Recent/Current YYZ-USA Preclearance Experiences
 

Anyone with recent experiences doing preclearance at YYZ? Flying will be done from Terminal 1 this Tuesday morning (9am flight). No NEXUS/GE. And FWIW, also zero status. (In case you're wondering, I'm asking for someone else)

No checked luggage.

added: basically concerned with time it takes from entering customs hall to past security.

TIA

Your order is incorrect. First is the line to submit your affidavit and covid test. Then security. Then US Customs.

ah yes, I forgot that all of that changed.

Bumping the thread for an update on recent YYZ Terminal 1 experiences. I just flew LAX-YYZ on Friday and our inbound was delayed 2++hrs, which was blamed on "congestion in the pre-clearance area", which I translated to mean that 1/2 of the pax were stuck in the pre-clearance or security area so the YYZ-LAX flight was delayed.

I have Global Entry, but I understand from the other thread that the morons who run YYZ decided to close the Nexus priority lane, so everyone now filters into the same general security line.

Since the MLL is closed, I don't want to get to the airport too early and sit in the terminal twiddling my thumbs, and I don't want to get there too late and risk missing my flight. So can anyone with recent USA departure experience give me an idea of what a US citizen with Global Entry and *G status should expect going back on Labor Day in the late afternoon? How long before departure should we plan to arrive?

I flew YYZ to LGA on Sunday August 22nd around 10 AM. While the nexus security line was closed, there was separate security line for Business Class, and it was quite short. Maybe around 5 minutes, and was definitely much shorter than the the regular line, which looked to be maybe around 30 minutes. (I'm not sure of the exact criteria for the priority lane, I know Amex Platinum holders can use it, and I imagine *G should be able to use it as well but not certain)

The US customs line was much much longer for non-Americans (i.e. Canadians). It wasn't obvious how quickly it was moving, but it looked to be at least couple hours if not longer. The line for US passport/green card holders was much shorter, it took us maybe 20 minutes or so for us to get through.

Hope this info helps!

Thanks for the updates.

To report from my end, the friend said it was over an hour to get from start to end. Forgot to mention that she is American and travelling with US passport... so she said because of that, she was actually faster than the non-American line.

Did she have Global Entry, or need to use the regular kiosks and join the Citizen/GC line?

She used the regular process/lines for US citizens. She doesn't have GE.

Hopefully GE is significantly faster

My report is from 2 weeks ago at T1 (weekend of Aug 13). The Nexus lanes are indeed closed, there is a separate lane for Nexus cardholders though, so there is some filtering. FYI, if you are pressed for time, like I was, go up to one of those line attendants. She was able to help me skip the line up to drop off the affidavit and Covid test. The US customs wait was 15 minutes (I hold Nexus/GE), however, I noticed that CBP seems to be spending more time on average screening individuals - I would say people were in front of the CBP officer an average of 3 minutes.

Pack your patience, its frustrating since like others said, MLL is closed so you won't really get time to relax.

Going to check in here, since I have a trip back in the morning in mid-Oct, and maybe in a couple of weeks, as well.

I know the Nexus line is closed, but I see someone mentioned priority line is now open? Is this for Amex plat holders as well (and if so, m does the US version qualify, or does it have to be a Canadian card). Is this just for security, or is it a bit separated for showing test, etc. as well.

Sounds like the GE kiosks are available (I have Nexus)? Just not the separate entrance/fast track security (or whatever it was called?).

Correct.
GE kiosks were available but no separation at initial security (which took up most of the time).
This was YYZ T1. From beginning of security to gate took less than 30 minutes.

I flew Monday Aug 30 in the evening, I didn't see any priority lines for either Nexus/Business/Elite passengers, used general security, the wait wasn't too bad (5-10 min?). There was also no wait at the Global Entry line. I arrived 2 hours ahead and I had plenty of time at the gate.

Sep 4 9AM flight. Security was quick for both priority and general screening. Pre-clearance was horrible -- the line up extended through the preclearance hall and into the security area. Global Entry was empty. You did not have to wait in the general line to enter GE area.

Labor Day 4pm - left for the airport to arrive an hour before boarding and found the security and preclearance area almost empty.

There IS a Nexus/Global Entry priority lane that you enter to the left of the regular lane after handing over your affidavit sheet. Since the area was almost empty, it was hard to tell how useful it would be on a busy morning, but it’s definitely there. I did not see any American Express or Star Gold priority lane although my boarding pass had a Priority notation.

From handing over my affidavit to clearing Global Entry was about 10 mins including putting on my shoes and waiting for one of my bags to “searched”.

USA immigration saw my GE receipt and didn’t even want to talk to me, just waved me through. So far no one has asked to look at my test result but I uploaded a copy to Air Canada during check in so maybe that’s good enough.

I will take a guess that that Tuesday morning will definitely not be as easy as this afternoon so plan accordingly.