andersonCooper

Yes you will need a visa, as garykung described above.

Fill out the questions here and start the application process. However, you could apply for V-1 (tourist) visa with a expiration date as the day before your passport expires. Also, even though it does not seem to be your itin, be aware of transit rules at HKG, as you can't travel CHN-HKG-CHN directly with your passport.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp

CX30616

It works on reverse directions, maybe not in this case

shd9

I did remember there is something called the "China Transit program", which permits Chinese Passport holders to transit through Canada without a visa. Maybe that would waive the visa requirement

garykung

I double checked. There is indeed a China Transit program for transit between HKG-Canada-U.S or vice versa. So OP could potential qualify.

But my concern is on TIMATIC because TIMATIC is still saying it is a problem.

Given this:

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/cath...ver-rules.html

Beside - A Canadian Transit Visa costs $0.

I don't think OP should risk it. Simply get a transit visa and call it a day.

andersonCooper

I still don't think OP's itin qualifies as the arriving time of CX 889 arrives around midnight in Vancover, and one of the requirements of the visa free transit is:

"arrive during business hours (hours may vary at each airport) for the preclearance area run by United States Customs and Border Protection
if you arrive outside of these hours, you will no longer qualify under this program. You will have to go to the Canada Border Services Agency to be screened. You should check your flight connections with the airline."

IIRC CBP at YVR is closed around 8pm.

Also, this particular flight does not depart from the U.S. bound terminal, so I am not sure if CBP is available.

shuuy

On CX888 (HKG-YVR-JFK) what is the additional US screening post-Trump in YVR?

there wasn’t anything extra or special in HKG...

kaka

theres no cbp for this flight; and cx explicitly asks for visa. And the visa is free. Why risk it when marginal cost is that low

germatory

I traveled on this route in late November. When you alight in YVR, you'll stand in line for additional security check at the gate. Once you complete the check, you'll be directed to wait at the gate for the JFK bound flight.

wcaldog

No lounge access in YVR when you fly HKG-YVR-JFK?

mapleg

Correct.

IanFromHKG

Which highlights the complete and utter stupidity of the system. Flying to JFK non-stop? No in-town check-in, extra security at the airport. Flying via YVR? In-town check-in is fine. No extra security at the airport. Yet your luggage still travels from HKG to JFK without (so far as I am aware) extra security checks. Now - either it is safe to check luggage from HKG to the US using existing normal security checks in HKG, or it isn't. And if it isn't, why does a stop at a third country, with a bunch of baggage handlers getting on the aircraft (adding a new layer of risk), somehow sanitise the luggage? Or the hand luggage? Or the passengers???

And why can't you buy duty-free in HKG to take to the US? Even with a tamper-proof bag?

pWei

They're doing you a favor, HKG duty free prices aren't that great at all.

garykung

This is entirely CX's decision.

In fact - CX is the ONLY U.S.-bound carrier that suspends Airport Express In-Town Check-In. All others carriers, AA, HX, SQ, UA, still allow.

Sorry to say. If something has to happen, it would have happened during HKG-YVR.

Have you ever been to the U.S.? If you have, you would know why it does not bother.

ernestnywang

They do bag secondary screening at YVR.

Often1

TIMATIC shows that a Chinese national traveling from the US to Japan via Canada and Hong Kong will require a Canadian transit visa. This is what the check-in agent will see at JFK.