Hard time from immigration for coming to the US so frequently.

[twinkle22]

I entered America yesterday and am with my SO (woop woop) however I had a pretty rough interrogation on the way in... I came out here in September, February, April and now July... the guy on immigration basically said there was "a pattern emerging" and I should get an actual visitors visa next time I want to come...

I have always travelled on ESTA visa waiver programme so not had to attain a visa and when I come in September I would be coming for 2 weeks only with an onward ticket (one way to New Zealand) booked so I don't really get why I have to get a visa... feeling a bit victimised

Just wondering if anyone else has encountered any kind of problems like this? Now I am worrying all sorts like should I not listen to him and just come in on ESTA again in September and hope for a nicer immigration officer? Or should I go for one... but then what happens if they said no and refused me a visa... I wouldn't be able to go at all?!?!

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhh

[Hollandia]

I entered America yesterday and am with my SO (woop woop) however I had a pretty rough interrogation on the way in... I came out here in September, February, April and now July... the guy on immigration basically said there was "a pattern emerging" and I should get an actual visitors visa next time I want to come...

I have always travelled on ESTA visa waiver programme so not had to attain a visa and when I come in September I would be coming for 2 weeks only with an onward ticket (one way to New Zealand) booked so I don't really get why I have to get a visa... feeling a bit victimised

Just wondering if anyone else has encountered any kind of problems like this? Now I am worrying all sorts like should I not listen to him and just come in on ESTA again in September and hope for a nicer immigration officer? Or should I go for one... but then what happens if they said no and refused me a visa... I wouldn't be able to go at all?!?!

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhh

They gave my SO a hard time the first time he just came for 2 weeks in April. I think I would suggest bringing something that shows you have strong ties to your home country and so you can explain that getting a visitors visa because of the short length of your stays is not possible?

I go through a similar thing when I come to Netherlands so often. I understand your frustration.

[80anthea]

I got questioned heavily back in April. The guard thought it was odd that I was travelling under a Mrs.. (my passport is still in my married name) and I was saying I was going to visit my partner who's name was different. Next time I am taking loads of extra things just in case!

[committed]

I think a lot of countries do this. When I traveled to Canada with my ex and then separately to see my ex, each time they gave me an interrogation and made me feel like they suspected me of something.

[Kiyama]

I was always in fear when I entered the US but I was there as often as you have been, even a few times more.
What do you tell them why you wan to visit?
I was always honest and I got some hard questions but in the end they always let me through. Once they even asked if my man proposed, would I just stay there and such things.
How long were your visits? As long as it's just a couple of weeks every time it shouldn't be a problem.
I wouldn't apply for a visa, once this is denied you can never travel under the visa waiver again.

[Deleted]

I feel you! Being Mexican and traveling to US to visit some of my relatives is frustrating. We have gotten long interrogations in which all of us are questionned...from my father to my teen sister. It is even ridiculous since we very rarely stay more than a week. By the law, no Mexican is allowed to go in the US without a visa...but up to what I know, the visitors visa is another story and it seems unfair having to get it in your situation.

What has gotten us out of trouble is getting permissions to enter further in the country. They make you sign a bunch of stuff and you are allowed to enter and stay for a while and the last time I got it, the permission was usable for 6 months. Not to stay 6 months, but rather to have several visits during the time the permission is still valid. I'd like giving more info about this but I really do not know all the details, usually my father fix the whole thing every time and I only sign my papers... the last thing I knew about this paper is that it no longer lasts for 6 months, that you have to get it every single time you go. (I don't really know since it's been more than a year that I don't visit relatives).

As Kimaya said I would not suggest you apply for this, unless ask for loads and loads of info so you are 100% sure you won't have it denied!

[MattDavies86]

Sounds horrible to be honest, I haven't come accross this problem with traveling back and forth to Thailand, granted I've only been 3 times, Nov, May and June, but I'll be going again in Sept and then March, we'll see, I don't think I'll have these troubles though, I hope not! lol, don't let it get you down, sounds like a common thing, they're not picking on you their just really careful.

[nicole]

The general rule is to spend the same amount of time outside the country as your last trip lasted. Say you were there for a month, you should wait a month to go back, but of course when you have frequent visits, it's going to cause red flags at immigration regardless. So long as you have enough evidence tying you back home with you and a return ticket, they have no reason to not let you in.

I was believable because I had been on a student visa to start with so "visiting friends" was a good explanation for my extended stays, but I never had it that bad; I've always entered at Newark and the immigration officers there are always as nice as immigration officers can be. I was under the impression as an ESTA country you don't need a visitors visa? I didn't even know there was one available for stays under 90 days anyway. I'd have a look on visajourney.com and see if one exists for ESTA countries, but I don't see why you shouldn't be able to travel on the VWP just because you use it a lot.

[Riyko]

I've never had to deal with this, but yes next time you enter make sure you have a lot of information with you. I think what might be a red flag to them is the time between the february - april visits and the april - july visits (2 and 3 months). When I was in Canada my boyfriend at the time (was from Chile) and we'd frequently cross the border into the US during school breaks and holidays so about every 2 months and they told him you need to get a visitors visa due to the amount you travel (his was good for 6 months after he got it).

[NerdyChick]

I know that when I was entering into the UK to visit my SO for the very first time, the minute I mentioned it was for a significant other I got kind of the third degree, but I was okay with it, I know they just wanted to make sure I didnt have any intentions of over staying my welcome. Basically they asked me some basic information and nonsensical stuff, then would ask me about things like my being a student, what major I was under, and when the next semester I had started, they also asked to see my return ticket. I'll admit it took me by a bit of a surprise, but they are just doing their jobs. I can imagine that the more frequent the visits you have the more flags it will raise for them, but at the end of the day, if you've done nothing wrong and are following all the legal guidelines, there's no reason for them to deny you access, no grounds for them to do that, they just may throw in their own 2 cents about it. I'm sorry they gave you such a hard time

[Tooki]

I know that when I was entering into the UK to visit my SO for the very first time, the minute I mentioned it was for a significant other I got kind of the third degree, but I was okay with it, I know they just wanted to make sure I didnt have any intentions of over staying my welcome. Basically they asked me some basic information and nonsensical stuff, then would ask me about things like my being a student, what major I was under, and when the next semester I had started, they also asked to see my return ticket. I'll admit it took me by a bit of a surprise, but they are just doing their jobs. I can imagine that the more frequent the visits you have the more flags it will raise for them, but at the end of the day, if you've done nothing wrong and are following all the legal guidelines, there's no reason for them to deny you access, no grounds for them to do that, they just may throw in their own 2 cents about it. I'm sorry they gave you such a hard time

Ironically, I visited the UK with my GF and the immigration officer was more interested in (innocently) wondering why I came from Estonia when I'm not an exchange student in Europe (I even told him that I was in Europe to visit my GF and she is waiting around the corner for me). My person seemed really nice though and it never felt like I was going to be denied entry.

(It's luck of the draw really)

I dare say that the frequency of your visits are why you got questioned the way that you did OP. I left the Schengen Zone 4 months ago and when I go back in almost a week, I expect to get a few questions, even though ill be entering as a student.

[.:*Shaunna*:.]

I have gone quite a few times as per my signature and haven't really had that many questions. I was asked 'how did you meet' and asked once to show a return ticket but that's about it. I'm always paranoid/nervous about being questioned further and I find I never really get excited until I get through immigration at LAX as up until then I'm a ball of paranoid nervousness even though I have never had a bad experience

[princessmaria]

My SO is no longer allowed to enter the US without spending 500+ dollars on a psychiatrist.
When he went to fill out his customs sheet he messed up the information and was interrogated.
He is extremely honest, almost to a fault and told them all about his past. He is kind of a "bad boy"
but nonetheless, never has gotten in trouble with the law. They still denied him access into the US
and demanded that he get a drug test, and see a psychiatrist that works with immigration who charges
500 dollars per hour of service! We're still struggling with this right now and trying to find ways around it.
US immigration can be really unreasonable hard asses. I'm a US citizen and I was even taken for interrogation
once after leaving Canada. They dug through all of my belongings and I think the only thing that saved me
was flashing them my student ID card and showing them that I have some kind of homage to the US.

With both situations, immigration seemed to have a major problem with length of stay or plans to return.
For my SO they believed that he was immigrating to the US because at the time he had no responsibilities
in Canada. When they stopped me, they were alarmed at how long my visit in Canada was. If you prove
that you have ties to your own country that require you to eventually return home and that you are not
in fact immigrating to the US as an alien, then they are much more lenient and accepting. I'd say wait a
little longer in between your next visit!

[Tooki]

How long were you visiting for princessmaria?

[princessmaria]

How long were you visiting for princessmaria?

I stayed for a little over a month, and he was coming down to stay for 2 weeks when he was denied access.