Will i have trouble entering USA?

Hogzy

Hey

I signed up for a j1 in november but dropped out of college soon after because i hated the course. i re-applied to the cao this year. i am more than confident that i will get the course i want next year as i have more than enough points. because i dropped out however i lost my J1. All the people i am travelling with have a J1. I am just wondering will i have any trouble entering the US when i arrive because the last thing i want is to sign a rental lease before i leave and then find that i cant get into the country. I arrive on the 2nd June and leave on the 28th August. I have roughly $7000 (not euro) so i definetly will not need to work.

Does anyone ahve any ideas if i will be refused entry or not?

RATM

If you dont need to work ( and cant coz you've no J1 anyway ) why cant you just go there as a tourist? Isn't it possible to get a 90 day visa? Or if its only 30 days do a run down to Mexico every month while you're there, if you've $7k you'll be able to afford it...

Hogzy

thats what im doing...im gonna go on a tourist visa but because my circumstances are so similar to a person going on a j1 and because im going with a group of 7 "J1ers" will the immigration officer be thinking 'ok this girl is going to work on the sly' and not let me in...even tho i have absolutly no intention of working... basically are the immigration officers weary of a person availing of the complete 90 day period rather than say 2 weeks?

Spud83

Make sure you can prove that you have no need to work while you are there.

By this I mean provide bank statements and such to show the money you are planning to live on. Also apply for an overdraft and try get a letter from the bank confirming this overdraft. If you dont use it it shouldnt cost you anything, but it means you can show that you have extra money available if required.

Secondly I presume you have a return ticket this will help.

Thirdly contact the US Embassy and see if there is anything else you can do to assit this.

Neamhshuntasach

Just turn up on the day of your flight and fill out the I-94 form. Just put down any address in the city you will be staying in on the form and then go up to the immigration officer. Make sure you have a return flight and because it will be 3 months away you'll more than likely be asked what will you be doing in that time. Just say that you have a few friends living around the country and that you will be traveling around. As Ireland is part of the VWP you'll more than likely have no problems and not be asked to show bank statements. You'll just be warned not to work.

You can always contact the embassy if you want an official response to put your mind at ease. But i don't think you'll have much of a problem. Just don't mention that you are going away with a load of friends on a J1 because it will appear that you are going over to work also.

blah

The visa waiver means you can stay in the country for 90 days. But that doesn't mean that the immigration office won't turn you back if he's suspicious you mights spend that time working. What you should do is this:

Book a return ticket for a 3 week holiday. When you're going through immigration you can tell the officer you're staying for 3 weeks visiting and travelling around with friends. Then when you arrive, immediately contact aer lingus\usit and change the return leg of the flight to August (paying whatever the fee is). I did this years ago and it worked well for me.

Spud83

blah wrote: »

The visa waiver means you can stay in the country for 90 days. But that doesn't mean that the immigration office won't turn you back if he's suspicious you mights spend that time working. What you should do is this:

Book a return ticket for a 3 week holiday. When you're going through immigration you can tell the officer you're staying for 3 weeks visiting and travelling around with friends. Then when you arrive, immediately contact aer lingus\usit and change the return leg of the flight to August (paying whatever the fee is). I did this years ago and it worked well for me.

DONT DO THIS. They do not stamp your passport automatically for the 90 days, at least they didn't to me when I went over to NY. Cant remember now how long the stamped it for but it was not 90 days. Could have been 30. If you are found in the US with an expired stamp you will be in a lot of trouble, in fact if you show up at the airport to go home with an expired stamp you will be in a lot of trouble.

Neamhshuntasach

blah wrote: »

The visa waiver means you can stay in the country for 90 days. But that doesn't mean that the immigration office won't turn you back if he's suspicious you mights spend that time working. What you should do is this:

Book a return ticket for a 3 week holiday. When you're going through immigration you can tell the officer you're staying for 3 weeks visiting and travelling around with friends. Then when you arrive, immediately contact aer lingus\usit and change the return leg of the flight to August (paying whatever the fee is). I did this years ago and it worked well for me.

The VWP is for touristic or business trips. If you can convince the officer that you are only there for tourist reasons he will let you in. Especially if you have a return flight home. I had friends and family visit me and spend a summer in the states when i lived over there without much problems at immigration other than the usual questions. Actually a friend of mine done it on his RTW trip at the start of this year. Entered the US with the intentions of traveling around for 2 months and was then flying to Quito.

And alanmurphy83 you can legally stay in the US for up to 90 days on the VWP. The date stamped will be 90 days onward from the date of entry. You should not be only given 30 unless you went over before the VWP came into existence.

Spud83

Neamhshuntasach wrote: »

And alanmurphy83 you can legally stay in the US for up to 90 days on the VWP. The date stamped will be 90 days onward from the date of entry. You should not be only given 30 unless you went over before the VWP came into existence.

I'll check my passport when I get home.

Hogzy

hey guys thanks for all your replies...theyre a great help.

Currently i have a flight booked home on the 28th of august. so altogether my stay is something like 85 or 86 days... i think i will book a hotel or two and then cancel when im in the states...hopefully theyll only charge the first nights stay but ill check the t&c first.
i do have alot of friends doing J1's outside the state in which im going to so i supose i could say im going to visit them. i also have an aunt in the US so thats another contact i suppose.

In relation to tourist activities... do they require a detailed account of what you will be doing while in the US?

Neamhshuntasach

If you have an aunt in the US then get her address and put that down on the I-94 form. Just tell them that you are staying with her for the summer. They will never check up on you past immigration at initial entry. Also if you are staying with a relative you require less money per month than if you are not. Just in case they decide to check.

In regards to them asking about detailed tourist activities. You may be asked since you are going over for almost the full duration of the VWP. But i doubt it will be a big detailed thing. Just say you are staying with your aunt for a while and then going traveling for a while with a cousin.

sharkDawg

Neamhshuntasach wrote: »

If you have an aunt in the US then get her address and put that down on the I-94 form. Just tell them that you are staying with her for the summer. They will never check up on your past immigration at initial entry. Also if you are staying with a relative you require less money per month than if you are not. Just in case they decide to check.

In regards to them asking about detailed tourist activities. You may be asked since you are going over for almost the full duration of the VWP. But i doubt it will be a big detailed thing. Just say you are staying with your aunt for a while and then going for a while with a cousin.

I second what Neamhshuntasach said, they're not going to call to the address to make sure your there, your throwing away money by booking a hotel.