ExXB, It can be but I was talking about my experiences with officials, not waiting times. But there again, I have had good and bad. All depends so much on the airport, arrival time and staffing levels. Done gate to hire car in 30 mins at EWR, LAX and FLL. I avoid MIA like the plague. Cleared ATL immigration in as little as 10 mins and as long as 90 mins. JFK (International terminal) isn't too bad if you arrive ahead of the main rush. I have more recently had longer waits at BHX (Terminal 2) in the UK passports line than at some US airports!