British tourist held in US after visa mix-up released, says family

[Boiler 46,488]

The family of a British woman detained in the US for three weeks because of a visa mix-up say she has left the immigration detention centre and are hopeful she is on her way home.

Rebecca Burke, 28, a graphic artist from Monmouthshire, was trying to cross from the US state of Washington into Canada when she was refused entry.

 

Canadian authorities told her to go back to the US and fill in new paperwork before returning.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/mar/18/british-tourist-rebecca-burke-held-by-us-over-visa-released-from-detention-says-family

 

She does not seem to have a visa, she was in the US on the Visa Waiver Programme and seems to have tried to enter Canada on a similar basis and was refused. Not sure what the new paperwork was.

[NorthByNorthwest 409]

Glad to hear that she's been released - it seems like she was doing unpaid household work in exchange for food and lodging and should not have been allowed into the US on VWP in the first place if she was truthful about that. Waste of taxpayer money and a horrible experience for her to keep her locked up instead of just letting her get on a flight home, but the fact that the detention happened at a land border probably complicated things. Canada found out that she planned to do unpaid work there too and did not let her in, US asked why Canada did not let her in and the story unraveled.

Edited 6 hours ago by NorthByNorthwest

[Boiler 46,488]

I guess it takes time, seems the Canadians were the ones who caught on to what she was doing and maybe refused her entry at a land border?

 

Yep it could be done quicker but look at the fuss of late regarding the gang members

[mam521 2,322]

I did a bit of looking at various news sources at this.  She was in the US, traveling but exchanging "work" as in housekeeping, etc for lodging.  She had used an agency called "Workaway" to match her, the traveler, with hosts.  This probably should have been her first clue. 

 

When she tried to enter Canada, they questioned her and her intentions, told her to go back and fill out the correct visa paperwork.  The US went "hey wait a minute" and asked what she'd been up to, how much money she had and probably where her return ticket was and determined she was inadmissible and in violation of her previous visa.  

 

In a different time, I'd guess she'd have been detained for some hours but packed straight onto the next available flight to the UK.  

 

I always warn family, friends and colleagues to check their visas, visa requirements AND to maybe educate themselves on the local rules and customs for where they are traveling.  

 

Anyway, I'm sure she'll be delighted to be home. 

[Dashinka 25,085]

8 minutes ago, mam521 said:

I did a bit of looking at various news sources at this.  She was in the US, traveling but exchanging "work" as in housekeeping, etc for lodging.  She had used an agency called "Workaway" to match her, the traveler, with hosts.  This probably should have been her first clue. 

 

When she tried to enter Canada, they questioned her and her intentions, told her to go back and fill out the correct visa paperwork.  The US went "hey wait a minute" and asked what she'd been up to, how much money she had and probably where her return ticket was and determined she was inadmissible and in violation of her previous visa.  

 

In a different time, I'd guess she'd have been detained for some hours but packed straight onto the next available flight to the UK.  

 

I always warn family, friends and colleagues to check their visas, visa requirements AND to maybe educate themselves on the local rules and customs for where they are traveling.  

 

Anyway, I'm sure she'll be delighted to be home. 

Probably more related to the land border crossing where immediate flights, or proximity to an airport were not convenient.  Detention allows for babysitting until that can occur.  My nephew was turned away from Canada once at a land border as he was heading there to do some work (technician working on industrial equipment).  He was told to get a proper Canadian work permit, but of course he could re-enter the US as a USC.

[top_secret 2,584]

We just had a similar(-ish) case involving a German woman that got some media attention here locally in San Diego.  Whether what she planned to do is technically "working" or not is a fair question.  However, IMO she should have either been bounced back to Mexico which would probably be no big deal, or else, allowed to voluntarily depart the US at her own expense in the immediate short-term future, which she seemed willing to do.  Her spending weeks in detention at very exorbitant taxpayer expense is just idiotic and stupid.  Whoever made that decision should have their judgement reevaluated.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/11/german-tourists-ordeal-reportedly-ending-returned-from-us-detention

Edited 6 hours ago by top_secret

[mam521 2,322]

She was trying to head to Vancouver, BC.  She apparently left from Seattle, WA, so high chance she was entering through Peace Arch.  She ended up in Tacoma at the Northwest ICE Processing Facility.  Plenty of opportunity to ship her from SEA-TAC. 

 

I had a colleague who was detained in Toronto and returned to the US because he had the wrong work visa.  I asked him REPEATEDLY which visa type the corporate contract lawyers were attempting to get him.  He didn't know, he didn't check and when he did say, he was already on his way to Canada.  I knew it was not the correct visa and told him that.  He recently had to apply for a waiver because he has to go back and of course, has a big ole mark on his profile.  

[mam521 2,322]

11 minutes ago, top_secret said:

Her spending weeks in detention at very exorbitant taxpayer expense is just idiotic and stupid. 

Not much different for the British woman.  So close to a POE, like ban them and put them on a plane.  Expensive to keep them detained in country.  

[Dashinka 25,085]

37 minutes ago, mam521 said:

She was trying to head to Vancouver, BC.  She apparently left from Seattle, WA, so high chance she was entering through Peace Arch.  She ended up in Tacoma at the Northwest ICE Processing Facility.  Plenty of opportunity to ship her from SEA-TAC. 

 

I had a colleague who was detained in Toronto and returned to the US because he had the wrong work visa.  I asked him REPEATEDLY which visa type the corporate contract lawyers were attempting to get him.  He didn't know, he didn't check and when he did say, he was already on his way to Canada.  I knew it was not the correct visa and told him that.  He recently had to apply for a waiver because he has to go back and of course, has a big ole mark on his profile.  

I suppose, but she was probably not a high priority, and she was apparently working illegally while inside the US.  Should CBP bend over backwards for someone committing visa fraud?  The bigger question is how many instances of things like this will it take to start reviewing the VWP/ESTA program?  

[mam521 2,322]

9 minutes ago, Dashinka said:

I suppose, but she was probably not a high priority, and she was apparently working illegally while inside the US.  Should CBP bend over backwards for someone committing visa fraud?  The bigger question is how many instances of things like this will it take to start reviewing the VWP/ESTA program?  

The cost of keeping a person in a detention center is far more costly to the taxpayers subsidizing the stay than a plane ticket and a ban.  

 

Agree on the VWP. I guess the CBP officers should probably be asking more questions as to intent when entering the US, irrespective of VW or not. 

[Dashinka 25,085]

29 minutes ago, mam521 said:

The cost of keeping a person in a detention center is far more costly to the taxpayers subsidizing the stay than a plane ticket and a ban.  

 

Agree on the VWP. I guess the CBP officers should probably be asking more questions as to intent when entering the US, irrespective of VW or not. 

Agree, but when has the bureaucracy worried about things like that.

[mam521 2,322]

I dunno where the thread is for this one, but 3 sides to every story prevails.  She had a TN previously that was revoked in Nov.  Most stories are failing to report she'd tried for a renewal after the revocation in Vancouver and was told no, go through a consulate.  So, it appears that she thought it was a good idea to go POE shopping and tried MX a few days later, where she was detained.  An immigration lawyer in Canada had preemptively advised her NOT to go to MX.  

 

What isn't clear was where her TN was revoked (while in the US or abroad) and if she was in the US from Nov until her visit home to Vancouver, or if she left when her original TN was revoked and was just trying to reenter at YVR a couple of weeks ago.  If she was in country and continued to work, that definitely adds an element here.  

 

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2025/03/13/bc-woman-us-detention-denied-entry/

 

Hacking threw his $0.02 here: https://www.newsweek.com/jasmine-mooney-immigration-lawyer-2046328 and https://globalnews.ca/news/11085912/full-tilt-assault-on-legal-immigration-lawyers-urge-caution-at-u-s-border/

 

My other question is if she was one of the founders for this company, why wasn't she on an investor visa or something more appropriate?  She lists herself on LinkedIn as a "Business Consultant" for the water brand, not a founder.  She also does not list an educational background.  Business Consultant TN's can be a bit sketchy without proper education to back it up. 

 

Anyway, all speculative.  Also don't disagree with Hacking that Canadians (and I think it applies to VWP recipents, too) tend to treat immigration status too casually.  We see it on the form all of the time.  Immi is a privilege.  It's not guaranteed.  Until you're a citizen, you're a guest in whatever country you're visiting.