Canadian enthusiasm to visit the United States right now isn’t exactly at Coachella fence-scaling levels.
But for Canucks who do want to venture south—as well as for returning U.S. travelers—there’s a streamlined avenue for doing so, and it doesn’t require Global Entry.
Last month, Canadian Minister of Transport Steven MacKinnon announced the opening of a preclearance facility at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) for travelers bound for the United States.
It's the latest of 16 U.S. preclearance channels at airports worldwide and the 10th in Canada. The larger Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) was an earlier addition to the program.
Instead of waiting in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) lines upon arrival in the U.S.—which can be an hour-plus slog, especially at major international hubs like Chicago, New York City, and Dallas-Fort Worth—travelers from Billy Bishop Toronto can now complete their customs inspections prior to departure.
Handling the customs process before landing in the U.S. is more convenient for folks trying to make connecting international flights, or for those leaving from smaller international destinations where lines might be shorter. And given the state of travel to the U.S. at the moment, many international visitors might prefer not to complete the customs process on foreign soil.
CBP projects that in 10 years an estimated 1 million travelers will be processed at the new Toronto facility annually.
How Customs and Border Protection preclearance works
Before approaching the U.S. CBP preclearance area at a non-U.S. airport, travelers should check-in with their airline and drop off any checked bags.
After going through the security checkpoint, travelers to the U.S. may approach the preclearance facility to present documentation, declare items acquired abroad, and answer questions about their visit as part of the usual customs, immigration, and agriculture inspection.
It's just like the protocol you'd normally follow after landing in the U.S. You're just taking care of things at the start of the journey instead, so that when you land you can gather your belongings and exit the airport without passing through customs again.
Keep in mind, however, that this does add extra steps to your preflight routine at the airport. Travelers are advised to allow extra time—think 30-60 minutes—to complete the screening. Hopefully that will still save you some waiting on the other end.
International destinations that offer U.S. preclearance
Worldwide, there are currently 16 preclearance locations across six countries.
In Canada
- Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport
- Toronto Pearson International Airport
- Calgary International Airport
- Edmonton International Airport
- Halifax Stanfield International Airport
- Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport
- Ottawa International Airport
- Vancouver International Airport
- Victoria International Airport
- Winnipeg Richardson International Airport
In the Caribbean / Atlantic
- Queen Beatrix International Airport, Aruba
- L.F. Wade International Airport, Bermuda
- Lynden Pindling International Airport, Bahamas
In Ireland
In the United Arab Emirates
- Zayed International Airport, Abu Dhabi