United States border preclearance
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The United States maintains border preclearance facilities at a number of ports and airports in foreign countries. In Canada, U.S. Border Preclearance is also known by its French name, Prédédouanement. Operated by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection service, travelers pass through Immigration and Customs, Public Health, and Department of Agriculture inspections before boarding their aircraft, ship or train. This process is intended to streamline border procedures, and to reduce congestion at border posts inside the U.S. When travelers from a preclearance port arrive in the U.S. they do so as domestic travelers (and are not subject to further inspections).
Preclearance is particularly beneficial to those who have an ongoing connection (such as a connecting flight), as there is no risk of border delays causing them to miss their connection. (A corresponding drawback, however, is that a delay in preclearance could cause the passenger to miss the outbound flight.) Air travelers with further connections have their baggage checked through to their destination; without preclearance the baggage would have to be collected prior to customs inspection and then checked-in for the subsequent flight.
Preclearance applies to U.S. citizens and to citizens of other countries. As the U.S. requires those in transit through the U.S to pass through U.S. immigration (unlike many other countries, which permit airside transfers), preclearance also applies to transit passengers.
These facilities exist because of agreements made between the Federal government of the United States and the government of the host country. Travelers who have passed through the U.S. Government checks, but whose flight or ship has not departed, remain in the legal jurisdiction of the host country. Although U.S. officials may question and search travelers, they do not have powers of arrest (either for customs or immigration violations, or for the execution of outstanding warrants). Local criminal laws apply, and are enforced by local officials. Notable exceptions are the U.S. territories, such as the United States Virgin Islands, where travelers to the United States are required to pass through U.S. immigration, customs and Department of Agriculture, but because of the territory's American status, still remain under American legal jurisdiction.
A preclearance inspection is the same inspection an individual would experience at any U.S. port of entry, except it is conducted on foreign territory. As a result, the individual does not have to undergo a U.S. government inspection again upon arrival in the United States. Instead, the traveler merely arrives at a U.S. domestic terminal facility and either connects to a U.S. domestic flight or leaves the airport.
To someone who does not have prior knowledge of this program, it may be puzzling to see an entry stamp from US Immigration with a city outside the United States. However, the UK and France have a similar agreement for Eurostar passengers. Passengers pass through immigration before boarding the train, so immigration stamps show cities outside the respective country.
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[edit] Canada
Informal preclearance arrangements between the U.S. and Canada began in Toronto, Ontario in 1952, following a request from American Airlines. This was extended and formalized with Canada's passage of the Air Transport Preclearance Act passed by the Canadian House of Commons in 1974, the 1999 Preclearance Act (Bill S-22) and with the 2001 Canada-U.S. Agreement on Air Transport Preclearance. The following Canadian airports operate U.S. preclearance facilities:
- Toronto Pearson International Airport
- Vancouver International Airport
- Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport
- Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport
- Calgary International Airport
- Edmonton International Airport
- Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport
- Halifax Stanfield International Airport
The U.S. operates a preclearance post at Pacific Central Station (Vancouver) for Amtrak Cascades rail service between Vancouver, British Columbia and Seattle, Washington.
The U.S. operates a preclearance post at the port of Victoria. This is particularly valuable to travellers using cruise liners which visit Alaska and the west coast of Canada.
[edit] Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean
Informal preclearance with Bermuda began in 1960. The Bahamas and the U.S. signed a treaty in June 1974 formalizing the process.
- Aruba - Queen Beatrix International Airport
- The Bahamas - Grand Bahama International Airport
- The Bahamas - Lynden Pindling International Airport
- Bermuda - Bermuda International Airport
[edit] Europe (Ireland)
The U.S. and Ireland entered into a preclearance arrangement in 1986. Only immigration checks are performed, with customs and agriculture inspections still done on arrival in the U.S. — therefore passengers from Ireland must still land at international terminals.
[edit] See also
- Immigration to the United States
- List of United States immigration legislation
- United States Department of Homeland Security
- United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
