US PRE-CLEARANCE FACILITY ABU DHABI AIRPORT

[anz 1]

Hello everyone

So we plan to move to US last week of May-2015. I bought the ticket of Etihad airline EY 151 for Chicago, so my question either we have to go for pre-clearance with whole luggage or just with hand carry.Thanks and good luck.

Anyone who's gone through this process please share!

[Dualie 185]

I have never cleared from there, but I have gone through a US Pre Clearance from Canada, and you have to bring all your luggage. I am pretty sure that whenever you have to pass through a US Pre Clearance, wherever you are in the world, you must bring ALL of your luggage, because this gives them the chance to inspect it if they want to, and it will be tagged to the US destination (I worked at an airport with a US Pre Clearance area for several years).

Hope this helps. Good luck!

[Faizanzeba143 2]

Etihaad airways pre clearance is a pain in the neck even for us citizens which is why I never travel through them.. Make sure you leave time between your flights 3 plus hours because people end up missing flights often. And only your hand carry will be with you if you're transferring . I would still suggest you travel via. Qatar Airways or Emirates if it's a first time, I don't know why ABU DHABI Poe has become overly strict. All the best!

[anz 1]

Thanks Dualie & Faizanzeba

Unfortunately I bought the tickets and I travel from LHE to AUH where our stay is four hours so I think It should be enough time . I appreciate any other suggestions . Good luck & thanks .

[KierenHby 897]

I have never cleared from there, but I have gone through a US Pre Clearance from Canada, and you have to bring all your luggage. I am pretty sure that whenever you have to pass through a US Pre Clearance, wherever you are in the world, you must bring ALL of your luggage, because this gives them the chance to inspect it if they want to, and it will be tagged to the US destination (I worked at an airport with a US Pre Clearance area for several years).

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Ok.. so how do Pre Clearance logistics work for a ME3 carrier like Etihad?

Suppose pax connecting in AUH to a US-destination flight, travelling from South Asia or the Far East to the US. Would pax claim bags from the baggage carousel after an Asia-AUH leg, check-in for the US-bound flight at the EY check-in counter, be inspected by CBP, and then be inspected by US Customs at AUH?

When would bags be dropped off for the aircraft belly? Or how do they handle pre purchased liquids.. duty free alcohol, etc.

I've only once pre-cleared.. on a Canada-US flight where I only had a carry-on. I'm curious how it works in AUH.

[Dualie 185]

I am sorry,I can't tell you how it works in AUH. I only know that, at least from the airport I worked at, all baggage checked through a US Pre Clearance area was tagged for its final US destination, so you shouldn't have to claim baggage. It should be moved from aircraft to aircraft. There should be a way to call the airport and verify this. As I said, I am only familiar with the pre clearance protocol in North America. If I had to guess, I would say that once baggage is checked onto a flight through pre-clearance anywhere in the world, and it is checked through by TSA and CBP, it is not taken ground-side until it reaches its final destination in the US. That is the whole idea behind the protocol. I could be wrong, but to offload it in another country would negate the whole process.

[JimmyHou 610]

I am sorry,I can't tell you how it works in AUH. I only know that, at least from the airport I worked at, all baggage checked through a US Pre Clearance area was tagged for its final US destination, so you shouldn't have to claim baggage. It should be moved from aircraft to aircraft. There should be a way to call the airport and verify this. As I said, I am only familiar with the pre clearance protocol in North America. If I had to guess, I would say that once baggage is checked onto a flight through pre-clearance anywhere in the world, and it is checked through by TSA and CBP, it is not taken ground-side until it reaches its final destination in the US. That is the whole idea behind the protocol. I could be wrong, but to offload it in another country would negate the whole process.

I find this rather strange since even when you're flying into the US you have to pick up your bags and check them in again at your first point of entry. This is because after that first stop, all other stops will be at domestic terminals where there are no CBP checks. In fact, most airports have no CBP officers at all. If you are flying from London to Montpelier, Vermont through JFK, you will go through customs at JFK and you'll have to pick up and recheck your bags. I would have thought it would be the same process for flying from London to Montpellier through Toronto. Otherwise you'd skip going through customs because Montpelier won't have a customs area. This would seem like a rather large security gap. Furthermore, every time I've flown to the US from Canada, I've walked off the plane and straight to the street without going through any checks, even at major airports that do have international arrival terminals.

Does CBP inspect bags without the passenger present in Canada? I know TSA does this all the time in the US but customs officers don't.

Edited April 1, 2015 by JimmyHou

[JimmyHou 610]

As for Abu Dhabi, there's a discussion of this issue on this thread, but note that this is not an official source: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g1-i10702-k7451389-US_preclearance_in_Abu_Dhabi-Air_Travel.html

[Dualie 185]

I find this rather strange since even when you're flying into the US you have to pick up your bags and check them in again at your first point of entry. This is because after that first stop, all other stops will be at domestic terminals where there are no CBP checks. In fact, most airports have no CBP officers at all. If you are flying from London to Montpelier, Vermont through JFK, you will go through customs at JFK and you'll have to pick up and recheck your bags. I would have thought it would be the same process for flying from London to Montpellier through Toronto. Otherwise you'd skip going through customs because Montpelier won't have a customs area. This would seem like a rather large security gap. Furthermore, every time I've flown to the US from Canada, I've walked off the plane and straight to the street without going through any checks, even at major airports that do have international arrival terminals.

Does CBP inspect bags without the passenger present in Canada? I know TSA does this all the time in the US but customs officers don't.

Hi JimmyHou - I was just speaking from my own experience. My bags were always patched straight through to final destination. Once the baggage arrives on US soil I think it can be taken from one airline to another by PAX, but the whole pre clearance protocol is to clear the bags into the US, so (in my opinion) that would mean that baggage stays "airside", which are restricted areas, until it arrives on US soil. Pre clearance eliminates the need to go through customs at the other end.

In Canada security can and does xray baggage without the passenger being there, but they always call them in to open them up. CBP will not go through baggage in Canada without the passenger present, with permission. (This does not pertain to commercial cargo.).

Edited April 1, 2015 by Dualie

[JimmyHou 610]

Hi JimmyHou - I was just speaking from my own experience. My bags were always patched straight through to final destination. Once the baggage arrives on US soil I think it can be taken from one airline to another by PAX, but the whole pre clearance protocol is to clear the bags into the US, so (in my opinion) that would mean that baggage stays "airside", which are restricted areas, until it arrives on US soil. Pre clearance eliminates the need to go through customs at the other end.

In Canada security can and does xray baggage without the passenger being there, but they always call them in to open them up. CBP will not go through baggage in Canada without the passenger present, with permission. (This does not pertain to commercial cargo.).

Thanks for the reply!

[anz 1]

Thanks to all my visa journey friends !

[anz 1]

Hello

Please guide one more thing, Can I apply for social security before leaving US, last month I paid USCIS Immigrant Fee, and how can I change my mailing address. Thanks & Regards

[anz 1]

Oh I forget that I already filled the information on DS-260 Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration”.

[sasaqlain 24]

Ok, I have had an experience with Abu Dhabi pre-clearance as i traveled through Etihad and wasn't aware of the pre-clearance setup. For some reason they treated me like a convict even though I am a US citizen. To answer your question, you book all your luggage for your final destination. All you carry is your hand luggage. You are NOT required to have all your luggage with you during pre-clearance as its not possible during transfers. I will never travel through a country that has similar arrangements. I have rights here in the US and cant be treated the way they treat me in these arab countries. Good Luck.

[KierenHby 897]

Is there a particular way they treat passengers or the way you were treated that you felt wasn't right? I'm curious as I've not traveled through abu dhabi.