Finding yourself in the US unexpectedly

[MacUK 983]

Just a quick question I've been pondering.

Recently I flew from UK to Mexico and the flight path took us north out of Gatwick, up towards the Arctic circle and down through Canada and through the centre of the US.

As we were flying down over Illinois, Wisconsin and all the other states I couldn't help wondering what would happen if the plane needed to make an unexpected landing along the way.

I'm VWP ineligible so obviously I wouldn't be able to get through CBP and that got me worrying. If the problem that caused the delay were to take a long time to be resolved would everyone else be taken off to a hotel while I get stuck in a cell at the airport? Or just sat in a waiting room or office for hours?

Clearly none of this came to pass but it did make me very curious about what could have happened.

[millefleur 5,046]

If you don't cross the immigration checkpoint, you can just hang out in the airport. That's the case in most countries. Depends on the airport as some might have sleeping facilities and rooms directly inside, but this happened to me in France and my SO didn't have a Schengen visa so we ended up sleeping on couches in the airport because he wouldn't have been admitted to enter the country. There were a bunch of Chinese people doing the same thing and the airline had actually given them blankets and told them to sleep there.

[Ben&Zian 4,398]

Well that is a random thought but a valid one all the same.

I can not say for sure what would happen/where they would house you in that event; but it would not be held against you as you did not intend to enter the U.S. as your flight was to Mexico.

So being ineligible for the VWP would not have any effect on you if that type of thing were to happen.

Again as to where you go be "held" or how you would be transfered I can't say to that type of detail; but you wouldn't be in any trouble with immigrations.

[millefleur 5,046]

I don't think the immigration officers would even be involved. People with visas would be allowed to enter/go to the onto US soil, but those without would just be left to stay in the airport. Airports are considered a kind of international/stateless territory...that's one of the reasons you see so many Duty Free shops all over the place nowadays.

It would be a mess but basically there would be a bunch of people sleeping at the airport. It happened to me nearly 10 years ago when airlines used to overbook flights during the holidays and people ended up getting stranded between airports because the connection was overbooked. The Atlanta airport looked like a giant homeless shelter that night with tons of people sleeping on couches, on the floor, pushing around their luggage carts. Airlines rarely and almost never pay for hotels due to a mix up or a delay....even for US citizens.

[Ortolan 381]

They wouldn't 'hold' you in a cell, but you would probably not be allowed to leave the airport. Accommodations probably depend on the airport, but in any case it would be prudent to emphasize to the gate agent that you don't have a visa. Like others have said, likely you'd spend the night in a chair. Did you ever see the Tom Hanks movie "The Terminal"?

[Shiobhan 235]

If there were decent agents working they would politely accommodate

you in the holding area for those not allowed to enter the country until

there was a flight to take you out, On rare occasions you can run into

those who love to wield power and full of drama in situatiuons