Pet Transport and Pet Boarding Specialists

Paws & Claws Across Borders: SA to USA Pet Travel

In recent months, the Keringa-Petwings pet transport team has seen an increase in emigration enquiries to the USA by South African pet owners.
The third most popular emigration destination for South Africans after the United Kingdom and Australia, the USA is already home to about 140 000 “SAFFERS”.

They’ve joined the ranks of musicians Dave Matthews and Jonathan Butler, author Mark Mathabane, academic Angela Hawken, architect and urban planner Denise Scott Brown, sports broadcaster Salema Masekela (son of Hugh Masekela), actors Arnold Vosloo and Nomzamo Mbatha, tennis player Liezel Huber, professional racing driver Jordan Taylor, businessman Lyndon Rive (cousin of Elon Musk), entrepreneur Patrick Soon-Shiong, soccer goalkeeper Victor Nogueira, and of course Elon Musk and Charlize Theron to name but a few.

The journey to becoming a permanent, legal resident in the US usually begins with obtaining a Green Card, and then qualifying for one of these visas:

Family-based Immigrant Visas: IR (Immediate Relative) and F (Family Preference).
Employment-based Immigrant Visas (IT, health care and finance are always in demand).
EB-1: For people with extraordinary abilities, exceptional professors and researchers, and multinational executives and managers.
EB-2: For professionals with advanced degrees or exceptional abilities.
EB-3: For skilled and other workers, and professionals.
Green Card Lottery / Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery: A limited number of visas available to South Africans.
Investor Visas: The EB-5 visa is available to people who invest a significant amount of money in the United States.
Student Visas: The F-1 visa is the most common for academic studies.
Temporary Work Visas: A temporary work visa such as the H-1B visa for specialty occupations and the L-1 visa for intra-company transferees can lead to being granted permanent residency.

California here we come!

California, on the Pacific Coast of Western America, is where the majority of South African emigrants live, for many reasons. Within its vast 420 000 km spread is a population of more than 39 million people, including a growing number of SA expats. It also boasts the US’s largest economy with plenty of work opportunities, educational facilities, a temperate climate with plenty of sunshine, beautiful scenery, beaches, outdoor activities (running, hiking, surfing, fishing, swimming, and of course braai-ing!), and diverse cultures – all the things that South Africans love.

The pet part of moving to the USA: The questions we are often asked, and our answers:

How long are the various flights?

Because there are no direct flights from South Africa to the United States, total flight time takes about two days after departure but bear in mind the following:

Each airline has a different routing.
Times vary depending on stopover countries and destination airports.
Dogs may only arrive at six airports in the USA, namely Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Washington and Philadelphia, which will also affect the length of flights.

Are there stop-overs from SA to US?

Yes. Pets will have a transit stop at the chosen airline’s hub, so for example Swiss Air will have a stop in Zurich, Qatar a stop in Doha and so on. These stops are actually great as they allow for pets to be taken out of their travel containers, checked and given fresh water and a small meal. Dogs are walked and cats are provided with a litterbox in their holding kennels, where they remain until it’s time for them to be loaded on to their end destination flight. Dirty travel containers are also cleaned to ensure a comfortable onward journey for pets.

Can owners track their pets during the journey?

Yes, owners can track their pets, usually from the time they have been manifested onto the flight. The airline will update their tracking information as well as the departure and arrival, and the same applies to the connecting journey, so at any given time, you know exactly where in the world your pets are.

What happens when their plane touches down in the USA?

Dogs arriving at one of the six 6 CDC-approved ports will need to clear customs – the chosen CDC-approved facility usually handles this and takes them to their facility to be revaccinated for rabies, after which they are released to their owners (the time this takes depends on each port). Cats are customs-cleared upon arrival and released straight to their owners.

If emigrating to the USA is on your agenda, the Keringa-Petwings team is here to help you navigate the journey. We’ll handle all your pets’ transport requirements, including:

Collecting them in a Petwheels pet taxi from your home (if required).
Boarding them in our luxurious Forest Log Cabins (dogs), Kitty Cabanas (cats) and Clinic (birds, bunnies and other pets).
All required veterinary procedures.
All required transport documentation.
Custom-making their travel containers according to IPATA and IATA standards – for secure, comfortable, world class transport.
Transport to the airport.
Booking and checking in pets with the airline.

For more information, please:

Phone: 011 976 3030
Email: enquiries@keringa.co.za
WhatsApp: +27799883781

OR chat with us on Zoom: Schedule a Zoom Call

Feel free to contact our knowledgeable and friendly Petwings pet travel agents if you have other questions – we are a phone call, video call, or email away