Processing time at POE

[Thesmiths2016 117]

I'm in the process of booking my flights, and will have a connecting flight within the USA (flying into LAX for processing, then continue to Denver).
Can anyone offer insight into the required layover time?  Will 3hrs be enough to collect bags, go through immigration with my CR1 packet, and get to my next flight?

[Dashinka 24,609]

Personally, I would plan 4 hours minimum, but 3 may be enough.  It has been a while since I went through CBP at LAX and I remember it being about 1.5 hours mostly waiting for luggage, not sure if the CR1 entry would extend that.

 

Good Luck!

[EandH0904 1,184]

While I've never traveled LAX most airports say minimum layover is 1h15min. Therefore I'd say 3 hours is ok unless your first flight is significantly delayed. 

[MrChamploo 45]

It only took an hour for my wife so i really think it differs on experience.

Even if O'hare has problems they seem quick xD

[JFH 12,190]

It all depends on so many things. My POE was Las Vegas. Although there were only 3 international flights that arrived in that same hour (which is nothing like the volume that LAX handles) there were at least 20 people from one of the flights that were being refused and deported. I had to wait until they had all been "dealt with" before they would even open my package from the embassy and stamp my passport. I was placed in secondary for 2.5 hours while they handled the deportations and refusals. Had they not been there I would have been in and out in 5 minutes. 

[mallafri76 1,012]

It also depends on CBP of the day. Some get their passport stamped and that's it, others get questioned for awhile. 

 

Better to have extra time then feel stressed. With that said, if the flight with the layover is booked in one ticket, you'll get rebooked for free if you miss your connecting flight. 

[Thesmiths2016 117]

On 12 May 2017 at 5:38 AM, JFH said:

It all depends on so many things. My POE was Las Vegas. Although there were only 3 international flights that arrived in that same hour (which is nothing like the volume that LAX handles) there were at least 20 people from one of the flights that were being refused and deported. I had to wait until they had all been "dealt with" before they would even open my package from the embassy and stamp my passport. I was placed in secondary for 2.5 hours while they handled the deportations and refusals. Had they not been there I would have been in and out in 5 minutes. 

wow thats quite the experience. I'm glad it all worked out!

[Thesmiths2016 117]

On 12 May 2017 at 0:45 AM, Bill & Katya said:

Personally, I would plan 4 hours minimum, but 3 may be enough.  It has been a while since I went through CBP at LAX and I remember it being about 1.5 hours mostly waiting for luggage, not sure if the CR1 entry would extend that.

 

Good Luck!

 

On 12 May 2017 at 0:52 AM, EandH0904 said:

While I've never traveled LAX most airports say minimum layover is 1h15min. Therefore I'd say 3 hours is ok unless your first flight is significantly delayed. 

 

22 hours ago, mallafri76 said:

It also depends on CBP of the day. Some get their passport stamped and that's it, others get questioned for awhile. 

 

Better to have extra time then feel stressed. With that said, if the flight with the layover is booked in one ticket, you'll get rebooked for free if you miss your connecting flight. 

 

On 12 May 2017 at 1:48 AM, MrChamploo said:

It only took an hour for my wife so i really think it differs on experience.

Even if O'hare has problems they seem quick xD

 

On 12 May 2017 at 5:38 AM, JFH said:

It all depends on so many things. My POE was Las Vegas. Although there were only 3 international flights that arrived in that same hour (which is nothing like the volume that LAX handles) there were at least 20 people from one of the flights that were being refused and deported. I had to wait until they had all been "dealt with" before they would even open my package from the embassy and stamp my passport. I was placed in secondary for 2.5 hours while they handled the deportations and refusals. Had they not been there I would have been in and out in 5 minutes. 

Thank you all, I ended up paying a bit extra ($150) for the flight combo that gave me a 5hr 10min layover.  I'm doing all of this with a baby so there will be no "running" from terminal to terminal ..... a little extra time to get through, and less stress, was definitely the way to go.