FAIPDXFlyer

Greetings AS FTers,

I will be heading up to YVR from PDX in early January for a conference and I have a few questions regarding customs/immigration detail as a first-time international PAX:

1. How busy and efficent is the customs area during the time of my arrival (see below for reference).

2. Assuming I have all the requisite international documentation in order, how long does it take to process an incoming US PAX and are the customs agents overpowering? I would like to know since I am mildly autistic.

3. Returning, How fast/slow are the CBP pre-screening area around the time of my departure?

4. How harsh and overpowering are the US CPB agents.

5. From looking at a map of the International Terminal, link here there are two security screening checkpoints. Who operates them and are they similar in terms of procedures et. al.

6. wrapping things up, how much time shall I allow myself to complete:
a. check-in at PDX
b. post-deplane procedures at YVR
c. checking and prescreen at YVR

-----------------------------------------
For reference here is my flight schedule:

QXE2450 - PDX10:00 - YVR11:10 08 Jan
QXE2451 - YVR11:45 - PDX13:05 11 Jan
----------------------------------------

Thank you in advance! ^

Prosper!

~FAI PDX Flyer

COpltASgldPHX

Arriving mid-day at any international airport is usually ideal as most other international flights tend to arrive in the morning and afternoon.

The immigration folks @YVR can be, how do I put this politely, well, picture every bad cold-war era film you've ever seen where some poor schmuck encounters a KGB agent. Make sure you answer all of their questions politely but directly. Don't offer any details not expressly asked for. Have a printout of your hotel confirmation with you and ready to show them should you be asked where you are planning to stay. If you are staying with a friend/relative, have their full address and contact information.

Once through the security checkpont, which is identical to the TSA screening stateside, you will immediately go to US pre-clearence. They will check your passport, ask if you have anything to declare, and send you on your way. Again, you're leaving mnid-day so it will take all of 10 minutes or so once you go through security.

Compared to their Canadian counterparts, they are pussycats!

Operated by the Canadian equivilant of the TSA. See above.

60-90 minutes prior to departure.
Anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours, depending on your circumstances. YMMV

90 minutes prior to departure. You might want to pick up some duty free items before your short flight home.

Also, don't forget to purchase your departure tax prior to going through security. There are kiosks for this and they take plastic. If you arrive at the checkpoint without a receipt they will send you back to get one.

Jalinth

1 If the big int'l flights from Asia have arrived on time and so do you, you should hit a slower period with just US flights to compete with and possibly some Mexican vacationers returning. Canada customs is fairly efficient (unless you are stuck behind a flight with lots of paxs that need detailed document review and have language barriers - so hopefully everything is on time when you arrive) but not particularly friendly - especially the YVR folks.

2. I wouldn't say they are overpowering but they can be cold and annoying. Have your conference information at hand in case you get asked and as COplt mentioned, keep on script - staying here, for X days, for Y reason, with conference Z - here is the reservation/conference info.

3. Pre-clearance with the US is annoying from the security angle because you need to do the shoe carnival thanks to US requirements. Hard to judge how busy as it is variable but they are fairly efficient in most cases.

4. I've found the US pre-clearance officers probably the best I've run into - polite and quick. If you are either a Canadian going to the US or a US citizen returning, they are very fast and efficient as they are very used to handling your situation. Not sure how people who don't fit into these two categories get treated.

5. For most major Canadian airports, they are split into three section - domestic, int'l, and "transborder" (read US). The US departures are strictly separated from both the domestic and the other int'l because of the preclearance. So you only have one security queue to pick from. If going to the airport, just say you are US bound and you'll be directed appropriately. Also, signs with the US flag are also used in different spots to direct you.

For US departures, I'd give myself a solid 90 minutes - I've done it in a hour but was using the elite lines to cut off 15 to 20 minutes of queues. I'm not sure how Alaska's YVR flights are, but check-in for other carriers can be slow if you don't have access to the elite lines. You need to see an agent just because of the passport issues.

Enjoy Vancouver - although your timing isn't the greatest in terms of weather. But just bring your Portland gear and you'll be fine.

Nobbi

From my experience with frequent YVR crossings, the Canadian bordercrossings have been a pleasure (except for the wait sometimes). The officers have been wonderful except for one crossing on September 14, 2001!

On the other hand, the worst/most prejudice US INS/CBP agents I've ever experienced have been at YVR pre-clearance. And I have a US passport!

massiek

I've done YVR three times in the past two years, and the Canadians were pleasant and I encountered no problems. Varied from 10 - 20 minutes to get through.

Coming back, US Customs was also easy and pleasant. No more then 60-70 minutes, though I agree with previous posters that it's good to have 90 minutes just in case you hit a rush.

Once through US Customs, I started to take my shoes off for the security screening, and the Canadians politely mentioned that they don't require shoes to be removed. They said, 'It's a US procedure.'

sxf24

In my experience, it is very quick. Excluding anytime in line, you'll spend 30 seconds - at most - with the officer (particularly if traveling on business).

I've departed on that flight, and the slightly later SEA departure, and have gone through CBP very quickly. Again, very little hassle.

I've found that when I say I'm on business (and tell them who my employer is), they are largely indifference.

The Canadian "TSA" has similar procedures, i.e. laptop and liquids out. For screening after CBP, you'll have to remove your shoes. While generally less efficient, I've found the US TSA to actually be more engaged and friendly.

I've never checked baggage at PDX, but I can generally arrive at the airport, check-in (at machine or counter) and clear security using the priority lane, get the A gates and board within 20 minutes.

The walk at YVR is a little longer, so I'd allow more time, particularly for checking in. Maybe 90 minutes?

jackal

Wirelessly posted (The Roaming Phone: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5G77 Safari/525.20)

Well, it looks like different people have had different experiences with both countries' officials.



In my lone experience flying to Canada (I've driven through many times), I found the Canadian guys efficient and pleasant but the US ones absolutely, ridiculously evil.



I posted a trip report full of dramatic prose in the applicable forum here, but, as I do not have a copy-and-paste function on this otherwise magic wireless device, you can either search the TR forum for my username or visit my under-utilized blog at http://thejackalscackle.blogspot.com. It's probably even the most recent entry.



The Canadian experience was in YYG and the American one was in that most horrid of all US airports, BOS, so that may have influenced things a bit.



One note: the report was written all in good fun. Far too many people in the TR forum took it too seriously.



Just don't make mileage runs to Canada, I guess...

CZBB

At least the USA DHS has taken down the "Welcome to the United States" sign in Vancouver post USA checks, (or at least I didn't notice it last time I was through). As I Canadian I was offended by the sign, and wrote YVR complaining how inappropriate a "Welcome to the USA" sign was in a Canadian airport. You're not in the USA, you're in a pre-clearance lounge, the USA have the option of re screening you on arrival, much like goods held in bond.

However, I'd be scared at who's protecting the USA after a US boarder guard at YVR once asked me "What's the Provincial Government?" (after I told him who I worked for). To be fair, most have been just fine, a couple of questions, you're on your way.

Canadian guards normally seem genuinely pleased that I'm returning, and it's through in 10 seconds flat, but then I am Canadian.

COpltASgldPHX

Exactly!

Exactly!

tjl

At 11:10am in YVR, there are likely to be multiple 747-loads of passengers from Asia in the line to immigration. Expect to wait an hour or more before reaching the immigration agent.

weather

As far as airport immigration crossings go I think YVR is just like any other North American crossing. Answer directly and don't babble about something you weren't asked about. (I learnt that when I was 9 and coming back from a trip to Disneyland) Perhaps I'm biased as it's my home airport.

keithguy

The map's description of "security" is not very accurate. The pre CBP security is really just a document check. There is one (or two) contractor security people checking to make sure passengers have a boarding pass and the US immigration/declaration form before going through the duty free store, which leads to CBP.

The security after CBP is where there is screening with bags x-rayed, shoes off, etc.

How fast immigration/customs takes really depends on volume. 11am is when a few asia flights start to arrive. You might get lucky and beat those arrivals, but if those flights arrive early (sometimes early by about an hour) or if your QX flight gets delayed, you could be stuck in line for a while.

Check in closes 60 minutes before departure. 90 minutes is usually more than sufficient.

By the way, there's a bit of a hike from the security checkpoint to the QX gates at YVR (the 90s gates).

cwl6750084

I think the immigration and customs procedures for both Canada and US at YVR (so is YYZ) must the most efficient, and the officers over there most sincere and politest in N. America. I rarely spent more then 35 - 45 minutes from plane to ground transport. (Except coming from Hong Kong, when those 747s from all Asian cities landing, at mid-morning - about 11 am, once I queued for 2 hrs, but I think the immigration hall is now expanded.)

You might want to WALK VERY FAST to the immigration hall upon deplane. Also, you should pick an immigration line with less Asian tourists queuing upon, those tends to be much slower (as they frequently have to wait for airlines interpreters). I believed there are lines for Canadians towards to right-hand-most section (with lower ceiling) in the immigration hall. Clearly answered the question directly and precisely upon entering Canada, you should find no trouble. (I never have any troubles and am neither US or Canadian resident.)

When leaving Vancouver, though, US immigration is usually quite some wait for us, but AC usually have some agents taking those of us who have tight connection to the front of the queue (at both YVR and YYZ).

The airport security check is after US immigration, they may inspect your camera and the camera function on your mobile (you have to switch it on and take a shoot) as it happened to me on multiple occasions. You should get to the airport at least 1.5-2 hrs earlier IF you want DUTY FREE shopping, otherwise 1-1.5 hrs might be enough during non-peak hours.

Notice that there might be a bunch of US bound passengers from Asia connecting at YVR, have to clear the US immigration procedure at the main US immigration hall, and not through the Int'l to US connection before the Canadian immigration for flights leaving at about noon.

brarrr

Jackal I read your blog post and I don't think you have anything to complain about... not only did pretty much nothing out of the ordinary happen, the script was the same as it is everywhere else. They let you go after being pulled to the side... not even fully searched. Big whoop. (no offense, it's just that I know that what you experienced is about a 1.1 on the 1-10 of inconvenience w/ customs/immigration worldwide)

As far as canadian BP being more one thing vs another... they're like any border patrol... they see the same thing 30 times an hour so they get into a cycle of asking questions... pass 1 gets question set a, pass 2 gets question set b and so on... and if anything is out of the ordinary it escalates to different questions. If you know the types of questions they're going to ask and have the information prepared (ie what is the purpose, where are you staying, where did you come from, what do you do, and so on...) it is no big deal.


In fact, I was driving up to BC a year ago with some friends and I was done w/ questions and through the BP station before the girl in the passenger seat had finished putting things back in her bag after pulling out her passport... 15 seconds maybe?

FAIPDXFlyer

Thank you all for your insight and wisdom to my questions. Your answers will serve me well as I begin my trek to BC whence the time shall come.^

Prosper to all!

~FAI PDX Flyer