natchil

Yes I think I'm too naive! I thought honesty was the best policy but thinking about it now if I'd said friend or cousin, anything but boyfriend, I would have been through without question! I honestly thought he was going to send me home!

Noorah101

Well, if you had said "cousin", you'd have been lying, and that's NOT a good thing to do.

Rene

natchil

That's true...I should probably stick with just "friend!" They wouldn't know he was anything more!

natchil

I've just thought of another question & wondered if anyone would know. We're thinking of flying to New York for a weekend. Am I right in thinking I won't go through any of the same questioning as I did when I arrived from the UK? As it would be a domestic flight, would they just check my passport purely for ID purposes & I won't have to worry about the esta, poe, or anything to do with my visit etc?

Noorah101

Correct.

Rene

natchil

Thank you! : )

crg

I disagree with this guidance. If you thought your experience was stressful then, you should see what happens when they push the "friend" response and they find out it's your boyfriend. They'll think you're attempting to deceive them. They'll think that where there is smoke that there is fire.

You were questioned and admitted so who cares? You were successful. Your candor likely increased your chances of being admitted to visit your boyfriend.

scrubbedexpat099

Agree

Pulaski

I never had that problem. The future Mrs P and I had no contractual relationship until we got married. She was a friend, and CBP could push all they wanted, but "friend" was the beginning and end of the discussion, and it was always extremely brief. .... The only time I got tripped up was the very first time when I think I only narrowly avoided "going to secondary" after being asked where I had first met this friend. (At that time we had not met face to face.)

Granted, in this case the cat is already out of the bag and there is no way back, because her file now has notes of her visiting her boyfriend. Of course her file also has a record of her going home again, and so long as she continues to return home at the end of her visits she is unlikely to ever have a problem unless her visits become frequent and/or long.

crg

I agree that it's the totality of circumstances that counts. If the person isn't showing a pattern of long trips it is unlikely to matter either way. I just wouldn't risk damaging my credibility during an inspection where I have the burden of proof and they do not. It sounds like she has nothing to hide so why hide it? It's not like we have a cavalcade of innocent people posting on here about how they were kicked back for occasionally visiting their L-1 boyfriend.

natchil

I definitely have nothing to hide! In terms of the long/frequent trips, if I was to return again in 5 months I would expect to get questioned again but would coming for another 85 (ish) days be pushing it? It would mean I would have almost spent 6 months here in total this year

scrubbedexpat099

You have a job starting in June.

natchil

I do but I work seasonal jobs, it ends in October

scrubbedexpat099

So you want to work 4 months of the year in the UK and spend the rest with your BF in the US?

natchil

No because I know I can't do that. I worked up until March in the UK & the only reason I came for this long now was because I had the time before my next job begins & I had the savings to do so. I'll then be working for 5 months not 4 and if I have a few months free again once this job ends then of course I would want to see my boyfriend for as long as possible so if it wasn't an issue then I would make the most of it. I just wondered what my options were