earendil31

Does anyone know how long it usually takes to go through customs and immigration (civilian side) in Guam and Saipan?

SirJman

Seconds. Minutes, if you are in the non-US passport queue and behind a planeload of Japanese tourists.

im.daniel

Hi FT,
I have a 6 hour layover in Saipan (GUM-SPN-ICN); can I possibly clear customs and check out the place for a few hours before returning to the airport? Sorry for the trivial question - I don't really know how customs works in these US Commonwealth States.

Henwurst

No problem. Actually, when I did the same connection (November 2010) I was given no choice but to clear customs and leave the airport. Unfortunately I also had no choice but to pick up my checked bag and wait until the OZ check in opened. It was a 9pm-3am connection so there was not much activity going on. I chatted with a TSA officer for a while, and dropped my suitcase in a bush while I went for a walk in the area. There are some free wifi networks available in some random spots (at least there was in November 2011), so that's how I entertained myself the remaining time.

If you need transport and you are doing the overnight connection, make sure that you figure out in advance how that is going to work, because the place was pretty dead.

medic51vrf

Oh no! Be prepared to be vilified by about 3/4 of the folks on FT!

Although I'm not a fan of the TSA, I'm not one of the folks who will liken you to Satan incarnate but there are PLENTY here who will, simply because you dared speak to... [dramatic music] One of THEM! [/dramatic music]

belfordrocks

So I too (perhaps very foolishly) am considering a few hours in Saipan- arriving at around 2am. What are the options then- are there transport options into the main tourist area, or are they places to "wait it out" until sunrise? Or am I nuts for considering this...

Passmethesickbag

GUM is my favourite UA hub, and also the place where US officialdom - customs, immigration, TSA - are at their cuddliest and most efficient.

Henwurst

In terms of transport there is nothing as far as I remember unless you've pre-booked something. You have the option of sitting outside or inside by the check in desks (air conditioned), with some free wifi available here and there. If you are there until sunrise it is also possible to take a walk over to ladder beach (20-30 minutes walk IIRC), although I recommend carefully studying a map/google earth before doing that.

Overall one of the friendlier US entry points, but I've had mixed experiences, such as when I was sent to a sadistically slow secondary because I looked like I was in a rush, which shouldn't be a too shocking behavior for a passenger who is stepping off a flight that arrived 1 hour late. I also have to stand in the visitor line which tends to be slow, especially if you arrive at the end of the afternoon rush from Japan when the wait may be as much as one hour.

HkCaGu

Guam Customs (not US customs) has such a small territory that they ask different types of questions. For local residents and business visitors, the most usual is "where (who) do you work (for)", and they'll probably know whether it's legit.

CBP Guam is problem-free if either the officer or the passenger is a US citizen of European or African descent, or if the two parties are direct or indirect acquaintances. I've heard Canadians with legitimate work papers getting unfriendly questionings unheard of in the Mainland, Green Card holders of Asian origin (those not yet willing to abandon their non-US careers) trying to maintain residency getting tough questions, and I myself have experienced questioning because of a 350-mile distance between naturalization and passport issuance locations.

x1achilles

Isn't Guam a territory of the U.S., like Puerto Rico? Why would their customs be different than US Customs and Immigration?

Henwurst

Yup, Guam is a US territory just like Puerto Rico.

It can indeed get confusing sometimes, but it is fairly common that different parts of a country have different rules, often to facilitate trade or because the local environment/agriculture is extra sensitive. Hawaii has separate customs from mainland US and Hong Kong has its own immigration, customs and currency even though it is part of China. In the case of Guam and Saipan they simply have less restrictions on citizens of nearby countries than mainland US, which I think makes a lot of sense.

Chinese and Russian citizens have very few restrictions for visiting Saipan which has helped boosting tourism.

x1achilles

Do you have to go through U.S. immigration and customs in HNL when flying from GUM?

HkCaGu

Wait, you're talking about immigration, not customs at all!

Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa are outside of U.S. customs jurisdiction. They all have their own respective customs agencies. USCBP in Guam and CNMI does not conduct any customs function at all. (In AS, they even have their own immigration!) And since Guam only has one airport, all flights into Guam go through Guam customs. From these three territories into HNL, everyone must fill out a blue form.

Both, sort of. At GUM, BP scan is conducted before you enter the gate holding area. USCBP immigration preclearance (proof of stateside admissibility) is conducted before you proceed to the bridge. If you don't show up and get beeped into the holding area at a certain cutoff point (forgot, 30-45 minutes) before departure, they'll start offload you and your bags. On arrival at HNL, immigration is skipped and you get right to baggage claim and then customs.

Steve M

Not just like. Puerto Rico is within the main US Customs and Immigration areas. That is, it's just like flying between US states when going to/from Puerto Rico and the mainland US - there are no passport or Customs checks because the rules are the same for both areas.

Guam has Customs completely independent of the federal government, and it's handled by local government officials and laws. Immigration in Guam is handled by the federal government, but has special rules. For example, there is a special Guam-only Visa Waiver Program that makes citizens of some countries eligible to visit Guam without a visa that would need a visa to go to the mainland US.

No, it does not. There's nothing different about Hawaii as far as Customs goes than any of the other 49 states. Hawaii does have special Agriculture rules at the federal level that are different from the mainland US. Among other things, there are certain fruits that you can bring with you on your person from Asia into Hawaii as an inbound passenger that are prohibited on the mainland, and you must pass through Agriculture (but not Customs or Immigration) inspection when flying from Hawaii to the mainland US.

kingstontoon

I booked an arrival into SPN at 07:30 (from Guam) and a flight out at 15:00 (Asiana). This was more than enough time to negotiate a cheap(er) deal on a taxi to drive me to and pick me up from town later, travel to Garapan, have a cup of tea, wander around, visit a museum, sit on the beach, get some lunch and a beer, and then back to the airport 90 mins before departure.

I'm trying exactly the same thing in Asuncion, Paraguay, next year. I love long connections