Pulaski

A former, and now late, colleague doing a "visa waiver hop" spent a week in the Cayman islands in the mistaken belief that it reset the VWP 90 day clock. On attempting to re-enter the US he was told that he "hadn't left the country"! He commented that 30,000 people in the Cayman Islands would disagree, ...... but that didn't stop him having to get on the next flight to London!

scrubbedexpat099

Sounds like he was a busy boy in that week!

Angel Flower

Hello, everyone. I had a return from San Fran in Feb that same year and planned to celebrate Christmas in Canada and New Year. So we decided to visit Mexico as was part of the plan.I was very new on my second visit tod the US and didn't know that Canada counted as visa waiver. I however have no problems entering Canada now.
The people at the US border was nice, and tried to help. My son is homeschooled and it is my choice like thousands of other families around the planet, we do have free educational choices for our kids.

Money wise, we do couchsurfing and stay with friends, so we don't spend much money and take buses. Many people travel for many months, even years. And I had worked and saved money for this trip. Everybody can travel on extended trips if they like. It's just up to each person how they decide to live their lives. And we don't really have any right to judge people for making different choices.

There are so many different people on this planet and we truly need to be true to our paths.

Have a great weekend!

Angel Flower

Yes, I was LATER told that Canada, Mexico, Those Island and even Bahamas or something counted as being in the US. I wonder why that is not written anywhere!!! How can people know.

crg

Nobody ever gets sick? Does the couch surfing come with dental for the kid? There are a groups of people who have the right to judge people for making different choices. Border officials and consular officers for example.....

Angel Flower

Yes, border officials make many judgments, and unfortunatley they often make wrong ones, sometimes base don their own prejudices, this is the thing. They need a good human knowledge, and many may not have ,and many times, its very subjective what they decide.. I believe that due to our long hair and dreads we got judged at the Canadian border, which is sad, because people with short hair and expensive clothing, like suit dress can be hiding something else. Many drug smugglers are hard to catch and may dress like traveling buisness men...but people who are themselves and kind and caring for the earth and dress colorful and with long hair, gets easier judged, so many people still have lots to learn before they make judgments. And sometime one has bad luck with people making judgements that are not true, and they don't catch people who really do something "wrong" that is harmful.. But actually you are wrong when you say people have the right to judge eachother. We have no right to judge other people because we do not know what they are going through. Judging others often creates a worse feeling in the one judging that the people being judged after all.

http://www.positivelypresent.com/200...p-judging.html


http://peoniesandpolish.blogspot.com...and-their.html


Anyhow, I think I have received the info I need for this. I can just pray now, as I will never overstay in the US and follow all the rules. I may even hide my dreads :P --- I wish it was easier. In my opinions, it is too stricht...I think people with no criminal record from an European country easier should be able to visit as a tourist.

Either , thanks to all who have taken time to answer to this thread. I wish you lots of wisdom and love!

Noorah101

Just out of curiosity, why do you think only those with no criminal record from a European country should have an easier time visiting the USA?

Why not anyone with no criminal record from ANY continent in the world? What makes Europe so special?

Rene

hungryhorace

By researching the subject, maybe? Or is that something only people without dreads and expensive clothes do?

scrubbedexpat099

I was wondering the same.

FlyingDutchman6666

She's probably referring to VWP-eligible countries in general, I don't think she's being deliberately eurocentric.

Given that 30 out of 37 VWP-eligible countries are in Europe, one could argue that this particular continent does get preferential treatment from the US, so it *is* special

FlyingDutchman6666

Angel Flower, in this case the border official's "prejudice" turned out to be correct - you were in fact abusing the VWP... So get off your high horse, please.

crg

I found it to be enigmatic stating that nobody has the right to judge someone and then implying that non-Europeans should be judged to be less deserving of visa free travel.

Border procedures are all about judgment. The Canadians judged that a couch surfer with no visible means of support and a school aged child in tow would be more likely to have violated their status in the US and to get bounced back into Canada without sufficient means to depart Canada. It is up for debate as to whether or not there is a "right" to judge someone, but the authorities definitely had the authority and duty to judge a person on their eligibility and fitness for being admitted to their country.

With that said, it's difficult for a border official to determine if someone is a violator, or just out of the ordinary. It's a shared burden for the authorities to impartially make that determination but the main burden of proof is on the traveler to prove their admissibility and fitness for entry. The traveler ignores their burden to their own detriment.

Angel Flower

I agree that people from ANY country should be able to enter when they don't have a criminal record. I am all about unversalism and unity consciousness. Border and Nationalities separates people. Because we just happen t incarnate somewhere, it does not mean we fit in there or feel at home there as well.

I really hope there will be some changes on this planet soon. And that those who are cruel to nature, themselves, other people and animals will start tp develop love and compassion without love and compassion we can not reach peace in this world. Selfishness, competition and separation will continue to be ... there more people who wake up, the better it is!

hungryhorace

FWIW, I completely disagree. Think the US is going to start (or even should) letting citizens from countries hostile to American interests in without a visa screening process first? Do me a favour!

Angel Flower

Hey, there is not written anywhere that Canada, Mexico and etc counts on the visa waiver program and in the past I had NEVER been asked for those papers to be able to enter Canada. Me and my love were deeply in love and really didn't want to separate. When people meet their special soul connection, this is a huge experience.

Please paste in the link where it says that Canada, Mexico etc. counts on the visa waiver program.. thanks...

and sending you all love despite some of you being disrespectful.