Layover in the US with Iranian passport and Canadian PR

Expect to go to secondary questioning once you hit US customs. I knew a fellow who was in a similar boat but a Canadian citizen for decades. As a part of his job, he travelled regularly to the US via the same airport almost once or twice a month so US customs saw him and probably knew him on sight. Yet, every time he attempts to cross, he gets pulled into secondary questioning.

craftsman wrote: ↑ Expect to go to secondary questioning once you hit US customs. I knew a fellow who was in a similar boat but a Canadian citizen for decades. As a part of his job, he travelled regularly to the US via the same airport almost once or twice a month so US customs saw him and probably knew him on sight. Yet, every time he attempts to cross, he gets pulled into secondary questioning.

Thank you, I am not a citizen yet though I have applied for that, so still hold the Iranian passport.

I can’t give you anything definitive, but I have some observations.

A Canadian-citizen friend who was born in Iran tells me that she gave up trying to enter the USA when she has an entry stamp for Iran within the previous couple of years. She said the aggravation just wasn’t worth it. At the time, she was in her 50s, raised Zoroastrian, and had been a Canadian citizen since she had been in her 30s.

I have traveled between Vancouver and Mexico dozens of times. Over the years, I have used JAL, Delta, Canada 3000, MY, Alaska, Air Canada, WestJet, Mexicana, and AeroMexico (that I can remember).

For the past few years I have used WestJet (from various BC locations to Calgary, then non-stop to Mexico) or AeroMexico (Vancouver non-stop to Mexico City, then connecting within Mexico).

you would need an etsa. im an american but if i wasn't i'd try very hard to avoid interacting with US customs, guys are dicks

abbotsford has cheap swoop flights to many places in mexico. otherwise transfer in toronto or mexico city and avoid the us. not worth saving 100$

spraveenitpro wrote: ↑ Hi There

I am a Canadian Permanent resident with an Iranian passport, what should I do to transit through an American airport, I want to goto Mexico from Canada [YVR] and most cheap flights have a layover in the US,

Thank you,

i will say any "savings" won't be worth the hassle. secondary is pretty much a given...you can be in there for hours too. And definitely make sure you don't have any stamps from Iran, Pakistan etc in your passport.

if you have no need to stop in the US, don't even if you aren't iranian.

i used to travel with a friend (full cdn citizen, cdn passport but born in pakistan and travel there every few years for family) and he always gets pulled into secondary, gets a grilling ..and just not a pleasant experience everytime he goes into the US for whatever reason.

this is a ridiculous idea just to save a few bucks.

Any $ you "save" you will more than lose in time...or worse.

Fly direct from YVR to Mexico

StatsGuy wrote: ↑ i will say any "savings" won't be worth the hassle. secondary is pretty much a given...you can be in there for hours too.

And then of course, miss your flight.

I was pulled for secondary once at LAX returning from Mexico to Vancouver. I had like a one-hour connection from one Delta flight to the next. Secondary took a couple of hours, including a “bend over and I’ll peak inside”. Then they put me into a room with various children who had “unescorted minor traveller” pouches around their necks until Delta put me on an available seat several hours later.

I was pulled for secondary once at US immigration in Vancouver on my way to Mexico via LAX. My luggage was checked throughout Mexico. Nothing extraordinary happened to me. Everyone was pleasant to me. I just sat in a chair and waited while they waited for my checked luggage to come to them. They didn’t even open it. They pleasantly wished me a nice day… knowing that they had caused me to miss my flight.

My traveling friend had gone through immigration and was waiting at the gate. Airline personnel told him he had to decide whether to get on the plane or not. He didn’t speak Spanish and didn’t have a key to my house in Mexico, so he was taken back into the main terminal.

Sure, that’s two experiences in literally dozens of trips but for me, the risk of secondary with US immigration isn’t worth it. If I can fly non-stop between Canada and Mexico, I would cheerfully pay an extra $100-$200.

Well, maybe not cheerfully, but not too grudgingly.

You will need a US visa. You can not take a transit flight though US with just a PR card.

supersaiyan wrote: ↑ You will need a US visa. You can not take a transit flight though US with just a PR card.

Exactly this.

Canadian PR holders are not allowed to go to the US or transit through the US without a valid US visa.
Unfortunately you will be denied boarding your plane at YVR if it’s a connecting flight through the US.
You need to go through US passport control right here at YVR before boarding any plane heading to the US. It’s a special arrangement between two countries.

Sam286 wrote: ↑ Unfortunately you will be denied boarding your plane at YVR if it’s a connecting flight through the US.

It's not just Canada through U.S., but country through the U.S. Example. Passengers on French "domestic" flights that go thrpugh the U.S. (example Air France and French Bee Paris to Papeete going through LAX and SFO respectively have to go through U.S. immigration even if continuing on the same flight. Fishing expedition really.

supersaiyan wrote: ↑ You will need a US visa. You can not take a transit flight though US with just a PR card.

Even with a US visa, expect to be pulled into secondary questioning.

You're an Iranian citizen, your Canadian PR is irrelevant to US immigration. If you connect in the US you are entering the US. As an Iranian citizen you need a visa to enter the US. So just fly direct from Canada to Mexico, do not take any risk of having to land in the US.

thriftshopper wrote: ↑ It's not just Canada through U.S., but country through the U.S. Example. Passengers on French "domestic" flights that go thrpugh the U.S. (example Air France and French Bee Paris to Papeete going through LAX and SFO respectively have to go through U.S. immigration even if continuing on the same flight. Fishing expedition really.

Not really.

The US, like Canada, doesn't do intransit terminals as are common in Asia and Europe. Connections still require an actual entry to the country.

ritzcrv wrote: ↑ Not really.

The US, like Canada, doesn't do intransit terminals as are common in Asia and Europe. Connections still require an actual entry to the country.

Connections no, but it's still a fishing expedition for otherwise sterile same-plane ITI transit. There used to be sterile transit in the U.S. while Canada still does or did (qualify this later). For the U.S., it wasn't nice but transit pax were held in a closed lounge. Iberia used to do this in MIA (change of gauge to smaller a/c to various Caribbean island), AF at LAX, and a combination of CP, NZ and QF at HNL. Sometime before 11 Sept. 2001, pax transitting through HNL (either continuing same a/c or transferring between CP, QF and NZ flights) were interrogated by INS (as the immigration part of CBP were known at the time). Other flights that use to stop in U.S. en route to and from Canada - and where pax didn't have to clear - included Varig, Aerolineas Argentinas, and BA.

Of course all this stopped after 11/9/2001 and full entry clearance was required.

Since then, Canada has continued to allow pax travelling between HKG and JFK on the same flight (CX) with a stop at YVR to remain in transit. Presumably this is also applies to the seasonal SQ SIN-YVR-SEA flight.

spraveenitpro wrote: ↑ Hi There

I am a Canadian Permanent resident with an Iranian passport, what should I do to transit through an American airport, I want to goto Mexico from Canada [YVR] and most cheap flights have a layover in the US,

Thank you,

Just book a nonstop flight to Mexico to avoid the hassle.

thriftshopper wrote: ↑ It is. There used to be sterile transit in the U.S. and Canada still does or did (qualify this later). Wasn't nice but transit pax were held in a closed lounge. Iberia used to do this in MIA (change of gauge to smaller a/c to various Caribbean island), AF at LAX, and a combination of CP, NZ and QF at HNL. Sometime before 11 Sept. 2001, pax transitting through HNL (either continuing same a/c or transferring between CP, QF and NZ flights) were interrogated by INS (as the immigration part of CBP were known at the time). Of course all this stopped after 11/9/2001 and full entry clearance was required.

Since then, Canada has continued to allow pax travelling between HKG and JFK on the same flight (CX) with a stop at YVR to remain in transit. Presumably this is also applies to the seasonal SQ SIN-YVR-SEA flight.

As you put it, Used to be. Not anymore.

4 days before the world stopped, at LAX enroute to YVR from Tokyo. Processed by CBP, with no option of remaining airside. Maybe you're correct, as a Canadian my returns have been to Canada, not final destination abroad or US.

Anyhow, I'm not interested in a debate about interrogation (they have a job to do)

ritzcrv wrote: ↑ As you put it, Used to be. Not anymore.

4 days before the world stopped, at LAX enroute to YVR from Tokyo. Processed by CBP, with no option of remaining airside. Maybe you're correct, as a Canadian my returns have been to Canada, not final destination abroad or US.

It's not a same-plane transit. One is essentially free to enter the U.S. for your itinerary. I am specifying same-plane transit. No reason why pax can't be corralled (locked in a room if it has to be that) to continue on their way.

Anyhow, I'm not interested in a debate about interrogation (they have a job to do)

CBSA has a similar fishing expedition policy which is ho the whole Huawei debacle got started.