Delays at Immigration in Orlando

[Neil D]

We are planning to go to Orlando in December. However, I have heard that there are horrendous delays going through Immigration when you arrive (they photograph you etc, etc)Can anyone help me by relaying their personal experiences of late and letting me know exactly how long the delays are and for what purpose? Many Thanks for your help!

[rekstout]

If you are a british passport holder and you have correctly completed your visa waiver and customs declaration with no crossings out or wirting on the wrong line etc the there are no delays whatsoever, staind behind the line at the desk and wait to be called forward. Be polite and do not try to joke - they usualy don't get it and can get very shirty. We travel to Orlando International four times a year at least and it is no tougher now than pre-9/11. Departure will take longer, there are additional security checks which may include explosive testing and manual bag searches. Allow another 45 mins to an hour to get through this. Just be sensible, do ntt complain, don;t wear impractical clothes shoes (you will probably have to remove them and possibly your belt for screening). It is well organised and fine as long as there are no idiots in the queue. Don't let it put you off - it is nowhere near as bad as people make out and those with bad experiences are usually the ones who made a mistake and got sarcastic or shirty with the staff.

[slimjim]

My father was recently held in a cell at Miami airport for 6 hours without explanation. Turned out that his (relatively common) name was showing up on some list they had. Disgusting treatment by a collection of knuckle-heads who couldn't spot a terrorist if he dropped a bomb in their lap. Just how many terrorists have been caught post 9/11??

[AllYourBase]

As Eu citizens we get used to the free travel we have in between EU countries. Little more than a cursory glance at a passport and you're into France, Spain, Greece etc. Although wh share many aspects of culture and language with the yanks, they do not see British or EU citizens as any different to anyone else and don't share the EU open borders. It is quite a shock to find slow immigration and detailed scrutiny of your passport, followed by a few questions about where you are going and for how long etc. when you go the US for the first time. Anyone would have thought that Americnans didn't want tourists to visit. In all honesty, I dodn't think they care less what we think as foreign tourists, because the bulk of their tourists come from within the US. Problems are rare if you fill in the cards correctly and answer their questions. As for when your plane lands, that will determine the speed the queues go down, but expect at least an hour. I endorse everything Rekstout says above.

[asador]

www.usafis.org

www.official-green-card.org