Flight from Pearson at 6:53 AM, when should I arrive?

[keysjangle 145]

Hey all,

I fly out from Pearson on Friday morning at 6:50 AM for my POE. Should I get there even earlier than normal? Working backwards: I would board around 6:20 AM, give myself an hour and a half for normal customs procedures arriving around 4:45 AM.

Do you guys think Pearson will be dead enough that say, arriving at 4:00 AM will be sufficient?

Thanks! I have a ton to do, but I need to get this sorted

[Tom & Stacy 3]

Hey! Pearson is a huge airport and can be busy. I'd tack on an extra hour to the 1.5 hours just to be safe. Which airport do you fly into in the U.S? Once you land, that's likely where the questions will begin.

[pocheros 101]

Immigration doesn't open at Pearson until 5:30am IIRC. You might want to call and ask- it could be tight if you can't get processed until then.

I POEd at Pearson with a 12pm flight and got there at 6am. Immigration took about 20 minutes, there were only a couple other people ahead of me.

Hey! Pearson is a huge airport and can be busy. I'd tack on an extra hour to the 1.5 hours just to be safe. Which airport do you fly into in the U.S? Once you land, that's likely where the questions will begin.

No, Toronto Pearson airport does customs processing right in the airport (most other airports don't). The questions and paperwork happen inside Pearson, not in an American airport. Once you land in America all you'll have to do is collect your luggage and leave.

Edited June 20, 2012 by pocheros

[Tom & Stacy 3]

Immigration doesn't open at Pearson until 5:30am IIRC. You might want to call and ask- it could be tight if you can't get processed until then.

I POEd at Pearson with a 12pm flight and got there at 6am. Immigration took about 20 minutes, there were only a couple other people ahead of me.

No, Toronto Pearson airport does customs processing right in the airport (most other airports don't). The questions and paperwork happen inside Pearson, not in an American airport. Once you land in America all you'll have to do is collect your luggage and leave.

Good to know! I'll likely be going through Toronto as well. I wonder what's easier...to do immigration in Canada or do it in the U.S at say Newark, NJ's airport? Probably Canada...

[Kathryn41 3,205]

You cannot fly from a major Canadian airport into the US and do immigration after you arrive in the US. All US immigration processing now takes place in the Canadian airport before you leave for the US so if you wanted to be processed in the US you would need to use a land crossing POE. - or fly to Europe and then fly back to the US. If you fly from Canada you won't go through US immigration at a US airport. You will go through US immigrations in the Canadian airport.

Edited June 20, 2012 by Kathryn41

[Peachey 10]

Good to know! I'll likely be going through Toronto as well. I wonder what's easier...to do immigration in Canada or do it in the U.S at say Newark, NJ's airport? Probably Canada...

You don't have a choice if you're going through Pearson. You HAVE to do it at the airport in Canada.

[Gypsyangel 11]

You cannot fly from a major Canadian airport into the US and do immigration after you arrive in the US. All US immigration processing now takes place in the Canadian airport before you leave for the US so if you wanted to be processed in the US you would need to use a land crossing POE. - or fly to Europe and then fly back to the US. If you fly from Canada you won't go through US immigration at a US airport. You will go through US immigrations in the Canadian airport.

There might be an exception ... when you fly Porter from Toronto to Newark, which is from the island airport. Last time I did that, immigration was in Newark. Unless things have changed.

[KTandTommy 31]

I recently flew out of Pearson for a 6:45 flight and got to the airport at 4... after checking in, the lineup for customs was already a good hour long at that point... I would probably suggest finding out what time the check-in counters open for your flight, and being the first one in line

[keysjangle 145]

I recently flew out of Pearson for a 6:45 flight and got to the airport at 4... after checking in, the lineup for customs was already a good hour long at that point... I would probably suggest finding out what time the check-in counters open for your flight, and being the first one in line

:|

Oh wow. Can special cases get an express lane, pretty please?

[KTandTommy 31]

:|

Oh wow. Can special cases get an express lane, pretty please?

LOL, wouldn't that be great??

The good news is that once I got up there, it was super speedy (I wasn't making my "official" POE though, just going to visit my fiance for a week)... The guy at the counter didn't even ask me where I was going, what I was doing or how long I was staying! He just commented on my name (my full legal name is kind of a unique one LOL)... I was SO shocked. I had my paperwork ready to show him and everything!

[keysjangle 145]

Spoke to Pearson customer service. He said they open up at 4:30AM, but I want to be there extra, extra early to be one of the first in so that I'm first in line to get in. Thankfully I don't live too far from the airport, so if I leave at 2:30AM, I can be there around 3. Arrghghgh.

[at long last 58]

Wow so this subject opens things up for me. How do we find out which Canadian airports do the POE on the Canadian side. I assumed I would get my POE if I fly from Victoria-Seattle, in Seattle.

Anyone know about Victoria, Bc or where to find the info? I'm state side at present.

Thanks fellow Canucks

Terri

[Krikit 1,164]

There might be an exception ... when you fly Porter from Toronto to Newark, which is from the island airport. Last time I did that, immigration was in Newark. Unless things have changed.

Yes, you're correct. Only the major airports/seaports have the pre-clearance.

Wow so this subject opens things up for me. How do we find out which Canadian airports do the POE on the Canadian side. I assumed I would get my POE if I fly from Victoria-Seattle, in Seattle.

Anyone know about Victoria, Bc or where to find the info? I'm state side at present.

Thanks fellow Canucks

Terri

Here is a link to the pre-clearance centers. Looks like you'll be doing yours in Seattle. I did a pre-clearance at the Victoria side when I went by ferry, but I don't see one for the airport.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/toolbox/contacts/preclear_locations.xml

[SF2007 48]

As Krikit said, be careful not all Canadian airports have pre-clearance. But if you do go through an airport with pre-clearance then you have no choice as of where you are going through customs, you will be doing it there.

I POE'd in Pearson in June last year. My flight came in from Montreal around 9 o'clock and I was the only person in secondary. No wait time, I was out in 15 minutes. My 4 hours layover seemed a little overkill, but you never know. It was a weekday and you definitely want to make sure you have enough time just in case.

Good luck!