US Customs at the Quebec airport?

We are disembarking the HA Veendam in Quebec on September 28 and flying back to Los Angeles via Newark NJ. the same day.

Does anyone know if we have to go through US Customs at Quebec airport or if we have to do it at Newark.

Any one on this board have done this leg of the trip?

You will go through USA customs in Quebec.

Keith

Thank you so very much for the fast reply. I just realized that with only 1 hour and 40 minutes to make the connecting flight in Newark if we had to go through customs we would never make it on time. Now I feel much better since we will be able to check our bags directly to LA from Quebec.

John

John, I am sorry but I was wrong. I had thought that USA customs was conducted at Quebec City Airport but just realized that when we were there last it was not.

Keith

I don't understand this - how is it that one would expect US Customs agents to be situated at a Canadian airport? Is there some agreement between the US and Canada that I'm missing?

Candia, in general one has to go through immigration and customs on one's first re-entry into the US. In your case that would be Newark. There's not a lot of time which you allowed expecially if the Quebec-Newark flight runs late.

I don't understand this - how is it that one would expect US Customs agents to be situated at a Canadian airport? Is there some agreement between the US and Canada that I'm missing?

 

Candia, in general one has to go through immigration and customs on one's first re-entry into the US. In your case that would be Newark. There's not a lot of time which you allowed expecially if the Quebec-Newark flight runs late.

In several airports in Canada, USA Customs agents are there so you clear customs/immigration there. This includes Montreal and Vancouver.

Keith

There is an agreement in place where the Canadian airports have a pre-clearance area for US bound flights where US Immigration agents are stationed. Most of the airports have this. The advantage is that when you arrive in the US, you are considered domestic.

I believe there are a few other airports that have this. The only one that comes to mind is certain flights from Ireland.

Because of the number of passengers, US customs and immigration is in Vancouver to clear passengers bound for the US. It allows those flights to be treated as domestic when the reach the US

Same thing here in Winnipeg. It just makes it so much more convenient. It seems odd that Quebec City airport doesn't do the same....I thought it was standard procedure in all international airports in Canada.

Realizing this is a bit south of your question, but Nassau has US Customs as well. Our son got his plans modified by Sandy last year and flew out of Nassau into Atlanta.

At YYZ you go through US immigration

You could contact the airport & ask

http://www.aeroportdequebec.com/en/

the reason they do this so that flights can fly to other airports than gateway airports that have customs and immigration. its so those other airports won't need these since they don't get other "international" flights. Since all flights leaving Canada for the US it would need to otherwise go to a gateway airport, it works out well both for Canada and the US.

I don't understand this - how is it that one would expect US Customs agents to be situated at a Canadian airport? Is there some agreement between the US and Canada that I'm missing?

 

Candia, in general one has to go through immigration and customs on one's first re-entry into the US. In your case that would be Newark. There's not a lot of time which you allowed expecially if the Quebec-Newark flight runs late.

We have cleared U.S. Customs in Montreal Airport a number of times. When we landed in U.S., we were considered same as a domestic flight and went on our way.

Same thing for Bermuda. Whenever we vacationed in Bermuda, we cleared U.S. Custom in the foreign airport.

John, since I was wrong the first time I did confirm that I was right the second time around that there is no USA Custom Clearance at the Quebec City Airport. To play it safe I posted the question on the Cruise Air Board and a person who I consider to be one of the most knowledgeable people on that forum confirmed this.

Keith

I have been thru this several times at Montreal, and it does make it convenient. As mentioned, because of this, flights can land at New York - LGA (LaGuardia Airport), which does not have US Customs and Immigration services....:)

One thing that I am now curious about, but never asked the officials; are the US officials at those foreign posts US Citizens on assignment, or are they actually citizens of the countries they work in?:confused:

I have been thru this several times at Montreal, and it does make it convenient. As mentioned, because of this, flights can land at New York - LGA (LaGuardia Airport), which does not have US Customs and Immigration services....:)

 

One thing that I am now curious about, but never asked the officials; are the US officials at those foreign posts US Citizens on assignment, or are they actually citizens of the countries they work in?:confused:

I would expect that at YVR they're actually not only US citizens, but likely still US residents, and just drive up for the day.

Mostly this exists as it's easier to have US Immigration and Customs at 8 Canadian airports, than at 40 US airports. Few US airports have significant (if any) international handling facilities. Example, Las Vegas has only 7 gates for international arrivals, whereas YVR has more than that for US departures alone. Also, last I saw the stats YYZ/Toronto was somewhere around the 5th busiest point of entry (air) into the United States, bested only by the largest US airports (JFK,ORD,ATL,MIA,LAX).

The customs agents are employees on assignment.

Same thing here in Winnipeg. It just makes it so much more convenient. It seems odd that Quebec City airport doesn't do the same....I thought it was standard procedure in all international airports in Canada.

Only the top 8 (YVR,YYC,YEG,YWG,YYZ,YOW,YUL,YHZ) have US pre-clearance.

The larger Canadian airports that don't have preclearance are

YYJ/Victoria, YLW/Kelowna, YTZ/Toronto Billy Bishop , YQB/Quebec City and YYT/St Johns

And YBQ is what the original poster asked about and we have already advise that he can't clear us customs there.

Keith

Okay. I can understand how that would work for the airports close enough for officers to drive to each day from the States, but in the case of places like Halifax? That's a long ways from the nearest border. In such a case, I would imagine they have to spend at least a week or more on assignment there, and commute by air....?

Wait....someone mentioned Nassau and Ireland does similar....I guess that answers the question for sure....

And YBQ is what the original poster asked about and we have already advise that he can't clear us customs there.

 

Keith

I'm pretty sure that while a lot of Alaska cruises pass near YBQ/Telegraph Harbour BC; didn't he ask about YQB?

I'm pretty sure that while a lot of Alaska cruises pass near YBQ/Telegraph Harbour BC; didn't he ask about YQB?

Yes, I meant YQB and my only point is that his question was answered and it seemed that the thread was getting way off the original topic. But, I know. This is cruse critic. :)

Keith

You must be a US citizen to work for US CBP, including as passport control (immigration) and customs, whether it be in the US or one of the US CBP locations elsewhere. In addition to Canada and a few Caribbean locations, US BCP has posts in Dublin and Shannon, in Ireland. There are all US citizens that are placed on duty at these other locations, and live there for a certain amount of time (I am not sure what that is, I apologize). But you will not meet a Canadian citizen working the US immigration checks in Toronto, or an Irish citizen working the US immigration checks in Dublin.

It's really quite handy, as I have passed through many of the checks in Canada and Ireland. There is even an all-Business Class flight on British Airways from London (City) to New York JFK that is an a small Airbus A318. It doesn't have the range to make it across the ocean going west (but can going east), so it stops in Shannon specifically to clear US immigration and customs whilst refueling to cross the Atlantic. That way, their customers arrive in to JFK as if they were coming from, say, Atlanta or Buffalo. Other British Airways flights from London (Heathrow) to JFK do not do this.

It's really quite handy, as I have passed through many of the checks in Canada and Ireland. There is even an all-Business Class flight on British Airways from London (City) to New York JFK that is an a small Airbus A318. It doesn't have the range to make it across the ocean going west (but can going east), so it stops in Shannon specifically to clear US immigration and customs whilst refueling to cross the Atlantic. That way, their customers arrive in to JFK as if they were coming from, say, Atlanta or Buffalo. Other British Airways flights from London (Heathrow) to JFK do not do this.

The A318s BA operate are capable of carrying enough fuel to fly London-JFK in either direction, they're just not able to do so out of the very short runway at LCY.

The A318s BA operate are capable of carrying enough fuel to fly London-JFK in either direction, they're just not able to do so out of the very short runway at LCY.

Ah, you're correct, I forget that factoid.