How long does it take to get an immigration line at the airport?

How long does customs usually take? On average, it takes travelers 17 minutes and 53 seconds to get through Immigration and Customs. This number will vary based on the airport you're traveling through, the time of year you're traveling, and the time of day you're arriving at the airport.



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The bad news is that the time it takes can vary wildly depending on which airport you travel through and when you land. Customs will take a lot longer if a bunch of flights all land at the same time, but, on average, it takes about 20 minutes or less to get through customs.

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8 Ways to Breeze Through Customs Quickly
  1. Fill out customs and immigration forms in advance. ...
  2. Get in line faster. ...
  3. Ditch the food. ...
  4. Know the questions they'll ask. ...
  5. Retain your receipts. ...
  6. Put your phone away. ...
  7. Become a trusted traveler. ...
  8. Keep your cool.


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Inspection of Foreign Nationals At A U.S. Airport
If you are a foreign national, the CBP officer will ask why you are visiting the United States, ask to see the relevant documents, and decide how long you should be allowed to stay during this visit to the United States.

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If you have been denied entry with a visa, you have the right to: An exclusion hearing before a judge to determine your admissibility; An administrative appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals; A judicial review or appeal of any, or all, of the above decisions.

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You will pass through a US immigration checkpoint shortly after you exit the plane. Make sure you have all your required papers in order and ready to show to the CBP agent in the airport when the time comes. Remember to pack the documents you need to enter the US in your carry-on luggage for easy access.

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The General Guideline for How Early You Should Get to the Airport. Generally speaking, most airlines advise that you arrive at the airport at least 2 hours prior to a domestic flight, and at least 3 hours prior to an international flight.

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There could be issues with the mechanics of the jetway, or it could take a few times to line up properly with the aircraft door. Multiple aircraft could arrive at the airport at the same time and the ground crew cannot accommodate them all at the same time.

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Best advice for first-time flyers
  • Check the airline's luggage requirements.
  • Pack essentials in your carry-on.
  • Arrive at the airport two hours early.
  • Keep your ID handy.
  • Wear easy-to-remove shoes.
  • Respect other passengers' space.
  • Have a backup plan ready.


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At the border, you are likely to encounter Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers, and you may encounter Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents. HSI is part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

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Apply for TSA PreCheck
TSA PreCheck is one of a few government-run trusted traveler programs, designed to allow members to use expedited security lanes at more than 200 U.S. airports. With TSA PreCheck, you can speed through security without removing your shoes, laptops, belts or jacket.

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If the person is denied to enter the country at Port of Entry (POE) then an individual has to pay his/her own flight expenses. The passenger will be responsible for the return fare. In most of the cases the passenger will have a return ticket, as many countries insist return ticket for granting non-immigration visa.

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Your passport pages are full Some visa stamps take up a full page (or even two!) in your passport and surprisingly enough, you can be denied travel if you don't have enough blank pages left in your passport (for example, two adjacent blank pages for travel to Russia).

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