Originally Posted by
Blumie
I cleared both immigration and customs on Monday night in about 45 seconds (I'm a US citizen using Global Entry, but there was no line at the windows for non citizens when I was there). I suspect there are others for whom it took 45 minutes, and probably others for whom it took over an hour. There are lots of variables.
It depends as much on where your friends are seated in the airplane as anything else. My experience has been pretty good, because I was in the front of the plane, and walk briskly enough that nobody was passing me, so when I got to immigration, there was only one or two ahead of me in my line. I cleared in less than 5 minutes.
I know you didn't ask this, but if your friends have checked bags, they will have to wait for the checked bags to arrive on the carousel, claim them, take them through customs, and re-check them if connecting. The last time I did this, it took about an hour from plane door opening to bags arriving on carousel, so my fast trip through immigration did me no good, I stood by the carousel for about 50 minutes waiting for the bags.
If you are planning connections for your friends, I would allow at least 2 hours. If you are picking them up outside customs, I would show up there 30 minutes after arrival.