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Statistics: POE Stats
Toronto US Port of Entry Reviews
Average Rating: 4.1
/ 5
52 Review(s)
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| Toronto |  Review #17268. Entry: 2021-10-26 |
rainbow-skies
Rating: 
· 2 people found this review helpful
Click here if you found this review helpful | Topic: Port of Entry Review
POE Review - YYZ (Pearson Airport) --> CR1 Visa:
I received my passport in the mail on Mon Oct 25th and crossed POE at Pearson Airport on Tuesday Oct 26th.
I was travelling with Air Transat - which operates out of Terminal 3. I got to the airport at around 3:30am. I checked in and processed my checked bags first with Air Transat, then proceeded to the security/customs line. At approximately 4am, the line was already with 15-20 people. Security opened at 430am, however despite my flight being at 7am and despite repeatedly stating I have to activate an immigrant visa, the security personnel proceeded to allow the 6am flights to go through security first. So there were about 200 people ahead of me to go through security and customs; this caused me to get very nervous in case I was going to get held up in customs and consequently miss my flight.
By approx 5:10 am I was finally going through security. I then made it to customs around 520am. There were two lines filled with people waiting, but it moved pretty quickly. The first officer I got was very friendly. I told him I was activating a visa - he said they dont say "activating a visa" haha I got confused but just went with it. We proceeded to talk about living in the US and he was giving me advice on nursing in the US (which is what my job will be). He then verified my US address and walked me over to secondary. I was the first person in secondary, the officer there was very kind as well. All he asked me was to verify my US address and then he spent about 10-15 min just reviewing my electronic packet and then said I was good to go. By the time I was leaving secondary, there were about 4 people waiting in there. By 5:43am I was out of secondary and officially a lawful PR! I had just an hour to spare before my flight, despite all my nervousness.
All in all it was a very smooth and swift process. Now I anxiously await my SSN!
Tips:
- Terminal 1 - Security opens at 6am, customs at 630am; Airlines - Air Canada and United
- Terminal 3 - Security opens at 430 am, customs at 5am; Airlines - Air Transat, Delta, american airlines
- no matter how early you get to the airport, even if you end up being first in the customs line -- they will still prioritize those on flights earlier than yours.
| | | Toronto | Review #17261. Entry: 2021-09-26 |
a.miel
Rating:
Click here if you found this review helpful | Topic: Port of Entry Review
Entered on K1 Visa at Pearson Airport in Toronto
US security opens at 6:15 am. US customs opens at 6:30am. There was already a line of people waiting for security to open up when I got there around 5:45am. I had gotten an SSSS on my boarding pass when I checked in back in Edmonton so when it got to my turn, I had to do some extra steps for security. I had to take out all my electronics (usual procedure) and then they opened my carry on bags and swabbed the insides. Nothing super intense. No pat downs or physical checks like I've read elsewhere online, which I was most worried about. After they swabbed my bags, they gave them back to me and my boarding pass was stamped. Make sure you have this stamp if you got SSSS on your boarding pass or it'll be trouble at the gate!
Proceeded to go to Customs section. They had a new procedure for nexus/global card holders. No need to enter info or scan my card on the machines anymore - I only had to have my picture taken and they printed out my info (name, dob, passport number). I guess they used the retina scan. Nexus line was quite short. When it was my turn, I gave my packet to the officer and he wrote K1 on my nexus receipt, returned my packet and told me to line up again in a different line nearby. Stood in that line for a bit. When it got to my turn again, it was the same officer. Since he already knew who I was, it was really quick and he guided me to secondary screening. It's a big room with a lot of chairs and 2 officers working at the counters. There is a water fountain and bathrooms within the area. The officer took my passport and boarding pass and told me to sit down until I was called. Everyone who was already there all got called up one by one, very slowly, and left. Air Canada and United airline attendants would come every few minutes asking if anyone was flying with them, then take down their info. I guess they were making sure to hold the plane so no one would miss their flight.
When it finally came to my turn, there were 18 people waiting who entered after me. I gave my packet to a new, different officer and he looked through some things I couldn't see over the counter. He asked me if I understood the stipulations of the visa (marry within 90 days, can't leave, must stay in country until I get admitted for green card etc.). He didn't ask any personal questions at all. I waited in that room for about over an hour until my turn. If you have a connecting flight like me, make sure to leave enough time during layover. My layover was 2.5 hours and I would have missed my flight if the flight attendants didn't check on us and they ran things normally (ie. no other missing passengers, delayed planes etc.).
Process overall was easy, just a lot of waiting. I was worried for nothing!
(updated on September 29, 2021)
| | | Toronto | Review #17059. Entry: 2020-01-08 |
mteely
Rating:
· 1 person found this review helpful
Click here if you found this review helpful | Topic: Port of Entry Review
Really simple. My address my husband lives at is different to the address we filed during NVC, so officer needed to update this.
| | | Toronto | Review #16854. Entry: 2019-05-30 |
MRODRIGUEZ13
Rating:
· 1 person found this review helpful
Click here if you found this review helpful | Topic: Port of Entry Review
It was very quick and easy. The secondary room does both admissions and baggage review or something like that. I was in there for maybe 25-30 minutes. I was asked two questions, first by the officer who asked if my family was in the USA. Then he brought me to the secondary room and I sat down. I was then asked for my packet. I was then called up, given my passport and informed that it was valid for only one year and I should receive my actual card soon. She also mentioned if I ever had to leave the US, and it was going to be a year or longer - that I would have to apply for a travel document. In the end very easy which was amazing!!!
| | | Toronto | Review #16864. Entry: 2019-04-07 |
d24v
Rating:
Click here if you found this review helpful | Topic: Port of Entry Review
Very easy process. We arrived at the airport three hours before our flight. I had to check in at the desk because I was flying with a pet in the cabin. Took a couple of minutes at baggage check since we had to wait for the woman at oversized. No lines at security so we breezed through there.
At customs I tried to put my visa entrance on the computer and it told me that it couldn’t be processed that way. Staff were very helpful and sent me to the line I needed to be in (which happened to be significantly shorter than the standard processing line). One person in front of me, and then I was up. Border agent was very friendly; he only wanted my passport and my documentation for my cat (who he confirmed to be in good health). He then escorted me to secondary, where I had no wait and spoke to a second agent. I handed my immigration package off to him, which he opened. He asked me when we were getting married, what I did for work in Canada, and confirmed I knew the K1 was a single entry. Passport stamped, and we were done.
Total time between entering the airport and standing at the entrance to duty free was 37 minutes.
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