Using Dublin Airport for US Pre-Clearance

[Silas 0]

Just wondered if any fellow Brits have flown to the US via Dublin while awaiting their spouse or fiancé visa. I understand that you clear US immigration in Dublin rather than when you land in the US. If this is indeed correct I’d be interested in hearing the opinion of people who’ve gone through it.

I’m asking as I’m currently in the US visiting the wife (she’s starting business school so I’ve been helping her settle in) and I was giving quite a grilling at POE. I’d imagine I’m on their system now so would get a further grilling next time they scan my passport and I suppose it just takes one immigration official haivng a bad day to deny you entry. I think it’s touch and go that I’ll receive my visa by Thanksgiving but if I don’t have it by then the wife is quite keen for me to come over to the States for a long weekend (probably because she wants me to do the cooking ). My thinking is that should I be denied entry I’d much rather this occurred in Dublin (where I could at least make the best of a bad situation and have a pleasant weekend there) than after having flown seven hours across the Atlantic only to put on the first plane flying back to the UK. Is it really the case that once I’ve satisfied any queries they might have in Dublin, once I land in the US I can head straight to the luggage carousel?

[Lansbury 19]

US immigration in Ireland is just the same as any other POE in the US. Once you are cleared by them you have been admitted and do not go through immigration again in the US

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

I'm not sure, but I think you do go through customs on the US side. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

[TracyTN 237]

That's my understanding as well, Robin.

[payxibka 10,045]

That's my understanding as well, Robin.

Dublin and Shannon (on the west coast of Ireland) are the only two European airports with U.S. border preclearance facilities which saves passengers a lot of time upon arrival in the United States (only immigration checks are performed, with customs and agriculture inspections still done on arrival in the U.S.

Edited August 29, 2007 by fwaguy

[Kez/JWolf 6]

That's my understanding as well, Robin.

You will pre-clear immigration AND customs in Dublin.

You do not clear US customs in Dublin only US immigration... you still have to clear Customs when you land in the US... I have done the Immigration at both Dunblin and Shannon it was no problem and I was all done in under 5 mins... I would recomend that anyone who is worried about being denied entry fly through Dublin, that way if you do get denied you will only have to pay for a short flight back to the UK and not a transatlantic flight... as you will have to pay the full cost of your seat with no discount for your unused return ticket... this happened to a friend of ours and he had to pay for a flight from GA to London and no economay seats were available on the next flight so he had to pay for Business class it cost him more to get home than it did for his economy return ticket....

Kez

Edited August 29, 2007 by Niagaenola

[Jeraly 4]

Ohhh you know I never even knew you could do that - I am so going to consider this in future!! US immigration is a nightmare - I always feel guilty even though I have done nothing wrong!! I'm sure it isn't *too* much better in Dublin but at laest if entry is denied you don't have so far to fly home ;D

[John & Annie 0]

We came through Dublin with no problems.

[gwenneh 7]

We went through Shannon entry pre-clearance; this is where they took issue with the long-expired K-1 in my husband's passport and held us up so we nearly missed our connecting flight. Going through JFK, we'd never had an issue.

[Silas 0]

Hi everyone, thanks for all the responses to my query.

[Cassie 8]

That's my understanding as well, Robin.

You will pre-clear immigration AND customs in Dublin.

You do not clear US customs in Dublin only US immigration... you still have to clear Customs when you land in the US...

Kez

I am not sure if procedure is the same in Canada's PFI's .... I go through Halifax, and once in the US, I go straight to the luggage carousel (or to the next gate for my connecting flight) .... no US Customs for me. *dunno*

[C and J 1]

I really wish I'd known about this before hand

I am due to travel to the States tomorrow, for a 2 week visit and I have been fretting about US immigration for weeks (make that "months") now I have proof of employment, return ticket and wedding invitation as proof of ties to home/reason for visit, but am still scared of being sent back on the next available flight >.< Getting turned away in Ireland seems so much less daunting.

This will hopefully be my last visit before our visa is approved but it is completely nerve-wracking for me. I can't even get in the mind-frame of spending time with my husband because I don't want my hopes dashed if I'm turned away

[Lansbury 19]

I'm surprised they haven't started do the US immigration clearance at Heathrow. US immigration officers are there, they first came about a year before I retired and the excuse was that they could resolve problems with passengers who were hits on the No Fly List. But it was also an excuse to check out the practicalities of having a full US immigration service there.

[John & Annie 0]

I'm surprised they haven't started do the US immigration clearance at Heathrow. US immigration officers are there, they first came about a year before I retired and the excuse was that they could resolve problems with passengers who were hits on the No Fly List. But it was also an excuse to check out the practicalities of having a full US immigration service there.

Maybe they will do that in the new terminal, where would they put it now, there is no room.

[Lansbury 19]

I'm surprised they haven't started do the US immigration clearance at Heathrow. US immigration officers are there, they first came about a year before I retired and the excuse was that they could resolve problems with passengers who were hits on the No Fly List. But it was also an excuse to check out the practicalities of having a full US immigration service there.

Maybe they will do that in the new terminal, where would they put it now, there is no room.

They would have to do it at every terminal that would have US flights. When they move the Star Alliance airlines to T1 that would be just about all the terminals.

Immigration could be done at the gate room, it would just need a few dedicated gates for US flights, in the same way as there is a dedicated gate for El-Al flights. It would mean a bit of extra time boarding to save more on arrival.