If you deposit a check drawn on a US$ account, it typically takes 28 days or more to clear. The transaction is subject to reasonably high charges (eg, 0.25% negotiation charge and 2% forex fees) and you're at the mercy of the bank's exchange rate.

If the cheque is relatively small, they may clear it for you more quickly and essentially "loan" you the money while they clear the cheque behind the scenes, but I'm moving enough money that they're unlikely to clear it into my account in advance of clearing it themselves.