee) but they only do domestic flights and minimal international, Canada and Mexico mostly.

Re: Automated system means U.S Citizens now clear customs at Ohare in 5 minutes.
 

MKE is a million times better than ORD, I have to agree.

Re: Automated system means U.S Citizens now clear customs at Ohare in 5 minutes.
 

I used that system at Gatwick in June - it was slower than the "manual" queue. Any system needs sufficient gates to be efficient - whether those gates are automated or manned.

Re: Automated system means U.S Citizens now clear customs at Ohare in 5 minutes.
 

When we flew into Dublin a few years ago, all I had to do was show my UK passport to a bored looking bloke in a booth in the EU citizens line. I'd be surprised if he even looked at it.

I was able to do that, have a slash and pick the bags up before my wife and son cleared immigration :D

Re: Automated system means U.S Citizens now clear customs at Ohare in 5 minutes.
 

Unless you're under 18 (can't understand why that is) :thumbdown:

Didn't feel like leaving my daughter in the manual queue while myself and SWMBO breezed through :D

Re: Automated system means U.S Citizens now clear customs at Ohare in 5 minutes.
 

That was my OH's experience in Dublin a few weeks ago. We were all worried with his UK passport being expired that we went through the hassle of getting an emergency passport. He then said the guy in Dublin hardly even glanced at the passport. He said basically once the guy said the maroon passport, he was waved on through.

Most of my experience entering the US has been rather meh. I've usually entered through Newark or Atlanta. I've been asked numerous questions everytime. Where'd ya go? who were you with? what did you do? Rarely have OH and I even received a "Welcome Back". While it hasn't taken 2hrs, I could see how it would if many planes arrived at once.

Re: Automated system means U.S Citizens now clear customs at Ohare in 5 minutes.
 

Nice to see it hasn't changed in the last few years then, as when we go back, we'll probably fly into Dublin again.

Although, my UK passport will expire before we go, so I'll either have to use my US one (actually, I'll have to get a US one) or spend the arm, leg and testicle required to renew my UK one.

I'm undecided on what to do about this but how silly would it be if I were to be denied entry to the EU, however unlikely it may be I hasten to add, should I only have a US passport at the time. "But I was born just up the road, you daft get ..." :D

Re: Automated system means U.S Citizens now clear customs at Ohare in 5 minutes.
 

I did just that in April last year. Went in through Gatwick on my US passport (just the usual questions asked) then renewed UK passport while there, same day in London for 135 UKP, the equivalent of $211 at the time which was slightly cheaper than doing it from here. No problems at all.