US Immigration - Where not to meet it...

anguilla

Given the number of people on this board, I thought it might be useful if US immigration experiences can be discussed for airports to avoid.

For instance Miami has a reputation for being one of the worst airports in terms of how picky immigration is and how long it takes to transit the airport (can you say up to 3 hrs???)

Dallas also seems to have a bit of a bad rap whereas JFK is relatively painless. I've also done Tampa (easy) & San Juan (easy).

Hopefully we can build up some type of map between us of the US airports from hell so other people can avoid them

Browntoa

been detained for an hour by immigration at Miama on the way OUT of the country on a transit , despite having transited in via Chigago with no questions and visiting New Orleans and Las Vegas with no problems in the previous 5 years

dmg24

You will find that everybody has different experiences ...

I found JFK and LAX a nightmare, but IAD hassle free.

123oleary

san fran was quick and easy for me

hieveryone

Chicago was fine, as was JFK, although because I was going to New York to work I had to answer loads of questions - and it was 4am!

stoneman

They are all easy for me, I hold a U.S. passport, and they always let me bring my Bitish wife through. I love feeling smug walking past 400+ tired pax. at Las Vegas, mind our luggage always seems to come out last, Karma I guess.
On the way back we do IRIS (where available) so we miss the lines as well.

BusinessStudent

From what I've been reading If you fly from Ireland (Dublin?) airport the US immigration staff do pre-clearance before you even enter the US.

I wonder if this is better than rather having to answer loads of them ridiculous questions once you land in the States?

BusinessStudent

Browntoa wrote: »

been detained for an hour by immigration at Miama on the way OUT of the country on a transit , despite having transited in via Chigago with no questions and visiting New Orleans and Las Vegas with no problems in the previous 5 years

Why was you detained? What did they ask you?

In_debt_5

Philadelphia 3 hours, Newark - 2.5 hours both a nightmare

Charlotte, NC - 45 minutes - so not too bad

dzug1

BusinessStudent wrote: »

From what I've been reading If you fly from Ireland (Dublin?) airport the US immigration staff do pre-clearance before you even enter the US.

I wonder if this is better than rather having to answer loads of them ridiculous questions once you land in the States?

You answer the same 'ridiculous' questions in Dublin, so you are not gaining anything there.

The main good thing is it's a small airport and they hold the flights until everyone is through. OTH it's a small airport so there aren't that many desks so waiting can be as bad as in the US. Well maybe not as bad as Miami......

lfc321

It's not as simple as different airports being better or worse - it's more down to the time you arrive and the number of other simultenous flights arriving, the day of the week, which terminal, the attitude of the individual immigration officer etc etc etc.

I've had no particularly bad immigration experiences on many, many trips to the US - OK I've had to queue a few times but nothing worse than that.

FWIW I found the following relatively quick: EWR, JFK, ATL, SFO, HNL
and the following took a bit longer: ORD, LAX

But as I said, circumstances probably more important than which airport.

I also maintain that, despite the horror stories, US immigration is no worse than what non-EU visitors experience on entry into the UK.