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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2017 10:18:37 GMT
I've just got back from New York - we thought immigration would be horrendous and were giving ourselves 2 hours when making plans. Instead, we breezed through in about 20 minutes! I don't know if it was to do with the time of the year but there were practically no queues. We didn't even have a wait to collect our cases (British airports, take note!) I've never waited more than 30 mins at JFK it might be because I tend to fly in at around 9pm, and usually it's only been my flight and maybe half of another...but I think it's more luck than judgement! |
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Post by Steffi on Feb 11, 2017 11:40:21 GMT
Immigration at JFK has been super quick for me ever since they intriduced returning Esta. The last times it took me all of 20 minutes from leaving the plane to jumping in a cab in front of the terminal.
And the officers at Border Control have always been friendly to me. One even got into a little chat about theatre - it turned out he had seen Sleep No More and got all excited when I mentioned I was going to watch it a couple of times on my trip.
From my experience when you are nice and polite the officers treat you lovely. The moment you tell them you are there for theatre, some shopping and so on they consider you to be a harmless tourist.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2017 11:48:18 GMT
Yep. Basically they are trying to establish why you are visiting and may ask you several times in different ways to check you are consistent. Saying you're there for theatre and being able to reel off the shows your planning to see certainly helps!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2017 11:58:49 GMT
Indeed! the reeling off a list of shows quickly establishes you're definatly a tourist and a harmless nutter! I did momentarily worry last time when my Mum couldn't remember where we were staying, luckily it was clear to the nice official that was just because she leaves it to me to organise us!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2017 12:29:13 GMT
I flew to JFK from Dublin airport...and the US border patrol is actually at Dublin airport before you get to go to the gate. Which made landing in JFK after a 7 hour flight aui8te easy as my friend and I just glided on through.
Funny story though...my friend had previously applied for a visa to work and live for up to a year, even had a job and apartment waiting in the wings, she just needed to wait to hear about her visa...REJECTED. She was raging, but got over it eventually. Flashforward about 4 years...both of us are in the queue for border patrol, I sail on through and make it to the gate just as they announce the flight is starting to board. I'm waiting on my friend who was literally having her estaa and passport checked the same time as me. 20 minutes later she shows up saying she was taken to a room for questioning, and thought she wasnt going to make it, because her visa had previously been denied, and the border patrol couldnt not understand how her esta was accepted.
The only thoughts going through my mind while I was waiting was, what if I go alone how so I check in the hotel without her because she booked it. She wasn't pleased that thats all I was thinking while she was being questioned by people with guns. So I had to make her promise that next time we go, she is booking the flights, and I am booking the hotel, just incase.
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Post by theglenbucklaird on Feb 15, 2017 20:26:30 GMT
I flew to JFK from Dublin airport...and the US border patrol is actually at Dublin airport before you get to go to the gate. Which made landing in JFK after a 7 hour flight aui8te easy as my friend and I just glided on through. Funny story though...my friend had previously applied for a visa to work and live for up to a year, even had a job and apartment waiting in the wings, she just needed to wait to hear about her visa...REJECTED. She was raging, but got over it eventually. Flashforward about 4 years...both of us are in the queue for border patrol, I sail on through and make it to the gate just as they announce the flight is starting to board. I'm waiting on my friend who was literally having her estaa and passport checked the same time as me. 20 minutes later she shows up saying she was taken to a room for questioning, and thought she wasnt going to make it, because her visa had previously been denied, and the border patrol couldnt not understand how her esta was accepted. The only thoughts going through my mind while I was waiting was, what if I go alone how so I check in the hotel without her because she booked it. She wasn't pleased that thats all I was thinking while she was being questioned by people with guns. So I had to make her promise that next time we go, she is booking the flights, and I am booking the hotel, just incase. Our rule is we wait two hours at the airport and if the other partner has still not been released you head to Manhattan and start your trip |
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Post by mistressjojo on Feb 16, 2017 1:33:55 GMT
Immigration at LAX is now automated, so if you have a valid ESTA you don't even speak to a person unless you have a problem.
Just scan your passport, answer a few yes/no questions on a screen and it spits out a receipt, which you hand in on the way out the door.
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Post by mmmbop on Feb 16, 2017 10:00:14 GMT
Immigration at LAX is now automated, so if you have a valid ESTA you don't even speak to a person unless you have a problem. Just scan your passport, answer a few yes/no questions on a screen and it spits out a receipt, which you hand in on the way out the door. It was the same for me at JFK when I went in January. |
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Post by Michael on Feb 16, 2017 10:57:56 GMT
This only applies for repeat visits. If it's your first time visiting the US with an ESTA, you still have to talk to a CBP officer.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2017 11:05:29 GMT
Yes, that was my experience. Second time on the same ESTA, no interview. Because one of the key things is they want to make sure you leave the country after your visit! So if you've come and gone before, this isn't an issue.
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Post by viserys on Feb 16, 2017 11:38:03 GMT
Yes, that was my experience. Second time on the same ESTA, no interview. Because one of the key things is they want to make sure you leave the country after your visit! So if you've come and gone before, this isn't an issue. What if you have been in and out but have just now got a new ESTA? Eh, I'll need to queue to see a human being anyway. The chip in my passport is borked somehow, the e-Gates in Heathrow and St. Pancras haven't worked for me recently either  |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2017 11:43:53 GMT
Not sure - but pretty sure I was directed to the automated window by a sign that said something about "the same ESTA"
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Post by Michael on Feb 16, 2017 11:54:52 GMT
I think you must have been to the US at least once since 2008 and they must have taken your fingerprints and photo. You can then use the APC (automated passport control) kiosks even if the ESTA is new.
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Post by Steffi on Feb 16, 2017 16:39:10 GMT
It doesn't matter if the ESTA is new as long as it is still the same passport. Once you get a new passport you will have to queue regularly on your first entry. After that it's Returning ESTA again until that passport expires.
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Post by viserys on Feb 16, 2017 20:27:41 GMT
the e-Gates in Heathrow and St. Pancras haven't worked for me recently either If it started happening just after 24th June last year, it may not be the chip... Hah, I see what you're getting at and I realize it's actually true that it started after 24th June.  Need to try in another country I guess, so maybe I will try in Houston next week, I've been in and out of the US three times on that passport before. I'm just worried that I'll be wasting time on the automated kiosks while the queues for human passport control grow and grow. The folks at the Eurostar terminal are sweet though. It didn't work in November, so next time I passed through this January, I wanted to get into the long line for human passport control, telling the guy who wanted to shoo me to the e-Gates "Nope, sorry, doesn't work for my passport for some reason" and he was like "try anyway!" with a meaningful look, so I tried and failed and the other guy who was minding the e-Gates let me jump the long queue to be next at human passport control. |
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