I’m a Canadian member of Nexus. It cost 50 USD when last renewed. Other programs like Global Entry are only available to US citizens and cost more. It took over 18 months to process at the time. I “interviewed “ with Canadian and American border services which was mostly a waste of time as they barely asked me anything because they’ve already done the background checks/crim checks.
It does speed up the process significantly for crossing the border, however they may still ask any or all of the same questions when you cross. But considering they already know you’ve passed the checks it’s less likely they will have concerns. It’s been worthwhile for me.
We recently enjoyed a fantastic trip to Australia with only 1 complaint: news coverage seemed to be 24/7 Donald. Based on that reporting, we wouldn’t travel to the US either But, as we learned long ago, the farther from the epicenter of a news event, the more hysterical the reporting. Based on that knowledge and doing our own research, we’ve enjoyed 4 epic destinations in less than the last 3 years on a smaller budget and with smaller crowds. It’s been great and we will continue to watch for similar opportunities in spite of friends’ and family’s “you’re going where???” reactions.
Then again, I did decide to stay mum about the salt water crocodiles we expected to (and did) see traveling NA when I sold my wife on the Australia trip (yes, Australia was an epic destination and, no, it wasn’t one of the 4 media-hyped scary destinations (well except maybe all the articles about all the critters that might kill you if you visit Australia)).
Have no plans to do so either. Flew from Canada back to Europe a few weeks ago. Needed to change planes at JFK, the layover was an hour with gates right next to each other.
It still required an ESTA, fingerprint scans, security, the works - essentially all the procedures as if I were entering to visit the States. Definitely something worth keeping in mind too
The same applies in the UK. Even when only transiting, you need to get an ETA for £16. This can apparently be avoided if you don’t leave the transit hall, but at some airports (like Gatwick), they got rid of transit halls for some unexplainable reason.
added: Even if you are only transiting the US, you must first formally enter the country. From your point of entry, you can then transit within the U.S. as you please.
Sorry if I wasn’t being clear in stating that I’m able to use the Nexus lane to enter the US, but not when entering Canada. It does seem to be a fine difference, as the CBP officer described it to me similarly.
Yes, were changes related to that in the spring, it’s processed and approved by the minute though.
Since they’re not getting tourists anymore, at least the U.S. has transit layovers paying for something they’ll never use AND they’re leaving straight away. Win–win
Ok, but normally it wouldn’t mean being stuck in detention with your child. I think the point for sitters who are not supposed to be sitting on a tourist visa is that in “normal” times there would be less scrutiny, fewer questions, and much less of a chance of your social media being seized. The chances were good that if you just didn’t mention “housesitting” you’d get through. The consequences would be being turned away and a black mark on your passport – not indefinate detention where you wait your turn for deportation.These are not normal times. While chances are you’ll get through, the risks are higher. That’s not an exageration. If I was going to do an activity like skydiving for instance, if the chance of my plunging to my death was one in 500,000 on a tandem jump, I might take the chance. If the odds were changed to 1 in 10,000 it’s still a small chance, but not one I’m going to take. At the moment, we don’t have percentages. We do have some high profile stories. We don’t know whether there are more stories that aren’t being picked up in the press or whether these are outlying incidents. Both sitters AND homeowners need to figure out their comfort level. Personally, as a sitter I wouldn’t risk coming to the US at this point. As a homeowner in the US, I wouldn’t risk depending on a sitter’s ability to cross a border to get to my sit.
Maybe. Maybe not. We’ve had foreign nationals living and working out of our home. The process of getting their visas was not obvious and easily delayed. Maintaining a residence visa is not like renewing a drivers license. The NZ mother’s visa renewal was in progress but delayed. She had been legally living and working in the US for 3 years.
The notion that an administrative error over a civil matter could land someone in detention 1000s of miles from home for weeks is beyond the pale in civilized society.
I sometimes think someone should invent a board game called “Get a Visa in the United States.”
It would help people see just how difficult—and unforgiving—the system really is. One tiny mistake can derail your life. I’ve immigrated to and obtained visas in at least seven other countries, and every single one was more efficient, transparent, and welcoming than what I’ve experienced with the U.S. Here, the process often feels designed to trip people up—providing the government with an excuse to deport rather than a pathway to belong.
The article notes: “Shaw had recently received a letter confirming her visa renewal, not realizing that the I-360 element of her visa was still pending approval.”
To me, immigration is a bit like applying for a job: the process itself reveals the character of the place you’re seeking to join. In other countries, I encountered kindness, compassion, and consideration. That told me something about their values. I wasn’t treated as a criminal simply for being born on the other side of an arbitrary border.
In this New Zealand woman’s case, many countries likely would have said, “We’re sorry for the confusion—part of your visa was approved, part wasn’t. Don’t leave the country again until it’s sorted.” What they wouldn’t do is throw her and her child into a detention center thousands of miles away. There was no threat to anyone—only a chance to demonstrate basic humanity and compassion.
In most countries a visa mistake gets you a warning—in the U.S., it gets you a jail cell.
And let’s not forget—the risk doesn’t end once a sitter arrives at the home. Any interaction with emergency services or law enforcement inside the U.S. can still trigger immigration consequences.
“Thomas,” a tourist from Ireland whose case was reported in The Guardian learned this the hard way,
Some members believe it’s always up to an officer’s discretion whether to call ICE. That’s not true everywhere. In Georgia, for example, sheriffs can actually be charged with a misdemeanor if they don’t check immigration status and notify ICE.
So even if an officer wanted to “look the other way” for a tourist who is out of status (and yes, a housesitter on a tourist visa falls into that category), they legally can’t—without risking criminal charges themselves.
Nope. There can be consequences but being charged with a crime isn’t one of them.
An officer in Georgia could not know any individual is out-of-status unless the individual was jailed triggering a query to ICE (in some Georgia counties). Reporting a housesitter on a tourist visa as out-of-status requires more investigation than the ICE query during booking required under Georgia law.
I look at this thread every so often and just read some of the posts about volunteering. How the world has changed. Around the turn of the 21st century as a US passport holder I participated in 2 international Earthwatch volunteer projects.
I don’t recall getting any special instructions about what to tell immigration officers when entering Kenya (flying into Nairobi from Amsterdam) or Estonia and (taking the ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn).
And Global Entry is available to non-US citizens. The list of countries whose citizens are eligible for GE is here - Official Trusted Traveler Program Website | Department of Homeland Security
And there are some countries that allow GE card holders to use special automated access lanes. Although not sure this will necessarily speed thing much – my last entries into S Korea, Australia and the UK both sent me through the automated lanes with facial recognition without showing my GE card.
