As sitters in Vancouver, we did a number of sits in the States since joining 10 years ago up until last year. We are reluctant now to apply on any as some people are being questioned more than previously since Trump became president. In no way am I expressing a political view on here as I know that is not allowed but just responding in general. There’s been other threads and conversation on this topic in the forum.
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Oh thank you I will look harder for this topic 
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I’m kind of sorry THS merged you here and closed your post bc crossing by car from US to Canada - or vice versa, is not the same as many of these other inquiries. People don’t realize how different it is traveling by car across these two countries than flying into another country as many of these other posts discuss.
Sorry to hear you were given a hard tie. Did they let you cross after all?
In my NW NY State where people cross daily. So far I have not heard of any issues (friends of ours cross often).
However, I would definitely NOT mention pet/house sitting at all or any kind of “exchange”.
You are visiting friends and you are a tourist. You have their home address (you are not sitting for them, you are visiting).
We had a sit in Ontario last year and had zero problems in both directions. Never even needed to say where we were staying. Just that we were visitors staying for a few days.
I’m sure it all depends on the agent you get.
I know ppl are worried about not being “honest” but at the end of it all, I AM a tourist, I AM visiting, and the people I meet via THS are friends (of one sort or another).
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There have been issues with the Vancouver/Bellingham border crossing. I don’t think it’s as fraught as arriving by air, but a non-THS Canadian friend’s experience suggests that Canadians asked about the US administration need to say positive things or risk not only being turned away but banned for some amount of time determined by whim by border control.
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Well, I drove over in February, other side of the country though. Hadn’t been over that crossing in 6 years or so, and at that time, 2 crossings in a row, they went through my car. I don’t know why I’m so suspicious looking… 
… anyway, this time I also felt like I must be getting more questions than the cars in front that went through faster. Buddy needed to see my itinerary (flying from US airport), did I know people at my destination, when was the last time I was in the states (which I’m sure he had right in front of him on a screen) and then wanted to know basically what I owned for property. He did not ask any political questions. I felt like he was looking for excuses to not let me in, but maybe I was reading more into that. Then he suddenly handed everything back and said “have a good day” 
Sooo… yes, you might still get through just fine but – you’ve probably read the foregoing comments about the infamous letter … you’re just a tourist.
Please come back and let us know what you decided to do and how it went, if you do go.
Frigsakes. Who’d have imagined that? What a mess the world is. Did they actually ask your friend’s opinion on the administration?? 
I wonder if it helps to act ditzy: “gee, I don’t know, I don’t really pay attention to politics…” >giggle< … >shrug< 
Yes. And now they are banned from entering the US for 2 years.
Recent article from Newsweek. Generally considered a “real” news source.
Summary: Yes, US immigration is checking social media. Nope. Not much you can do about it.
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@LauraJ, there’s a whole of information on this enormous thread.
From earlier comments then a significant number of Canadians, including ourselves, have determined not to progress US housesits at this time. Irrespective of politics. The practical legal reality is that US border officials are allegedly enforcing policies deem housesitting to be employment. With in-kind compensation. In eyes of US border official, an international housesitter may be taking a job from an American. There may be consequences to denied entry. We’re not lawyers and offer no legal advice. Each person has to determine their own risk appetite.
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Update this week from Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Scandinavia:
“Visa-free entry is permitted for business and visitor travel (maximum stay of 90 days); however, travelers must apply for and receive ESTA approval prior to entry – including for transit through the USA.
ESTA cannot be used for education, work, or business activities, including unpaid volunteer work.”
This update follows recent incidents where young Scandinavians also were detained and held in group detention facilities for days before being deported from the USA.
With valid ESTAs - they had planned a 10-day trip to Hawaii through an organization offering roofing projects on farms aimed at connecting young people globally.
During interrogations, U.S. authorities, including the FBI, took their fingerprints and treated the case as a violation of immigration rules.
Whaaat. That. Is. Insane.
This does not seem like something that should be legal. In the official customs regulations anyway. I guess all bets are off these days.
My bottom line for sitting in other countries is this:
If in order to be admitted to the country I need to hide the entire truth about why I’m traveling to a country and what I’ll be doing for fear of being in breach of their laws/rules, then I won’t be sitting in those countries.
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Would you mind sharing the link? I’m a bit puzzled by this source.
Often this forum will automatically eliminate links. If you search for " Detentions at US border prompt UK, Germany, and Nordic nations to revise travel advice" in the News section of your search engine you can probably find a similar thing. And also check the travel advice section of your country’s government website. NONE of my Scandinavian friends are venturing to the US this year, whether for work, travel, or sitting.
Thanks, @KittySitter.
My curiosity is regarding the use of the term “Scandinavia”, as having a ministry of foreign affairs. I am confused. Can different countries join to have just one combined ministry?
What is the real source of this quote? This is supposed to be official information.
Oh I see what you mean! I interpreted as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs IN Scandinavia, not OF Scandinavia (darned prepositions). So I assumed it was another countrys’ foreign ministry that didn’t bother to have offices in all Scandinavian countries, but rather one that served all of them. But I guess @buttercup will have to tell us since it was Buttercup’s link.
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Sounds like popup “extra” checkpoints could be a new Thing. Maybe there was a specific issue or investigation that prompted it, but, who knows 
One more thing to maybe be prepared for, IF anyone’s going.
Additional checkpoint at B.C.-U.S. border shocks travellers | Globalnews.ca
Worked for me!
It has never been allowed to do petsits when entering the US as a visitor, so nothing new in that respect. The ‘new’ part is that they’re now locking people up, however it was never - never - never a good idea to volunteer ANY information about pet/housesitting, because it’s never been legal and although they might say you need a visa to do so, the reality is that there are no visas that cover voluntary house/petsitting.
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As someone who lived in a border state (Vermont) for a while long before even 911, things used to be a lot looser. I do remember once going to some concert in Montreal and we got stopped. Possibly for looking like overage hippies and maybe they were looking for pot. But shopping and overnights was pretty free form. In fact, once coming back with some Ikea goods the US side encouraged me to say it was “unprocessed wood” not furniture which might have had a duty tax. I was a little slow on catching on but the guard kept saying, “So you’re bringing back unprocessed wood?” until it finally clicked. The atmosphere has now changed … a lot.
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Yes, I certainly get that. And I have no intention to do any petsits in the US under the current climate. Nonetheless, the Welsh backpacker for example would have been better off knowing to never voluntarily offer information about volunteering in either country. That’s always a potential red flag