Nassau, Bahamas – United States Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) has advised that it is prepared to provide pre-clearance services at LPIA with new operating hours until further notice.
Beginning Monday, August 29th between 9:00am to closing, USCBP officials will pre-clear flights leaving LPIA during this specific window.
This will be very helpful for those Bahamians who have plans to travel to the United States and do not have an official American visa. They can be processed in Nassau by USCBP so that with the benefit of their Bahamian Police record and a valid passport, they may travel.
This also means that those persons whose scheduled flight times are before 9:00am must have a visa as they will travel as post-clearance passengers, required to clear US Immigration and Customs upon arrival in the United States.
USCBP will restore normal multi-shift pre-clearance services as soon as their staff complement returns to normal levels.
All passengers are asked to be patient with these new arrangements as these are unusual circumstances.
Every effort is being made to have the US departures experience be as efficient and pleasant as possible.
Most airports throughout the islands are back in operation as are many resorts.
The Bahamas Hotel Association president Stuart Bowe issued a message stating: “By and large The Bahamas tourism industry was sparred the full intensity of Hurricane Irene and clean-up efforts by hotels and attractions are well underway.
“Major resorts on Nassau, Paradise Island and Grand Bahama are fully operational with few exceptions. Except for the easternmost islands, most damage is landscaping-related. There has been some minor roof damage. Preliminary reports from Long Island, Cat Island, Eleuthera and Abaco, which suffered the brunt of the storm, are just reaching us.
“Along with the Ministry of Tourism and Aviation, we are assessing the extent of damages to hotels throughout the country and hope to have a good reading on that within several days.”
