USA pre-clearance at Dublin

ess0two

Anyone know how long it takes to get through this process at Dublin.

scumsthorne

CBP issue stats on waiting times

https://pqt.cbp.gov

ess0two

Cheers I'd found the official stats,whether believeable? and lots of grumbles about automatic readers and gates not working correctly.


Dublin themselves state 1.5hrs to process thru,although I'm booked in a lounge prior to this and don't want to waste valuable time, if its not required.


I'd hoped to have found 'it took me x mins to get thru' type replies on searching,hence the post here.

jackieblack

Well, if it helps, it took me two hours on a Wednesday morning last August. Half the kiosks didn't work so having been directed to one of those I then had to join the massive line to see an agent at a desk anyway.

PeacefulWaters

It took half an hour last July.

scumsthorne

ess0two wrote: »

Cheers I'd found the official stats,whether believeable?

I actually do believe them. It's difficult and time consuming to consistently fake figures.

dublin airport website have a nice video of the process

https://www.dublinairport.com/at-the-airport/passenger-information/us-preclearance-facility

I would rather Dublin than arrive at a US port and wait 2 to 3 hours anyday.

ess0two wrote: »

I'm booked in a lounge prior to this and don't want to waste valuable time, if its not required.

They have a lounge after pre-clearance would would seem a better option.

https://www.dublinairport.com/at-the-airport/travel-services/51st-and-green

ess0two

Cheers everyone, unfortunately the lounge before clearance was booked mistakenly by a colleague.


I reckon an hour before TO should suffice.

scumsthorne

I've got no idea what they would do if a queue meant 50 odd passengers were about to miss the flight. Don't even know if its happened before at pre-clearance.

jackieblack wrote: »

it took me two hours on a Wednesday morning last August

I can't see those figures on the charts. Longest I could see was about 13 minutes.

benjus

jackieblack wrote: »

Well, if it helps, it took me two hours on a Wednesday morning last August. Half the kiosks didn't work so having been directed to one of those I then had to join the massive line to see an agent at a desk anyway.

When you say the kiosks didn't work, do you mean they were actually out of order, or that they didn't allow the passenger to pass?

If the former then that is indeed very annoying. But if the latter, isn't that part of their normal operation? I have no idea what criteria are used, but the idea that the US will allow a large proportion of ESTA-eligible passengers into the US without ever talking to an immigration officer sounds unlikely to me. I would guess that the only people who are allowed through by the machines are those who have previously entered the US on the same ESTA and who fall into the lowest risk category.

scumsthorne

the machines are used to validate passport, take photo and fingerprints, you then see an officer.
Prior to this the officer did it all.
The global entry program allows individuals to miss the talk with the officer.

holidaysforme

Half an hour last month.