American customs check when boarding?

[Karennella]

I presume that when boarding a cruise in Vancouver, we have to go through an American customs check at the dock?

If we transit through the US we also have to go through a full check, as far as I know. Or does some of the data, such as the fingerprints etc, remain valid for a few days?

I am trying to work out flights that might minimise the number of times we go through but it seems to be easier said than done. We want to fly into Vancouver and later on, out of San Francisco. Air Canada are the only airline to fly direct from Sydney Aus to Vancouver and they don't codeshare with Qantas.

Have any Australians got advice on the best way to minimise customs queues without adding many hours of flying time?

[CruiserBruce]

Take the Air Canada flight non-stop to Vancouver. Non-stop is always easier.

 

You will go through Immigration and Customs at the Vancouver airport. Then US Immigration (giving your finger prints)at the port. Then Canadian Immigration and Customs when you finish your cruise back at Vancouver.

 

No, your "check" isn't good for a couple of days. I don't know if Canada does finger prints or not.

 

It is what it is. You are going in and out of a couple of countries.

[Sequim88]

The customs check at the pier in Vancouver when leaving for Alaska is a lot less of a check than coming in from overseas - even for Americans. Mostly to have a record of who is entering USA in a few days in Alaska. Not sure how much more scrutiny there would be for non-Americans. They know you are pretty much a captive audience on the ship and it will be checked at ports that you re-board (or not). One-way might be tighter than a round-trip back to Canada but entering USA again at SF keep cruise docs handy because the computer system will see the entry at Vancouver US Customs.

 

remain valid for a few days?

 

 

Probably on-file forever. Not sure but probably in something linked to IAFIS the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System. Never had fingerprints done at Customs but as US citizen do have them on file for TSA Precheck.

[Karennella]

Thanks for the replies. My first priority tends to be minimising the flight times. But it would seem if we go into Vancouver on Air Canada and out of San Fran on Qantas, which are both non-stop, it ups the price quite a lot. will keep working on a good solution!

[CruiserBruce]

Thanks for the replies. My first priority tends to be minimising the flight times. But it would seem if we go into Vancouver on Air Canada and out of San Fran on Qantas, which are both non-stop, it ups the price quite a lot. will keep working on a good solution!

 

SOP for airlines is that the most direct flights usually cost more, because of higher demand. Flights with stops are less desirable, thus cheaper.

[Karennella]

SOP for airlines is that the most direct flights usually cost more, because of higher demand. Flights with stops are less desirable, thus cheaper.

True and for good reason. But I have now come up with a plan that I am happy with. Stop over in Hawaii for a couple of days, then direct to Vancouver, Qantas ticketed. Directly home from San Francisco.

I don't mind going through customs if I am spending time in a place but it is tedious when it is a transit stop. Our last visit to Hawaii was disappointing as the weather wasn't good and we both got sick. So good to visit again. Also we usually like a stopover on a long journey on the outward leg as the whole process of getting away from home becomes exhausting. We can then be nice and rested for the Alaska cruise.

[tinybiny]

My experience with customs coming and going from the airport in Vancouver and the cruise port was basically a walk through. If you fill out the form properly, nothing is flagged. I read so many reports of it taking a long time, I was expecting it to be a big deal. There was nothing to it.

[Urban trekker]

Tiny - the person asking the questions is an Aussie - unlike us Canadian and Americans - their requirements for entry etc are different so while we can usually breeze in and out of Customs at YVR and Canada Place the rules for Aussies entering the US are different and we must also keep in mind that there is a new guy running things in the US so there could be changes.

 

Cheers!

 

Dennis

 

:):D

[Karennella]

Yes, my concern was not going through Canadian customs but the transit in the US. Also my friend, who is also going to Alaska this year, had assumed the entry procedure back to the US would be at the first American port e.g. Ketchikan. But from what you say, it is in Vancouver.

We have transited in Dubai, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore going to or coming from Europe and in all those places we go through security again but not full customs. Our bags are checked through. But in the US as far as I know we must retrieve our luggage, go through passport control and recheck it for the connecting flight, which would be to Canada, where we go through the incoming process (albeit a bit simpler)

Last cruise in Nth America we went to Quebec out of NY but we flew into Vancouver for a stopover. We had no idea that the American customs check was to be in Vancouver, not New York. I had an apple to eat on the plane but declared it (being a good Aussie!) It wasted half an hour while I was taken to a big room, interviewed at a desk by an armed person and had the offending apple confiscated! Had I known the check was before we boarded, I would not have had that apple, which would have been eaten before we actually entered the US.

Please do not think I am criticising the US tight security. Australia is almost as strict and I imagine it is a shock to Europeans who are used to breezing in and out of some countries. But it is helpful to know when and where things happen.

[martincath]

Yes, my concern was not going through Canadian customs but the transit in the US. Also my friend, who is also going to Alaska this year, had assumed the entry procedure back to the US would be at the first American port e.g. Ketchikan. But from what you say, it is in Vancouver.

We have transited in Dubai, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore going to or coming from Europe and in all those places we go through security again but not full customs. Our bags are checked through. But in the US as far as I know we must retrieve our luggage, go through passport control and recheck it for the connecting flight, which would be to Canada, where we go through the incoming process (albeit a bit simpler)

Last cruise in Nth America we went to Quebec out of NY but we flew into Vancouver for a stopover. We had no idea that the American customs check was to be in Vancouver, not New York. I had an apple to eat on the plane but declared it (being a good Aussie!) It wasted half an hour while I was taken to a big room, interviewed at a desk by an armed person and had the offending apple confiscated! Had I known the check was before we boarded, I would not have had that apple, which would have been eaten before we actually entered the US.

Please do not think I am criticising the US tight security. Australia is almost as strict and I imagine it is a shock to Europeans who are used to breezing in and out of some countries. But it is helpful to know when and where things happen.

Just for clarity - you flew from YVR to one of the airports serving New York city, either non-stop or via a US airport? Then yes, you'd have done pre-clearance before boarding (if you flew via Toronto or Montreal, the other common ways to get to NYC, you'd have seen CBP at those layover airports instead - it's whenever you are about to board a flight that will land in the USA). It's a very well-known thing for Canadians of course, but I can see that visitors stopping here before heading to the US could easily be unaware.

 

You'll find that all major Canadian airports have US CBP staff to pre-clear passengers before boarding - it's not so much improved security, since standards are in theory the same, but more to do with cost. So many folks fly from Canada to the US (and various other key airports with pre-screening around the world like Dublin & Heathrow) that it's cheaper to station CBP staff in these cities than it is to ensure they staff every US airport. Clear someone in Vancouver or London, and they can fly direct to ANY airport in the US since they'll land as a Domestic flight which also makes life better for passengers - without the program you'd only be able to fly to International airports in the US that have CBP staff and would have to schlep your bags off and through customs/immigration before boarding your local domestic flight. Doing it all pre-boarding is much more efficient even for flights to a major US airport, and even better if you're flying to a smaller one.

 

Airports love it too - makes them piles of cash. A friend's hubby is currently engaged in negotiating for Manchester airport to add Preclearance facilities so they can entice more US-bound flights away from other UK airports. If enough Aussies start flying to the US expect a bidding war between Sydney and Melbourne for the privilege of being the pre-screening airport!

Edited March 8, 2017 by martincath
double-spacing!

[Karennella]

Yes out flight was a direct from Vancouver to one of the NY airports. Now it is explained, I understand the reason. It is entirely different here with so few large cities, so not difficult to provide them all with an International airport.

Pre-clearance for the US would be good for us. The issue I have is that I cannot sleep on a plane so by the time I arrive after twelve hours or whatever I am exhausted.

I think they would have to provide it in both Sydney and Melbourne though. They are both cities of about five million people but a thousand kilometres apart, I am sure the airports will be wanting to be in on it, They are currently being heavily criticised (and rightly so) for making a fortune out of the parking!