US Customs
 

Hello,

I'm emigrating to the States in 3 months and I just wanted to know roughly how long it would take to get through customs. I'm saying this bearing in mind my connecting flight; where I'm going there are no direct flights.

I am going in on a spouse visa and I will be a permanent resident (been married 7 years already).

Would you recommend catching the connecting flight the next day?

Thanks

Re: US Customs
 

It's impossible to say. To actually process you I'd say about 20 minutes but there's no way of knowing how many people will be in front of you when you arrive. I'd recommend leaving several hours. If it's no hardship to get the connecting flight the next day, that would at least save you stressing about catching it. You've probably got plenty to stress about as it is.

Regards,
James

Re: US Customs
 

To clarify, by "customs" I assume you mean "immigration". Clearing customs will take very little time.

James

Re: US Customs
 

Unless he's coming through Dallas where it can sometimes take up to 40 mins as the lines are stupidly long, not to mention the lines at immigration :ohmy:

Re: US Customs
 

Fair one. I shouldn't assume :)

Re: US Customs
 

It would seem prudent to have at least a few hours between flights. In this situation, I wouldn't want to have a connecting flight within 2 hours. I'd feel happier with an even longer gap.

It also depends on where and when you land. If you land at a busy airport with a load of other flights, you could be in a long line to clear immigration/customs.

You also have to factor in the possibility of being sent to "secondary screening". That happened to me at Dulles and it added another hour to the process.

Re: US Customs
 

Agreed.

True, but even if it's not a busy airport you might be unlucky and arrive right after a plane full of first time immigrants. Similarly, you might arrive at just the right time even at the busiest airport in the US and be the first in line.

I thought all first time immigrants were processed in secondary?

James

Re: US Customs
 

I meant being seriously delayed for additional identity and security checks. I have been seriously delayed twice. On the first occasion I was already a GC holder. On the 2nd occasion I was a US citizen. I spoke to other people who had been in there for hours.

Re: US Customs
 

I wasn't at O'Hare back in August last year - took about 20 minutes as mentioned above to actually clear the immigration officer, and I think it was under an hour from stepping off the plane, but I could be wrong.

I think we then had a couple hours wait for our onward flight to SLC as we'd left a large-ish gap.

Re: US Customs
 

Fair enough. Always happy to be corrected. I guess it's only some airports then.

Either way, OP I'd say the consensus is leave at least 3 or 4 hours to be safe. Probably longer. There's no way of telling how long the line will be.

James

Re: US Customs
 

It's one of those pieces of string questions.

All depends on time of day/week, the airport, etc, etc.

You might sail through in a matter of minutes, or you might get in just after a plane load of people from a none VWP country gets in, such as India and be stuck queuing for hours.

I'd say a 3 hour gap would probably be the minimum, over night might be over kill, unless you're getting in late.

Re: US Customs
 

When I entered on an IV at JFK in Jan 2011 it only took about 15 mins tops to process - we were allowed to use the US Citizens/Residents line, we were with the primary immigration officer for about 2-3 minutes, he directed us to a secondary area where we waited about five minutes (no-one else there) and it took about five minutes to complete the registration (signature and ink fingerprint for the Green Card). Took much longer to process the cat's paperwork.

But as others have said, it will really depend on how many people there are ahead of you.

Re: US Customs
 

Can you tell us what airport you are planning on flying into?

Re: US Customs
 

Is that no direct flights from the UK or no direct flights full stop.

Where I live has no direct UK flights and when we came for visits we flew to SFO and changed there. But when I came on my visa we changed in FRA and took the direct flight to Portland, purley to avoid any complciations by delays being processed on arrival in the US. Just a thought if the option is available to you.

Re: US Customs
 

Took me about 10mins to line up and get through the first Border Patrol and then I sat in Secondary for over 3 hours because they decided to help everyone who came in after me first before finally taking my fingerprint going through my documents and sending me on my way which took about another 10-15minutes. My friends outside waiting were told at the waiting area it can take up to 5hours so if I were you id allow at least 5-6 hours, especially if you need to swap terminals etc