Visiting girlfriend in the USA
I'm going to visit my girlfriend in the US (I am from the UK, 31 years old) for 10 days soon, for the first time. We've known each other 8 years online and have been together long distance for nearly a year.
I've read a few horror stories about people being denied entry when it's mentioned they're visiting a significant other in the US.
My plan is to just be honest and if asked say my reason for travel is to visit my girlfriend for 10 days. I have a good job in the UK and our current plan is that she will move over here to the UK in around a year.
What are the chances of me being denied entry if I am taking my honest approach? I plan to tell them I am visiting my girlfriend. I have accommodation booked for 10 days, plenty of funds to cover the visit and have a hire car booked for 10 days, as well as a return ticket to the UK.
One of my worries it that if they want to read messages they will see the word 'marriage' and think I'm going to overstay, but we do also have messages stating that we wouldn't be looking to get married until the end of 2020 or early 21 and that we'd do this all through the correct visa routes.
Suddenly got into a bit of a panic over it, even though I know my motives are honest and there is no way that I would overstay my visa or get married at this point.
Best Answer
The visa waiver program allows you to do the things you could do on a visitor visa, which includes "Visit with friends or relatives". What you are actually doing is completely proper and permitted.
You will probably not have any problems. Immigration officials must be quite bored with people from the UK visiting the US for a week or two. There will be dozens just on your flight.
There are two issues that can cause immigration officials to be concerned about visitors: becoming destitute in the country, and overstaying. You seem to have already covered the first issue, with good provision for your planned travel.
If you want to do anything more, collect up some evidence of an established life in the UK. For example:
- Document your job - a few payslips, anything confirming you are on vacation from a steady job.
- If you own or rent your home, document that.
Put that material in your carry-on bag, but do not produce it unless asked. During your arrival interview, do not volunteer anything. Listen carefully to questions. Answer clearly and truthfully exactly what was asked. Stick firmly to your plan of being honest.
Do not carry anything that looks like job hunting. No copies of your resume. No tools of your trade - a hairdresser was suspected of planning to work because she had her professional scissors and combs.
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Answer 2
They mainly want to ensure that you do not
- seek employment here, typically in menial tasks because employment screening is pretty good in skilled/technical areas
- go on the dole / seek public servi-- lol, nope, could not keep a straight face
- overstay
The first one can be settled by showing you have skilled, well-paying employment back in the UK. The second one is settled by showing you can easily afford this trip woth plenty to spare.
The last one is more critical, because you are apparently planning to live permanently with this person. This is where you need to show that your ties to the UK are significant, or optionally that hers aren't. For instance if you are an assistant manager at Wickes with no other family ties, and she is a career politician, you are portable and she is not, so the plan to move to the UK is not credible.
Answer 3
You'll be flying on an ESTA if you're a UK citizen. "Visiting friends and relations" is a standard category of visitor. The fact that you might at some point in the future have a marriage relationship is not at this stage an issue and I really don't see why it should be brought up by you or anyone else.
If any question arises, you have a return ticket and only if asked give details of your employment in the UK and your date of return to work in the UK.
US Border Control aren't the most pleasant of individuals, but in this instance there is no reason for any problem. Just don't make things more complicated than they are.
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