US Travelers to Cayman Will Pre-Screen in Miami to Avoid Immigration Lines

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KathyV

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The governments of the Cayman Islands and the US have agreed that US citizens traveling to Grand Cayman via Miami will be pre-screened at MIA before boarding the plane, see the link below.

When the pre-screened visitors arrive at GCM they will skip the long immigration lines and go straight to baggage claim and Customs. The new process is expected to save a lot of time and frustration for US visitors arriving on GC.

The new program will first be piloted with Cayman Air flights out of MIA but they are already talking to American Air and other airlines about expanding the program.

I've always disliked MIA but this new program could make travel through Miami to Cayman a bit more attractive - because I really, really hate the long, incoming immigration lines at GCM!

Cayman signs MOU with US on pre-clearance programme for Miami flights
 
Not to sound like a Debbie Downer, but we’ve had “pre-clearance” when flying to the US for a long time, and I really hate it. Check in/bag check; US immigration; security...I much prefer dealing with US immigration when I land. They say it saves time, but I don’t see how it does. It just means I never get to sleep the night before a morning flight because I have to arrive at the airport 3 hrs ahead.

I’ve never been to Cayman via their airport and do not know how bad it is, so the circumstances might be very different!

Edit: I’m going to say, however, that there are a lot more people flying out of YYZ into all parts of the US, but only a very small number flying into Cayman via MIA, so I’m pretty sure the experience will not be like how we experience it here.
 
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Not to sound like a Debbie Downer, but we’ve had “pre-clearance” when flying to the US for a long time, and I really hate it. Check in/bag check; US immigration; security...I much prefer dealing with US immigration when I land. They say it saves time, but I don’t see how it does. It just means I never get to sleep the night before a morning flight because I have to arrive at the airport 3 hrs ahead.

I’ve never been to Cayman via their airport and do not know how bad it is, so the circumstances might be very different!

Edit: I’m going to say, however, that there are a lot more people flying out of YYZ into all parts of the US, but only a very small number flying into Cayman via MIA, so I’m pretty sure the experience will not be like how we experience it here.

I've gone through US immigration and customs in Nassau returning to the US a few times and it was great, but this pre-screening is only for folks going to Cayman from Miami. They plan to do the screenings at the gate before boarding - at least that's the plan right now.

The GCM airport is undergoing a major renovation and expansion project right now so hopefully it will improve in the future. Under the current system, when you arrive on Grand Cayman - especially on the busy weekends - you are herded into a long, long, hot line that starts outside and eventually becomes a zigzag inside the Immigration Hall before you finally get through Immigration - and you can be in that line for a really long time if several planes come in around the same time; but the line can move quickly if your plane is the only arrival

After you clear Immigration you go to baggage claim, get your bags and head for Customs. After you get out of Customs you drag your bags outside, head over to the rental car agencies and wait in another line to get your vehicle.

Or if you are going to one of the Sister Islands, after you leave Customs you go outside, turn and come back inside the Ticketing Hall to get in line to recheck your bags. Then you get in another long line to go through Security to get to the crowded Departure Lounge to wait for your interisland flight and board your plane.

It can be an unpleasant way to start your vacation, so I'm hoping that the GCM renovations and the pre-clearance at MIA will make it a little easier.
 
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It may look good at first glance, but I see lots of potential SNAFUs with this.

First, everyone on the flight would have to go through pre-clearance, not just US citizens. There is no way that an international flight would land with some of its pax already having cleared customs and some still needing it. So, If I (a Canadian) was flying from Toronto to Grand Cayman connecting through MIA, it would become a royal PITA. I would pre-clear US Customs & immigration in YYZ and board the flight to MIA. Once there, I would have to leave the secure area to then go through Cayman Customs and Immigration and then go back through TSA to get on the flight. The time to make connections would have to increase dramatically.

As things stand now, I would have to pre-clear US Customs & Immigration in YYZ and then not leave the secure area until I get off the plane in Grand Cayman. The trip home would be unchanged in that I would still have to clear US Customs in MIA and then Canada Customs in YYZ.

Ultimately, how effective this is will depend entirely on how it is implemented. Hopefully, my comments will be proven to be false and it will be smooth and seamless.
 
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It may look good at first glance, but I see lots of potential SNAFUs with this.

First, everyone on the flight would have to go through pre-clearance, not just US citizens. There is no way that an international flight would land with some of its pax already having cleared customs and some still needing it. So, If I (a Canadian) was flying from Toronto to Grand Cayman connecting through MIA, it would become a royal PITA. I would pre-clear US Customs & immigration in YYZ and board the flight to MIA. Once there, I would have to leave the secure area to then go through Cayman Customs and Immigration and then go back through TSA to get on the flight. The time to make connections would have to increase dramatically.

As things stand now, I would have to pre-clear US Customs & Immigration in YYZ and then not leave the secure area until I get off the plane in Grand Cayman. The trip home would be unchanged in that I would still have to clear US Customs in MIA and then Canada Customs in YYZ.

Ultimately, how effective this is will depend entirely on how it is implemented. Hopefully, my comments will be proven to be false and it will be smooth and seamless.

Fly direct to Cayman and try to avoid flying through the US! The extra spent on fares, if any, is worth it IMHO. AC and WestJet usually have reasonable fares direct though, no?
 
Thanks for posting KathyV.

The lines at GCM surely are a pain and I hope tis ends up helping. We fly through Atlanta so wouldn't be able to prescreen at first, but if the MIA folks are pre screened at least there will be shorter lines for us.

Add in the remodeled airport at GCM and there is some hoppe for a nicer arrival and departure experience.
 
Any word on when this pre-screening process is to be implemented?

No date given. I got the impression from an article I read that Cayman had wanted it in place before the current high season of travel but there were delays in reaching agreement - so they may try to get it launched quickly - but I don't know that, I'm just speculating.
 
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