Visa Waiver For Transfer Via Usa

[mikic007]

I was avoiding flight transfers through USA like a plague in the past, but due to 50% cheaper ticket I have to consider this option now. I checked forum, but maybe it's just me or the question never came. I know it should be fairly easy, but still have some questions.

I'm eu nationality, my country is part of vwp. I would like to fly from EZE to Venice, with one domestic fly in USA (Miami - Philadelphia) with American Airlines.

I know I have to apply online for esta and if it's approved, most of things are OK? But what happens if it's rejected? How long before is this the best to do, especially in a case of rejection? I have no reason to assume something could be wrong, but according to several Internet searches, sometimes happens without reason.

I would by one ticket for whole flight, so I guess luggage will come to final destination. What if not, is my stuff then under USA customs? I'm not planning to carry nothing much, but could look like I'm moving somewhere (to my country, but officer could think that I'm making attempt to move to USA..).

Yes, I'm total noon about USA, heard just horror stories and accordingly paranoid. So if any fellow member is familiar with this, I would appreciate help.

 

[ben]

One of my primary markets was from an EU country to the US. I have never run into a situation of someone's ESTA application being rejected.

There were situations where someone was denied entry to the US upon arrival, but these were nearly always because there were grounds to assume the person was going to work, or had overstayed in the past, etc. And I never recall this happening on a stopover.

Regardless of your ticket, regardless of your final destination, the following will always happen:

1) Upon landing in the US, you clear US Immigration.
2) Having been admitted to the US, you pick up your luggage and clear US Customs.
3) If your luggage was checked through to your final destination (the baggage sticker will then have the arrival airport), normally immediately after Customs there is an area to drop off the checked baggage. You drop off the checked baggage there, clear security and go to the gate for your connecting flight.
4) If your luggage was not checked through to your final destination, then after clearing customs you go to the departures area and check in as you would if coming from the street.
5) Again: In any case, you will always clear US Immigration and Customs.
6) Unless there are grounds of some sort to consider you a security risk (and yes, I am sure that surnames, skin color, religion etc may factor into this), then your onward ticket should be more than enough to spare you any issues at Immigration.

As I understand your situation, if you're flying American throughout the trip, and arriving in Miami and departing Philadelphia on the same day, you will be checked through to Venice at Ezeiza. When you land in Miami, you will, as explained above, clear Immigration/Customs in Miami, drop off your bags (which you will have collected to clear Customs), go through security, and board your flight to Philadelphia.

When you arrive in Philadelphia, you will not have to do anything: your bags will transfer on their own, and you will not have to clear security because when getting off the plane you will already be in the secure area. All you do is take your carry-on stuff and go to the new gate.

Hope this helps.

 

[mikic007]

That was very helpful and extremely fast. Thank you Ben!

 

[ben]

One other small point you may need to bear in mind:

Per TSA* regulations, almost no liquids are allowed on flights.

If you buy anything liquid at Ezeiza, it will be brought to the gate by store personnel (and it must be purchased a minimum of 45 minutes before the flight), so that you can take it to Miami.

However once you arrive in Miami, you will not be able to clear security with the liquids in your possession. If you have with you any liquor perfume or whatever that you bought in Ezeiza, you must pack those in your checked suitcase after clearing Customs, before dropping your bags off on the luggage belt and proceeding to security. Otherwise, they will be confiscated by TSA.

*TSA stands for Transportation Security Administration, a group of people who aren't law enforcement but pretend that they are. While I often encounter nice people working there (and who appreciate the shittiness of their job), there are plenty that clearly aren't, as has been vastly documented on numerous occasions - whether it's crassness, callousness, shocking callousness, outrages, or just plain theft. Oh, and it's pretty clear that they're useless too, by just about any standard. If the preceding links weren't enough, here's the coup de grace.

Welcome to the United States.

 

[Ceviche]

Often change flights at Miami. Its no fun.

Be sure to have a minimum of 3 hours between flights. Even with 3 hours difference, sometimes the line for immigration clearance is so long ( despite visa waiver and with no global entry); you have to stand in a long queue just for immigration clearance.

Once you have done immigration clearance, you pick your luggage and then again stand in a queue for Customs clearance.

After customs clearance, you can indeed check in the luggage very fast as AA has a fast luggage check in counter just after custom clearance. Its done in 2 minutes. But then, you have a 3rd queue for the security clearance for entering the airport again. It can be very long at times.

Finally, you have to catch a airport train to go to your next flight which takes some time as well.

But the longest queue is at the Immigration.

Sometimes with 3 hours in between flights and normally no check-in luggage ( I travel super lite) , I was usually the last person to board the connecting flight.

Hope this helps.

 

[mikic007]

Uh, so much work and uncertainty, with way longer flight.. Still worth it in this case for now, but barely. Liquids don't really concern me, but long lines and possibility that something can go wrong independent of my actions are setback.

I remember Italian friend, girl who went to cancun through Atlanta, stuck overnight, because she lost flight due to immigration (they took 2.5 hours). What a trouble, especially since she didn't do nothing wrong.

 

[Ceviche]

I remember Italian friend, girl who went to cancun through Atlanta, stuck overnight, because she lost flight due to immigration (they took 2.5 hours). What a trouble, especially since she didn't do nothing wrong.

Its quite possible. I almost missed my flight a few times but never missed as I know the Miami airport v well and move very swiftly each time, i clear one of the queue. But for a flier who does not know the airport so well, possibility of missing the flight is higher than me.

The immigration queue is a bitch..no cell phones allowed. The guard who control the queue keep shouting at you. You are not allowed to go to a bathroom. You are not allowed to talk loudly. Even if you are just changing flights to go to Carribean or Europe,..you have to answer 100 questions at immigration and customs. So think about it if its worth the trouble.

This is my favorite hotel near Miami airport, if you can plan a longer connection. This hotel allows half day stay rates . But you have to call and talk to the hotel directly.

http://www.accorhote...ort/index.shtml

 

[ben]

Uh, so much work and uncertainty, with way longer flight.. Still worth it in this case for now, but barely. Liquids don't really concern me, but long lines and possibility that something can go wrong independent of my actions are setback.

I remember Italian friend, girl who went to cancun through Atlanta, stuck overnight, because she lost flight due to immigration (they took 2.5 hours). What a trouble, especially since she didn't do nothing wrong.

Really most of the time it's no big deal, at all. Clients of mine, citizens and non-citizens, fly via the US *all the time*, basically never an issue.

Except. Atlanta.

I'm speaking now in a personal rather than professional capacity.

If you want problems with immigration: go through Atlanta.

If you don't want problems with immigration: DO NOT GO THROUGH ATLANTA.

By far the vast majority of people who I know who ran into serious problems (kicked out of country; visa revoked; etc) was in Atlanta. It's not even close.

Avoid Atlanta like the plague.

 

[Ceviche]

Really most of the time it's no big deal, at all. Clients of mine, citizens and non-citizens, fly via the US *all the time*, basically never an issue.

Except. Atlanta.

I'm speaking now in a personal rather than professional capacity.

If you want problems with immigration: go through Atlanta.

If you don't want problems with immigration: DO NOT GO THROUGH ATLANTA.

By far the vast majority of people who I know who ran into serious problems (kicked out of country; visa revoked; etc) was in Atlanta. It's not even close.

Avoid Atlanta like the plague.

I think that state ( Georgia) has specific anti-immigration laws like no other uS state.

I did not mean the immigration at Miami airport are trying to stop you to enter. But just those long queue's wear you off...especially with that airport being a major Latin American hub. And officers do their usual rigamarole of interviewing.

 

[EJLarson]

I think that state ( Georgia) has specific anti-immigration laws like no other uS state.

Immigration laws are national: they don't vary state-to-state and the officials are employees of the national government, not the state of Georgia. One airport is like another in that respect - international terminals are subject to uniform national law.

Each gateway airport still has its character, however, and I echo the desirability of avoiding Atlanta if possible. And at any transit airport, where you arrive in the US from a foreign origin and have to clear immigration, a minimum layover of three hours is needed. I'm a US citizen - I used to do all my to/from Ezeiza travelling via Atlanta, and for me it was hellish: there were no problems, just very long queues for customs, immigration, and security. I'm sure it's worse for foreign visitors, but just want to reiterate that it has nothing to do, per se, with being in Georgia.