United States

[sglazier]

I last went to the U.S. ten years ago, now everybody says how difficult it is to get through customs nowadays.

Just how difficult is it and what does it entail?

thanks

[luckystrike]

It involves getting your passport checked and stamped, having a digital photo taken, and having your finger prints digitally scanned - it all takes about 45 seconds!

[Cathyhuns]

What takes time is the wait to get to the front of the queue.  This depends upon how quickly you get off the plane, how many other planes have arrived at the same time, how many Americans there are and hopw many people have not read the instructions properly and filled in their forms incorrectly.  This wait can take anything from a few minutes to several hours.

[spudqueen]

It's immigration that's hard to get through, not customs. When I went to the States in January it took me about half an hour to get through immigration (because of the queue), just walked past customs! Immigration asked me about the food I was taking in (I was visiting a friend and taking things she can't get over there, like parma violets!), where I was going and why.

[Dom Tuk]

And sadly if you have an islamic sounding name and a flowing beard then you will be holding up the queue even longer. Sorry to say this clanad, but your authorities have really gone overboard. Good to see the brazilians are the only nation who have had the guts to retaliate and are fingerprinting every US national entering their country....good for the goose....

[jno]

There may be customs holdups too. When I was there  this year I picked up my suitcase from the carousel then had to check it in again, then go through another customs check where my carry-on bag was xrayed, then take a train to the other end of the airport to pick up my suitcase again (it had presumably been xrayed again too). This despite the fact that it had all been xrayed once on departure. All took an hour. Don't know if all airports put you through this.

If you go through the eyeball/fingerprint business, I was told to make sure I did it again as I left, and got a receipt to say I'd checked out of the country, which I did. Staff on check in desk should tell you about this.

[jno]

that's right mdoo - but what's the problem? Other airports (Newark, Gatwick, plenty of others) get all the passengers on to internal trains with all their luggage. Bigger airports have bigger trains. I know Atlanta's big - but by doubling up on procedures, it means everyone stays in the airport twice as long, thus making it twice as crowded.

[MargeB]

I flew into Chicago at the height of the BSE crisis and the american girl ahead of me in the immigration queue, explaining that she had been working in a dutch nursery, was asked 'But did you touch any cows?'.......riiight.