Yes indeed. Everyone arriving goes through immigration, collects bags, clears customs; and only then may proceed to the exit, or recheck bags and go back through security to catch a connecting flight.
The only exception is if you originated at a pre-clearance airport and did the immigration stuff before departure. But that means you still need a visa. And it’s only at a handful of airports in Canada, Ireland, UAE and the Caribbean.
Wait, really?
So you need a visa to transit through the US?
Yes indeed. Everyone arriving goes through immigration, collects bags, clears customs; and only then may proceed to the exit, or recheck bags and go back through security to catch a connecting flight.
The only exception is if you originated at a pre-clearance airport and did the immigration stuff before departure. But that means you still need a visa. And it’s only at a handful of airports in Canada, Ireland, UAE and the Caribbean.