Moving to US with immigrant visa; flying through YYZ = good idea or bad idea?
#1
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Moving to US with immigrant visa; flying through YYZ = good idea or bad idea?
My family of 5 is relocating from Japan to the US soon, and I'm researching our best flight options at the moment. I'm leaning toward taking AC through YYZ but have two vague concerns as I have never flown through Canada before:
1) I am a US citizen, as are my kids, but my wife is coming in on an immigrant visa. Any downside to doing the US entry processing at YYZ as opposed to a US port of entry?
2) We will probably max out our checked baggage allowance and have something like a dozen large checked bags. I understand that they let you check bags through on int'l -> US connections now, but is there any Customs or other issue with checking through a huge amount of luggage? (One reason I want to fly though YYZ is to avoid claiming and re-checking everything at a hub in the US, but I wonder if there is any potential hassle that I'm missing...)
1) I am a US citizen, as are my kids, but my wife is coming in on an immigrant visa. Any downside to doing the US entry processing at YYZ as opposed to a US port of entry?
2) We will probably max out our checked baggage allowance and have something like a dozen large checked bags. I understand that they let you check bags through on int'l -> US connections now, but is there any Customs or other issue with checking through a huge amount of luggage? (One reason I want to fly though YYZ is to avoid claiming and re-checking everything at a hub in the US, but I wonder if there is any potential hassle that I'm missing...)
#2
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Most Canada to USA flights do immigration and customs clearance in Canada, but this tends to be in different terminal than what is used for longhaul international flights. At many USA hubs, if you stay on the same airline or same alliance, you're not forced to change terminals.
#3
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Most Canada to USA flights do immigration and customs clearance in Canada, but this tends to be in different terminal than what is used for longhaul international flights. At many USA hubs, if you stay on the same airline or same alliance, you're not forced to change terminals.
#4
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Personally if I were in your situation I would want to be at the true US POI for the first entry with Immigrant visa for your wife. Having the Visa plus a whole family of US Citizens gives you a high probability of no issues but CBP can be truly unpredictable.
What is your connection from YYZ. To where? Layover time? If there is a snag in YYZ you could end up with a missed connection and maybe even an overnight if no more connections.
What is your connection from YYZ. To where? Layover time? If there is a snag in YYZ you could end up with a missed connection and maybe even an overnight if no more connections.
#6
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I see no good reason to avoid routing via YYZ, especially if your wife is already with the right documents to even enter Canada.
#7
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Why would you bother with a third country and more potential problems? There are many more direct flights from Japan to the US than to Canada. With all that luggage and someone who is not a citizen of the US, your entry should be as direct as you can make it. What's the point of going through YYZ? If there is another reason to go through Canada, consider YVR, which is a hub for transpacific travel. But an extra border crossing....?
#8
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Why would you bother with a third country and more potential problems? There are many more direct flights from Japan to the US than to Canada. With all that luggage and someone who is not a citizen of the US, your entry should be as direct as you can make it. What's the point of going through YYZ? If there is another reason to go through Canada, consider YVR, which is a hub for transpacific travel. But an extra border crossing....?
But I agree that the pre-clear CBP facilities might not be set up to process a first time landing of a US immigrant.
#9
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Just wanted to point out that the US CBP at YYZ processes 4.5 million passengers each year (according to the GTAA's website). This probably puts it among the top 20 if not top 10 CBP facilities. They should be perfectly capable of handling 1st time US immigrants.
#10
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Just wanted to point out that the US CBP at YYZ processes 4.5 million passengers each year (according to the GTAA's website). This probably puts it among the top 20 if not top 10 CBP facilities. They should be perfectly capable of handling 1st time US immigrants.
But the number of 1st time immigrants would be low as YYZ is not a popular immigrant first entry point.
I would advise OP to email CBP about the processing capabilities for first time immigrants at YYZ
#11
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The number is very high, I agree, I was responsible for 20 of these per year.
But the number of 1st time immigrants would be low as YYZ is not a popular immigrant first entry point.
I would advise OP to email CBP about the processing capabilities for first time immigrants at YYZ
But the number of 1st time immigrants would be low as YYZ is not a popular immigrant first entry point.
I would advise OP to email CBP about the processing capabilities for first time immigrants at YYZ
#12
Join Date: Apr 2000
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The number is very high, I agree, I was responsible for 20 of these per year.
But the number of 1st time immigrants would be low as YYZ is not a popular immigrant first entry point.
I would advise OP to email CBP about the processing capabilities for first time immigrants at YYZ
But the number of 1st time immigrants would be low as YYZ is not a popular immigrant first entry point.
I would advise OP to email CBP about the processing capabilities for first time immigrants at YYZ
#13
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Thanks for the replies.
There will be a further flight no matter what. Our choice is between connecting in the US and connecting at YYZ.
Found a few posts here which suggest the process will probably not be that bad:
http://www.visajourney.com/reviews/p...ge=1&dfilter=0
There will be a further flight no matter what. Our choice is between connecting in the US and connecting at YYZ.
Found a few posts here which suggest the process will probably not be that bad:
http://www.visajourney.com/reviews/p...ge=1&dfilter=0
#14
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Update: We ended up flying through YYZ and I can say that it was a good choice, as we had 12 pieces of checked luggage between two able-bodied adults (having maxed out our kids' allowance as well as our own), which would have been almost impossible to claim and re-check if we had connected in the US.
Immigrant visa processing is done in the secondary room at YYZ but we weren't there for too long -- maybe 20-30 minutes. Having to wait for a delayed connection in the cramped and crowded AC Express gate area was by far the worst part of the adventure.
Immigrant visa processing is done in the secondary room at YYZ but we weren't there for too long -- maybe 20-30 minutes. Having to wait for a delayed connection in the cramped and crowded AC Express gate area was by far the worst part of the adventure.