Entering the USA with our Dog on VWP?

[tcsm 2]

Hi,

I have seen this sort of thing posted a couple of times, but wanted to confirm our situation.

I am a New Zealand citizen, but have been with my fiancé (USA citizen) for nearly 2 years. For the past year she has been living with me in New Zealand under a visa which I sponsored her for.

Recently she returned home as her dog got cancer and see wanted to be with it.

We have filed for the K-1 visa, and she has submitted the I-129F petition (in Nov 2012), but we are still waiting for NOA-2.

We have planned for a celebration party for our engagement in the USA in July, and have family from New Zealand coming over for this.

I am flying over in May, entering on the VWP, and plan to stay for around 85 days at which point I will return to New Zealand and wait for my K-1 to finish being processed, attend the interview etc.

I am not worried about entering the USA while my K-1 is being process, as I have done this a couple of times already.

However, my fiancé and I have a dog in New Zealand, and I would like to bring this over in May to be with her on her parent’s farm, as she will now be remaining in the USA until I returned when (hopefully) my visa is approved. I have an international pet mover company arranging all the requirements etc for the dog.

If I turn up in May on the VWP, with our dog, which I will be leaving with her when I return, will this affect my entry into the USA as they may believe I intend to stay?

I do intend to take the letter from NZ Immigration showing she has a NZ visa to prove she has been in NZ with me and it is our dog.

I do have a return ticket booked.

Hopefully someone has some advice for this situation.

Thanks.

[canadian_wife 1,822]

Traveling with a pet screams immigrant intent. Do you have ties to NZ to show that you do not intend to immigrated on the VWP

Good luck

[tcsm 2]

I will get a letter from my landlord, stating I am renting a room off him but apart from that not much else.

Although, as my K-1 visa is pending I have to return to New Zealand for my interview, plus my return ticket.

Would a better option be for my fiance to come back to NZ so she can travel with me to the USA and take our dog?

The plan was for her to just meet me at the airport when I land. If i did get denied she could still take the dog right?

Edited March 5, 2013 by tcsm

[Penguin_ie 5,993]

Would a better option be for my fiance to come back to NZ so she can travel with me to the USA and take our dog?

I think that would look worse... "the whole family immigrating"

Your best option would be to leave the dog in NZ until you immigrate, or ship him once you are in the USA on your visit. Now, you may go ahead with your plan and have no trouble, especially as you visited often already and have the K1 in process, showing you want to do things the legal way... but personally, it;d be to much of a risk, especially with just renting a room and no job.

[Lainie B 465]

I did exactly that - I travelled to the US on a VWP with a dog, while waiting for the I-129f to be processed. Then I left the dog with my then fiance (now husband) and went back to Australia to get the K-1. I felt it was risky but I was in a situation where I didn't have a choice. I was not asked about the dog at all at my POE.

Having said that, I wouldn't recommend it unless you had no other choice. I agree with the other comments that it could be seen as suspicious if they knew at POE. Do you have to travel with the dog? I think that when sending pets from Australia and New Zealand that you have to send the pets as cargo, meaning you don't even need to be on the same flight. Can you send the dog ahead of time? This wasn't the case for me - I wasn't flying from Australia, and the dog travelled with me as a checked bag, so the dog was linked to my ticket.

Edited March 5, 2013 by Lainie B

[tcsm 2]

Thanks for the Reply Lainie B!

I have confirmed the Dog will be flying as Cargo, and I have now had her addressed directly to my fiance, who will pick her up directly from the Cargo Building, which is separate from arrivals. She will still be on the same flight as me.

This shouldn't show up on my ticket, so hopefully it will all work out :-)