“Processed Through Facility ISC New York NY (USPS)” is a tracking status you may have seen when sending or receiving an international package or mail item.
What does this mean exactly? What is the ISC New York and is your package close when you receive this update?
Let’s take a look…
“Processed Through Facility ISC New York NY (USPS)” – Meaning
“Processed Through Facility ISC New York NY (USPS)” means the shipment has arrived at the New York International Service Center (ISC) and the package has been scanned. Before being dispatched toward the destination address it will undergo customs clearance checks within the ISC.
What is the ISC New York Facility?
The International Service Center in New York is a USPS sorting facility that processes 60% of the mail and packages entering and leaving the USA.
Located at JFK International Airport the ISC New York Facility is the busiest sorting center of its kind used by USPS.
NOTE: USPS also ISCs in Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
What Happens Inside ISC New York?
Once your shipment arrives at the ISC and the “Processed Through Facility ISC New York NY (USPS)” update is triggered, it will be subjected to the customs clearance process.
In other words, customs staff within the ISC check incoming and outgoing shipments.
Once the shipment has been cleared it will be passed on to USPS, where you can expect further tracking updates.
- Related Content: What does “Inbound out of Customs” Mean? (USPS Tracking Guide)
Is the ISC New York a Customs Facility?
Although staff at the USPS New York ISC works closely with the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP), (they are in the same building after all), the two organizations have very distinct roles in the processing of incoming and outgoing shipments.
The CBP’s sole responsibility is to inspect all international packages entering or leaving the USA. They will check the contents of shipments to ensure no prohibited items, (foods, animals, drugs, and counterfeit goods for example) are contained within.
USPS on the other hand is responsible for the sorting and delivery of items entering the USA, (and the successful dispatch of items leaving the USA).
So although it is true to say that a package goes through the customs process at ISC New York NY USPS, the item is actually with the CBP as this happens.
Here’s a summary of what happens when the CBP checks a package within the ISC New York facility:
- A general check will involve non-intrusive inspection techniques, (i.e checks without opening the package).
- A suspicious package will be taken to an inspection area, where it will be examined by sniffer dogs and/or subjected to x-rays
- Finally, if suspicions continue the package will be opened for a physical inspection.
However, the majority of shipments are clear customs with no issues and are handed back to USPS from the CBP for delivery to the destination address.
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How Long will my Package be at the ISC New York?
Although the customs clearance process is standard procedure, the length of time you can expect to wait until your package leaves the ISC processing facility in New York City varies widely.
A small package that is part of a single consignment, (i.e not a bulk shipment) may take a matter of hours to be processed through the ISC once the CBP has it in its possession.
Conversely, if your item is part of a bulk import (along with many other consignments) it could take the CBP several days to inspect the shipment.
And remember, this duration doesn’t take into account unloading, sorting, and dispatch times.
Issues that impact processing times at the ISC New York:
- Declaration of the package contents
- Correct and fully filled in documentation
- Where the package has come from (i.e which country)
- The size and weight of the package
- Whether tax or duties are owed
- Staffing levels (Covid staff reductions had massive impacts)
- The volume of packages arriving (seasonal variations)
My Package is Stuck at ISC New York NY (USPS)
If your package tracking status remains stuck within the ISC New York facility for more than 5 business days you will have grounds to contact USPS to see what the delay is.
However, without further updates, it is difficult to determine whether the hold-up is due to general delays in the facility or if a problem has occurred during customs clearance.
The latter will generally trigger an alert advising the shipper or recipient on what issues have taken place with the CBP.
All that being said, if the tracking status does not update and your package seems stuck in the ISC, you should contact USPS Customer Service to find out more.
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How to Contact ISC New York
USPS has recently made it easier for customers to make contact regarding international mail.
You can call the International Inquiry Center at 800-222-1811 to make inquiries on any USPS international registered, recorded delivery, insured, mail items as well as standard parcels.
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Tracking Updates Related to “ISC New York NY (USPS)”
There are a number of USPS tracking updates you can expect to see after your package has arrived at the ISC New York NY (USPS) facility.
This includes confirming that the package has been handed over for customs clearance (Inbound into Customs), as well as indicators that the package has been returned to USPS and has been dispatched to another facility.
For example, the “Metro NY Distribution Center, Arrived at USPS Regional Facility”, means your package has left the ISC and arrived at the Metro New York sorting facility and has been scanned.
You may also receive an “In Transit to next USPS Facility” tracking alert. This means exactly what it describes.
The package is on its way to the next facility (or post office) closer to the destination address.
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Final Words
Essentially, the ISC New York NY (USPS) is a major facility responsible for mail and packages coming in and out of the USA.
In other words, if you line in the northeast United States and are sending or receiving mail to or from overseas, your item will pass through this facility.
The United States Customs and Border Protection works inside the facility to inspect shipments to ensure the safety of U.S citizens and that laws are abided by.
Assuming your package contents are not a prohibited item and have followed the necessary regulations in terms of import or export, the shipment will pass through the ISC and will be forwarded on to the delivery destination in no time, (well you hope so anyway 🙂 )
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