us customs

[kerstfan1]

a small question i have been reading some treads about bypassing the big line when u have an esta and been to the us before in the last 5 years how does this work

ty joyce

 

[Jon84]

When you are in the queue they have been picking people out to use the machine. The machine scans your passports, takes all your photos and fingerprints. Then you go to a shorter queue to stamped by the control officer

 

[kerstfan1]

oke ty

 

[Disneynutinlondon]

If you have a valid ESTA and you have already used it and been through the regular immigration process on subsequent visits using the same ESTA you can use the self service machine.

The machine scans the machine readable page on your passport and then you need to scan your finger prints on your right hand and it also takes your photo. It then matches all those details with the ones that were collected when you initially used the ESTA via the regular process. You then pass onto a much shorter line that is maned with immigration officers who will quickly check everything and stamp your passport.

The only proviso to using this system is that you have a valid ESTA which has been used in the past 2 years

 

[TinkerbellW]

We arrived on Monday and thought we wouldn't be able to go through the self service as we were all on new estas but we were directed to the kiosks and got through immigration in record time.

 

[Minniesgal]

We have found recently that immigration is no longer the hold up it was in 2012, 2013. Baggage claim is now what we have to wait for.

 

[scoobydooby]

When we went in May 2014 they were calling for people who had travelled in the last 12 months to use the self serve kiosks. They were quite new then I think. We bypassed a queue of at least 200. It was fab!!!!!

 

[edinburghlass]

Its really nothing to do with how long you have had your ESTA as they only last two years anyway but provided you have one and have been in the USA within the last few years. Have a read of this thread.

http://www.disboards.com/threads/immigration-queues-car-hire.3430624/page-2

My advice is read the signs as you reach the immigration hall and ask rather than fall in behind the huge queue!

 

[kerstfan1]

oke ty guys i had to get a new esta as i had to get a new passport for this trip and next years to new zealand but since i went to the us last year i think i will try and go to the self service kiosk and hope to save some time as im only going for one week

 

[2Tiggies]

We have found recently that immigration is no longer the hold up it was in 2012, 2013. Baggage claim is now what we have to wait for.

I think that's the way it works for any airport. We always sail through immigration at EWR, but would wait seemingly forever for the carousel to kick into action. The times we cleared immigration quickly at MCO it was the same. You always wait for something, I suppose.

oke ty guys i had to get a new esta as i had to get a new passport for this trip and next years to new zealand but since i went to the us last year i think i will try and go to the self service kiosk and hope to save some time as im only going for one week

The last couple of times we entered in Orlando the self serve kiosks didn't seem to be open for use on a voluntary basis. They had staff there splitting the lines, checking with batches of people as they came through whether or not they met the criteria and dividing the travelers between the regular queue and the kiosks. They seemed to be keeping some kind of count to keep the queues flowing. I don't know if it just depends on how busy they are at the time.