Marriage on ESTA

[TiffAndMike 38]

On 7/22/2024 at 12:06 PM, SansTortoise said:

I wouldn’t even say “boyfriend” unless prompted. It’s a vacation and there likely will be no follow-up if that’s the answer. If they ask who OP is staying with, etc. then it can be brought up, but an initial visit to the U.S. on ESTA from a low-risk country doesn’t need details beyond one word (“vacation”) in most cases.

Depending on how long you are staying and how much money you bring, it very well may be necessary to say "boyfriend ". 

 

The first time my husband came to visit me, he brought $400 in cash plus an additional $800 on his card. Initially he told them he was staying with "a friend". Due to the length of his stay (almost 3 months), they did not believe he had significant money to support himself for the duration of the stay.

 

He was taken into a room for additional screening.  They would not let him use his phone to contact me while I was standing there in the airport, waiting for him in arrivals. He finally snuck out his other phone and texted me to let me know "They won't let me in" while the officer was out of the room. 

 

I was freaking out, he was freaking out. 

 

Finally 30 minutes later, the officer called me and started asking me questions. I told them he was my boyfriend and he was staying with me and that I had him covered financially. 

 

10 minutes later, they let him in. They had him detained for an hour and a half.

 

He is from a low-risk country as well.

 

The second time he came here, when we were getting married,  he told them he was here to visit his girlfriend. He had NO  problems getting in.

Edited July 27 by TiffAndMike

[SansTortoise 20]

20 minutes ago, TiffAndMike said:

Depending on how long you are staying and how much money you bring, it very well may be necessary to say "boyfriend ". 

 

The first time my husband came to visit me, he brought $400 in cash plus an additional $800 on his card. Initially he told them he was staying with "a friend". Due to the length of his stay (almost 3 months), they did not believe he had significant money to support himself for the duration of the stay.

 

He was taken into a room for additional screening.  They would not let him use his phone to contact me while I was standing there in the airport, waiting for him in arrivals. He finally snuck out his other phone and texted me to let me know "They won't let me in" while the officer was out of the room. 

 

I was freaking out, he was freaking out. 

 

Finally 30 minutes later, the officer called me and started asking me questions. I told them he was my boyfriend and he was staying with me and that I had him covered financially. 

 

10 minutes later, they let him in. They had him detained for an hour and a half.

 

He is from a low-risk country as well.

 

The second time he came here, when we were getting married,  he told them he was here to visit his girlfriend. He had NO  problems getting in.

Yeah, that makes sense. A lot of this depends on context.
 

My general advice is more of: don’t volunteer more than asked. If they don’t ask who you’re staying with (they might not), no need to tell them. If they ask, truthfully answer that it’s the significant other.