I've only done preclearance on a ferry. There was a CPB agent in Canada, although theoretically there were random checks back in the US. But I remember it was basically a full inspection while in Canada.
I think there's CPB preclearance at some airports in Ireland.
Just looked it up, and apparently CPB doesn't call it preclearance per se by ferry, cruise, or train, which they only do for surface transportation between BC and WA. They call it pre-inspection and theoretically they'll still have someone at the port of entry to do things like random checks. But what I remember about it was that there was plenty of time when we were stuck at ferry terminal in Vancouver Island waiting to get on for a trip to Washington. I didn't see a single vehicle get stopped in Washington when driving off the ferry.
Securing America's Borders
www.cbp.gov
Pre-inspection: Unique to British Columbia
One CBP security process reflects the special, historic relationship between the U.S. and Canada: pre-inspection.
“Pre-inspection only deals with the admissibility portion of the CBP inspection – in other words, whether or not people have the right to travel to the United States,” said Donovan Delude, port director for
CBP pre-inspection at Victoria, British Columbia. “Whereas preclearance speaks to the customs, agriculture and the admissibility-immigration portions.”
CBP pre-inspects travelers to the U.S. at five sites with three different border-crossing modes of transit: ferry, cruise ship and train. CBP officers in Vancouver, who also staff the airport preclearance operations, travel as needed to the city’s train station and cruise port to process pre-inspection travelers. CBP maintains a staff of 13 in Victoria to manage pre-inspection for three ferry lines.
Pre-inspection agreements between the U.S. and Canada predate 9/11 and the formation of CBP. Estimates place the start of immigration pre-inspection in the early 1900s at Victoria, a tourist destination.
In the summer, each U.S.-British Columbia ferry line adds crossings to their schedules “and it’s busy!” said Delude. “The Washington state ferries are about 20 miles away from here. And we have the two different terminals here in Victoria, so we have to spread our people out. It’s a logistical dance at times to make all of it work.”
www.publicsafety.gc.ca
