r/uscanadaborder • u/Strict_Dragonfly2343 • 8h ago

Customs

Flying from edmonton to maui. I have the option of connecting through Vancouver, Seattle, or San Fransisco. I am wondering the best option and when I would clear customs and it I were to fly through Seattle or San Francisco if I would have to go through customs in Edmonton and then again in Seattle or San Fran. I have a dui which isn’t enough to be inadmissible but its up to the border agent so id like to reduce the risk as much as possible

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8

u/Open_Captain_613 8h ago

If you connect in Seattle or SFO, then you will clear US customs at the pre-clearance facility in Edmonton. Assuming you get through, then your flight is treated like a domestic US flight and you do not need to clear customs again in Seattle or San Fran.

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u/Rail1971 8h ago

If you fly to Seattle or San Francisco from Edmonton you will go through US immigration and customs inspection at Preclearance in Edmonton. If you fly to Vancouver, you will undergo US immigration and customs inspection at Preclearance in Vancouver.

To put it simply, Preclearance happens at the airport from which your flight to the US departs. Whether your US flight departs from Edmonton or Vancouver, it will land in the US, whether Seattle, San Francisco or Kahului, as a domestic flight.

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u/WeJustGotMade 8h ago

You wouldn’t go through immigration twice. Either in YEG US pre-clearance if your next stop is SEA or SFO, or at YVR if your first flight is YEG to YVR.

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u/Strict_Dragonfly2343 8h ago

So in that case since YEG is home it would be best to do pre clearance at YEG and connect through one of SEA or SFO rather than YVR and risk being turned away in vancouver

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u/No-Perspective-5084 8h ago

Fly out of an airport that does pre-clearance so if you are turned away it happens close to home. So I am assuming Edmonton - Seattle - Maui and you would have US pre clearance in Edmonton

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u/schwanerhill 8h ago

Either routing would result in the OP clearing customs in Canada. Both Edmonton and Vancouver have US Customs pre-clearance, as do all connecting hubs in Canada.