Immigration issues

We will be doing the Montreal to Miami later this year and (never having been to the USA or Canada before) we wondered about the immigration process.

We have done the (eTA) which you now need for Canada and the (ESTA) for the USA so all is in order there.

I am assuming the process will be fairly straightforward on entering Montreal but when the time comes that we are in US waters and our first port of call there, will there be another border control procedure or will be under the Regent umbrella by that point?

Also, will we have to take our passports and identification when we are on shore?

Thank you in advance.

Pam.

You normally don't have to take passports onshore in the US and Canada, but you do need to always take identification. At many ports these days, you have to have not only your suite card but also a form of photo id to get into the port.

At your first port in the US, your passports will be examined, but that usually doesn't require face to face customs inspection. But you will go through customs in Miami when you disembark. You cannot use globa entry or the equivalent there. Everyone has to stand in line. So wait till your color is called.

You normally don't have to take passports onshore in the US and Canada, but you do need to always take identification. At many ports these days, you have to have not only your suite card but also a form of photo id to get into the port.

Thanks Rachel, will a photo drivers licence do the job?

Drivers license is fine

Drivers license is fine

Thanks again, what is the global thingy and the colour code?...are you assigned a colour at check in and will it take longer for passengers from overseas that haven't registered in the US because of being on the cruise?...or will we already be in the process with the first US port that we came to?

Pam, we find it useful to have a colour photocopy of the important page of our passports to hand when in the US as many stores require photo id when you pay for a purchase with a card. Since our driving licences don't all have photographs (mine doesn't) and we don't want to carry our passports with us, I keep a copy in my purse just in case.

Thanks again, what is the global thingy and the colour code?...are you assigned a colour at check in and will it take longer for passengers from overseas that haven't registered in the US because of being on the cruise?...or will we already be in the process with the first US port that we came to?

Global entry is an expedited line in customs in the US for US citizens. They have a similar thing in Canada which we have been approved for and in the UK, which we could get but it costs a lot extra so I didn't. Anyway, it doesn't work at the port of Miami or at least didn't in March of this year.

On disembarkation, everyone is assigned a color code. You are supposed to exit the ship when your color is called. Some people disregard this and that messes up the flow.

Thanks for the replies, it's much appreciated.

Pam.

You will likely be required to clear U.S. immigration at your first U.S. port. Immigration officers may come onto the ship and do the clearance in one of the larger rooms, like the show lounge, or you may be asked to go to their booths in the port. You'll likely be given your passport back for this, and then asked to turn it back in to Regent for the duration of the cruise. You'll then clear customs, which while part of the same agency as immigration is a separate inspection, at disembarkation in Miami. And, of course, you'll have your passport back then.

Actually, Global Entry is available to UK citizens who wish to apply for it.

Travellers who visit the US frequently will benefit from it, people who visit e.g once a year not so much, and anyway you do need to visit the US to finalise your application with a face to face interview.

https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/national-media-release/2015-11-03-000000/cbp-announces-expansion-global-entry-uk-citizens

https://global-entry.beta.homeoffice.gov.uk/register-to-apply

Isklaar, you're correct - after a couple of years when it was withdrawn, Global Entry is being offered once again to UK citizens. From September, an appointment can be made for interview at the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square where a new Global Entry Enrollment Centre is being opened for a limited time (60 days according to the information I had on hand). But the non-refundable application fee, the further $100 (also non-refundable) payable later and (I think) an annual fee make it quite an investment. Though we visit the US up to four or five times a year, we have decided it's not worthwhile for us. When we stand in the queue at LAX we might think differently ;-)

Isklaar, you're correct - after a couple of years when it was withdrawn, Global Entry is being offered once again to UK citizens. From September, an appointment can be made for interview at the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square where a new Global Entry Enrollment Centre is being opened for a limited time (60 days according to the information I had on hand). But the non-refundable application fee, the further $100 (also non-refundable) payable later and (I think) an annual fee make it quite an investment. Though we visit the US up to four or five times a year, we have decided it's not worthwhile for us. When we stand in the queue at LAX we might think differently ;-)

It appears you have to pay a 42 GBP fee to the UK government for some kind of preprocessing and then the $100 to the US for 5 years of GE (it'll likely be a longer period the first time since, for the US at least, it expires on your first birthday 5 years after issue). There is no annual fee. So your first 5 years will cost about $155 and then $100 per 5 years thereafter (assuming the UK fee is a one-time thing). So, a bit over $30/25 GBP per year.

You'll have to decide if the convenience is worth that amount. Once a year, maybe not. Two or more times, I'd say definitely.

Isklaar, you're correct - after a couple of years when it was withdrawn, Global Entry is being offered once again to UK citizens. From September, an appointment can be made for interview at the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square where a new Global Entry Enrollment Centre is being opened for a limited time (60 days according to the information I had on hand). But the non-refundable application fee, the further $100 (also non-refundable) payable later and (I think) an annual fee make it quite an investment. Though we visit the US up to four or five times a year, we have decided it's not worthwhile for us. When we stand in the queue at LAX we might think differently ;-)

Hi Gilly, thanks for the updated information. Does the interview in Grosvenor Square replace the need to for the face to face interview in the US?

I haven't flown into LAX for quite some time, do they not have the automated system yet? I've used that at MIA several times now and it's much quicker. I went from plane door to taxi in less than an hour on a recent visit. It used to take me much longer.

I fly to visit family on the east coast quite often. When I do that I try to route via Ireland so that I can clear U.S Immigration there, that very much speeds things up so I'm not sure that GE is worth it for me. Maybe I'll look into it again now.

Portolan, I need to revisit the website and check those figures. I'll be honest, I gave it a quick look over when I spotted a newspaper report last weekend about the opening of the Grosvenor Square bureau, because we narrowly missed the chance to apply the last time it was offered over here. Of course, we need to factor in the cost of travelling to London for the day too and multiply it all x2 (because I can't imagine my dh will want to stand in the queue when I sail through <g>) Isklaar, I believe the face to face interview can be conducted in London now, though according to the news clipping, "for 60 days from September 26th"

The last time we used LAX immigration, the queues were horrendous (but not as bad as MIA!!) I didn't spot any automated systems there, but we have certainly used such things at O'Hare and they speeded things up considerably. We've had really slick and efficient transits and on other occasions the pace has been glacial. I guess it depends on other arrivals around the same time, how many A380s are in that number and whether there's a full complement of clerks on duty.

I'm going to recheck those figures now and see if I can make them work before presenting the case to my dh, who forgets how much he hates those queues until we find ourselves in one ;-)

Thanks Gilly, it's a short window of opportunity this time then. Hopefully you can persuade DH !

Portolan, I need to revisit the website and check those figures.

Well, I got it from both the US and UK sites:

https://global-entry.beta.homeoffice.gov.uk/register-to-apply

Thanks Gilly, it's a short window of opportunity this time then. Hopefully you can persuade DH !

Haha, turned out to be a pushover!! (I reminded him of the queues and how he loves them...)

Here's hoping they don't reject us!

Haha, turned out to be a pushover!! (I reminded him of the queues and how he loves them...)

 

Here's hoping they don't reject us!

I'll be very interested to know how you get on!

Pamela1 - sorry for the slight derail of your thread when I posted about GE but I wanted to make it clear that it is available to some other nationalities.

Do not apologise, it's fascinating, however i don't think we will be doing the yearly pass...well like Gilly said....maybe the queues might make a difference.

Thank you all for the advice, very helpful.

Pam.

Do not apologise, it's fascinating, however i don't think we will be doing the yearly pass...

Just so no one ends up confused, Global Entry is a five year pass with no annual fee, just the application fees.

Just so no one ends up confused, Global Entry is a five year pass with no annual fee, just the application fees.

Scott, we have never been to the US or Canada. We are very excited but seeing that this is our first time then we feel that the Global entry wouldn't help us at this time.

Obviously we hope that we can continue our travels in the wider world and hope for many travels ahead!!!