Hi all. New here. I did a search, found another posting. But it had 4 pages, and was almost 3 years old. So, my apologies for posting this if it's been answered a million times.

I'm a Canadian citizen with a valid passport. I will be travelling on this passport. I live and work in Australia, and am a permanent resident of it as well. I've booked a flight home this year for xmas. Air Canada is ridiculously expensive, so I've decided to fly through the USA with American Airlines, going:

SYD -> LAX -> ORD -> YOW (same on return).

1. Do I need a visa waiver?
2. Do I need to be fingerprinted when I land in LAX? I'm only flying through, but will need to clear customs (I assume).
3. Will I have any other issues due to my Australian residency?

Appreciate any help!!!

1) No. Canadian citizens are exempt from the Visa Waiver Program. You do not even have to fill out an I94W (only a customs declaration upon arrival)
2) You will pass through US immigration, collect your bags, and clear US customs in LAX, but Canadian citizens are not fingerprinted.
3) Your residency is irrelevant to CBP officials. You are transiting based on your citizenship (Canada)

Sweet. Thanks a million for the information!!!

Just tell CBP you are another Canadian who refuse to get ripped off by flying to Canada direct with the monopoly. They see our kinds all the time, Eh?

When you arrive at LAX, there are two lines, the shorter one for US and longer one for aliens who needs to be photographed and finger printed. Since Canadians are waive from this process ask the traffic cop overseeing these lines about using the US lines which are shorter and faster. Sometime it works and sometimes it doesn't but it never hurts to ask so you are not in a long lineup in the basement of LAX built to 1960's air circulations standards.
In US address put in "transit" and show your boarding pass to YOW. It will speed up the process. When leaving YOW show boarding pass for SYD.