How long do I have to be out of the US before I can return?

[daniellesykes86 0]

Hello all,

I am British and my boyfriend is from Austin...I plan to come visit for Christmas etc. I know I am allowed 90 days on my tourist visa and plan to stay the entire 90 days. I may then take a trip to Mexico...does anyone know how long I have to be out of the country before I am allowed into the US again?

Thanks for all your help in advance.

I hope to hear from you soonn

Danielle.

[Laura. 90]

By tourist visa do you mean the Visa Waiver Program, or an actual visa?

If you meant VWP, you can technically return the next day, as long as you can prove to the officer you will return to the UK. I think the general rule is to try spend more time out the US than in, but some people have ended up spending longer in the US if they had good ties to the UK.

If you mean an actual Tourist Visa, then I can't help. I'm sure someone will soon be here who can.

[Hypnos 6,578]

In general terms you should aim to spend more time outside of the US than inside. If CBP suspects that you are trying to live in the US on a tourist visa (or VWP) they can deny you entry or grant you entry for a period shorter than 90 days.

[Penguin_ie 5,996]

Keep in mind that if you are on the visa waiver, a trip to Mexico does not re-set the clock.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

If your intent is to stay in the US 89 days, go to Mexico for a week, then return to the US for a new 90 days...well that could be setting yourself up for refusal. It's up to the border guy. There is no rule. He could say if you need to spend 6 months in the US, get a B2 visa. He could say, okay but don't try this again. It's a judgement call but they do have the history of your stays to help them decide if you are trying to abuse VWP. You didn't really say what your plan was, so I was offering the scenario of the trick people think will work to get more than 90 days.

If you went to Austin for 2 weeks, flew to a Cozumel resort for a week, then spent 1 more week in Austin before your return to the UK, that has a different tourist vibe. It all kind of depends on how many days in the US you are trying to wrangle.

[John & Novita 0]

If customs gives you an I-94 valid for 6 months you shouldnt have a problem... But wont rest your time.

[aaron2020 11,651]

If customs gives you an I-94 valid for 6 months you shouldnt have a problem... But wont rest your time.

OP is Brithish. If she is using the VWP, she can only stay a max 90 days.

[Ketsuban 1,034]

If you want to spend 90 days in the States then you might (but more likely mightn't) need to show proof you intend to return home such as a letter from work, a lease, etc. Please keep this in mind, and don't say things like "I'm going to live with my boyfriend" or "I plan to emigrate to the States". Stress that it is a visit if they get a little nit-picky.

The general consensus is to stay out as long as you stayed in, so if you went in for 90 days, you should stay out for at least 90 days. This is not a rule, but a guideline. The border agent uses his discretion to allow people into the country. Personally, I wouldn't take a trip for 90 days, but plenty of people have with no problems whatsoever.

You'll come to realise that the vast majority of people who went to visit their boyfriends and girlfriends got in no problem, and only the exceptional cases will be posted online. If there really was a huge problem with visiting a significant other, I'm sure the media would have picked up on it by now, and every other post on this forum and others would be people screaming about being denied entry. People wouldn't even dare to try, come to think of it.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

Travel to Mexico / Canada does not reset your clock and will increase the chance that you will be denied entry because immigration sees people trying this every day. Be very prepared to return to the UK from Mexico