Can I travel to the USA, in transit to a different country, without a flight back to my own country?

Can I travel to the USA, in transit to a different country, without a flight back to my own country? - Stylish happy traveler with suitcase in airport hallway

I'm an European citizen (EU Passport) and I'll be soon traveling to a Central American country.

My flight has a one-night layover in the US, so I will actually enter US soil. I have done it in the past, my ESTA is current, my passport is ok.

I will have an onward flight (the flight that will take me to Central America), but I will have no return flight (no flight that will take me back to Europe).

I've been told that the situation recently changed and I'll now be required to have a flight back to my country.

NOTE: My final destination (Central American country) does not require that I have an onward/return flight. My main concern is US immigration.



Best Answer

I did this twice last week via the USA (two separate tickets, one from Ireland to Brazil and the other from Argentina to Norway; none of these are my country of residence). As soon as I said "In transit to—" the CBP guy stopped listening and stamped me in. No one was interested in my onward travel plans, although the first guy wanted to have a chat about Brazil. I travelled on a British passport.

Interesting the first guy gave me one day only in the stamp, the second guy gave me the full ninety days.




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