Border control before entering the US thanks to preclearance

Border control before entering the US thanks to preclearance

Who can use the pre-clearance program before entering the US??

The US Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP) offers United States travelers at some airports the option of pre-clearance border inspection before entering the United States. Reason enough to shed more light on forwarded immigration controls.

Requirements for the departure airport

Requirements for passengers

What is preclearance??

Before US travelers are allowed to enter their destination, each passenger is normally checked by the US border guards after leaving the aircraft. These immigration, customs and agricultural inspections, in the classic case, take place on American soil only after arrival in the United States. The preclearance program, on the other hand, makes this possible Border controls for travelers and their luggage before boarding at the foreign departure airport.

To allow for these prior checks, special CBP border control zones have been opened at the participating airports. The preclearance border control does not differ from the classical US border control after arrival in the USA. However, for pre-tested US travelers, the usual control on arrival in the US is eliminated.

What are the benefits of the preclearance program??

Preclearance was created primarily for security and economic reasons. The program promotes the redistribution of US travel revenue and allows competent authorities to intensify general security controls and address international threats.

For USA travelers, the program offers the following benefits:

  • Easy to use
  • Shortened waiting times
  • Removal of US entry control on arrival
  • Stress-free entry
  • Booking short-term connecting flights within the USA
  • In the case of a border rejection: The traveler saves a considerable amount of time and money

Requirements and procedure of a preclearance

Requirements for the departure airport

To participate in the preclearance process, a number of requirements must be met by the airport. In order to implement the preclearance program, you must create your own preclearance areas and offer Aviation Security Screening at the US level. This aviation security control is the first step in the preclearance process and unites the country security control with the first stage of US border control.

Incidentally, the actual border control at the departure airport does not differ from the regular US entry control. The Trusted Traveler Program Global Entry can also be used at the pre-clearance airports.

Requirement for passengers

There is no requirement for participation for passengers. Any passenger traveling to the US from the participating airports will be automatically checked on-site via the pre-clearance program.

When and where is a preclearance possible??

The Toronto Pearson Airport was inaugurated in 1952 as the first and, for now, only Preclearance Airport. Since then, the program has been extended to a total of 15 airports in 6 countries. More than 600 CBP officials are based in Canada, Ireland, the United Arab Emirates, Bermuda, the Bahamas and Aruba. U.S. Customs and Border Protection thus handles more than 17.5 million border checks per year outside the US.

Due to the high efficiency and success rate of the preclearance program, a total of 33 preclearation stations are to be established at foreign airports by the year 2024.

Expiry at the US airport

Who uses the pre-inspection with preclearance, of course, but still the question of what the process at the US airport looks like.

Due to the high security standards, the separate waiting area, which is used exclusively by preclear passengers, is comparable to US territory. The arrival in the US is therefore as uncomplicated as that of a domestic flight. Preclearance passengers:

  • are not led to the border controls of the CBP
  • You can go directly to the baggage fees and / or
  • are allowed to leave the airport directly.

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Christina Cherry
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