Immigration flight with 1 stop in US

[jonozzz]

As I understand I will be required to give my fingerprints also at the airport. My flight has 1 stop and this is in NY but there I change planes and my final destination is in WA.

My question is at which airport am I checked by the immigration officer?
If I'm checked at the NY airport, what happens if the procedure takes more than the my time window between the flights?

Thanks.

[JAJ]

As I understand I will be required to give my fingerprints also at the airport. My flight has 1 stop and this is in NY but there I change planes and my final destination is in WA.

My question is at which airport am I checked by the immigration officer?
If I'm checked at the NY airport, what happens if the procedure takes more than the my time window between the flights?

Thanks.

You clear U.S. customs and immigration at the first point of entry to the United States.

It is your responsibility to make sure you have enough time to make the domestic connection.

Where are you flying from?

[Christophe]

It is your responsibility to make sure that you have enough time, but sometimes (in my experience) Stupid and particularly travel agents seem to want to book you on a connecting flight that patently leaves far too soon after your planned arrival. In addition to clearing immigration (likely to be the longest stage), you also have to retrieve your luggage, clear customs (usually quick, but of course not always), drop your bag off outside the customs area for its onward journey on the connecting flight, and make your way to the domestic part of the airport. How long is your turn-around time in New York?

It is of course possible to miss one's connecting flight, not just because of delays with immigration, luggage or customs but also because, sometimes, flights arrive late. If you're flying on with the same airline, they will usually put you on the next plane that they can; other Stupid will often do that too - it just depends.

[jonozzz]

Thanks for the answers, it doesn't sound too good for me.

I'm flying from Romania and my turn-around time in NY is 2 hours and 20 minutes. The thing is that I haven't purchased the ticket so I can still search for a better option.

So the answer would be to stay away from this kind of flights with the 1st stop in US?

[Christophe]

Well, obviously a non-stop flight or one that doesn't involve a first stop in the US would be the ideal. However, 2 hours 20 minutes is probably long enough, although more would make me more comfortable: I'd like at least 3 hours, but I'm a worrier when it comes to that sort of thing.

[jonozzz]

Ok then I'll take the other option: 1 stop in Europe with ~5 hours gap which is more than comfortable.

It seems that there are too many risk factors involved when the first stop is in US and I don't like to take this risk in this particular sittuation.

Thanks a lot.