USC Visiting Canada via Airplane: Where do you go through customs?

[IntoTheLight 5]

Hey Everyone,

My fiance just booked his first international flight to come visit me in Canada (he drove last time), but I'm a little unsure of what he should expect. Whenever I visit him, I go through Customs in Toronto's Pearson International, before flying anywhere. But he'll be traveling from Tuscon (TUS), through Chicago (ORD), then landing in Toronto (YYZ). Will he be going through customs in Toronto or Chicago? If Chicago, how long does that normally take? He'll have about 2 1/2 hours layover there.

Not sure if this is the right place to post, but I figured it was most likely relevant here. Just a bit nervous that his first international flight goes smoothly and excited to see him again in less than a month!

[Flames9_RN 358]

He will go through Canada customs in Toronto (Canada does not pre-clear people)

[ShirahBet 42]

Customs in Toronto, and really any airport Customs in Canada has only ever taken me max 10 minutes to clear when entering, including wait time. Clearing US customs in Canada has always taken a little longer. Land border crossings are worse.

[IntoTheLight 5]

Thanks to both of you! That sounds less stressful than clearing it at a layover.

Customs in Toronto, and really any airport Customs in Canada has only ever taken me max 10 minutes to clear when entering, including wait time. Clearing US customs in Canada has always taken a little longer. Land border crossings are worse.

Whoa, really? I'm a Canadian citizen and it took me an hour to clear customs my first return trip. It was horrible. They even asked me more questions than US customs has both times I've cleared it. Maybe I was just unlucky. Haha

[carocaro 22]

When my husband came as a boyfriend to visit Calgary, Canadian customs asked him all kinds of questions including proof that he had a job and a home in Phoenix. That so surprised me. Mind you, I guess he could have been trying to break into booming Cow Town to escape the depressed Phoenix economy and heat ;-)

[NikLR 13,232]

My husband has never had any trouble, even when he was coming up to be married. They wished him a happy day and sent him along - this was in Calgary. Even the time he visited for 36 days wasn't an issue.

However it's been over a year since he's been up here and he only has a one way ticket this time. I'll be waiting outside for him just incase there are any issues but I told him to bring his FAA badge and he should be fine. LOL (proof of employment right there!)

[maplestar 2]

Customs in Toronto, and really any airport Customs in Canada has only ever taken me max 10 minutes to clear when entering, including wait time. Clearing US customs in Canada has always taken a little longer. Land border crossings are worse.

I used to think that. I had one trip where they took forever, booting up my computer, checking out every single image file on the computer. They wouldn't even let me answer my phone when my father (who was waiting at the airport to pick me up) called. After that, I'm very wary of bringing a computer with me when I cross the border. It was far too invasive for my taste, and I didn't like the way I was treated. (This was as a Canadian citizen, returning home after a visit to my US then-fiancée now-wife.) My wife, every time she flew to Canada to visit me, got pulled for secondary screening.

I think we've had it much smoother when we've driven across the border together (both when we were engaged and now that we're married). Of course, it may also be that since we've been married, we've never crossed more than twice in a year, where when we were engaged, one or the other of us was crossing every couple of months.

[NikLR 13,232]

I've never had anyone more than second glance my laptop and mostly due to the sheer size of the damn thing.

[Autumnal 25]

Bringing a computer across the border before 2007ish was asking for trouble with certain guards. Before I moved to the US, my ex got delayed at the border bringing me a tower system. He was in IT, so he built it himself. The border guard could not believe that people built computer systems from parts they purchased specifically instead of getting a Dell or HP unit altogether, and made my ex prove he wasn't transporting something questionable. So he had to go through the bootup, load all the academic programs he had installed at my request or for me, and the border guard got to stare at 1,000 some odd digital textbooks, photos, and other files associated with my British history degree. It was totally unpleasant but you do what you have to do.

I've never had an issue with laptops across the border, iPads, the whole nine yards. Transparency seems to help, as well as the assumption the guard is familiar with electronics.

[moemac59 193]

Hey Everyone,

My fiance just booked his first international flight to come visit me in Canada (he drove last time), but I'm a little unsure of what he should expect. Whenever I visit him, I go through Customs in Toronto's Pearson International, before flying anywhere. But he'll be traveling from Tuscon (TUS), through Chicago (ORD), then landing in Toronto (YYZ). Will he be going through customs in Toronto or Chicago? If Chicago, how long does that normally take? He'll have about 2 1/2 hours layover there.

Not sure if this is the right place to post, but I figured it was most likely relevant here. Just a bit nervous that his first international flight goes smoothly and excited to see him again in less than a month!

You guys might want to look at getting Nexus cards if you are going back and forth frequently. It just makes it easier and faster with customs.

[NikLR 13,232]

I got mine finally!

[neiks 19]

It is not unusual for customs to look through your laptop or cell phone. In today's time people keep their entire lives on a electronic device thus is a huge tool in finding illegal activity. Many significant arrests of pedophiles has occured this way and important intel gathered. And yes, Canada Customs does had the absolute authority to examine your laptop, phone or any other goods you are bring into to Canada.

[moemac59 193]

I got mine finally!

[The Mean Lady 604]

It is not unusual for customs to look through your laptop or cell phone. In today's time people keep their entire lives on a electronic device thus is a huge tool in finding illegal activity. Many significant arrests of pedophiles has occured this way and important intel gathered. And yes, Canada Customs does had the absolute authority to examine your laptop, phone or any other goods you are bring into to Canada.

US customs went through hubby's texts once.

And I saw Canada customs go through someone else's phone.

Now we delete all texts upon arrival to either border.

It was extremely disturbing to me.

[IntoTheLight 5]

Thanks for all of the feedback, guys. He just left from his visit a few days ago and had no problems. He even said he was visiting his fiance. They didn't want any proof of ties or to look over a single thing. It was way less stressful than we'd expected.

Sorry to hear some of you guys had to deal with questioning. I wonder whether it's just a matter of luck who you get, or if something else makes them react differently.