# Is it difficult to visit the United States? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 8, 2023, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-difficult-to-visit-the-united-states/988222 "2023-08-08T02:45:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2023, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-difficult-to-visit-the-united-states/988222/41 "2023-08-14T16:13:25Z")
If she were an American her husband would qualify for a permanent residence spousal visa. But… - They want to be sure that the marriage is genuine. They’ll want to see texts, photos together, etc. It’s not required to actually have sex in front of the consular officer, but it wouldn’t hurt. - They are very slow. I know someone who has been waiting for years for an appointment at the Embassy. They blame COVID for the delay, which is ridiculous in August 2023. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2023, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-difficult-to-visit-the-united-states/988222/42 "2023-08-14T17:12:01Z")
Maybe things are different now. In the mid-2000s I married a Japanese citizen who was here in the US on an **[H1-B visa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-1B_visa)**. When we applied for a marriage-based green card for her, there was plenty of paperwork, but I don’t remember being asked for much of anything in the way of evidence that our marriage was genuine. I’d guess it’s much like the IRS, in that they don’t bother auditing you unless there are some red flags in your reported situation that they associate with fraud. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2023, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-difficult-to-visit-the-united-states/988222/43 "2023-08-14T17:48:17Z")
It definitely depends on the country of citizenship of the non-citizen spouse. Going back 20 years every person I know of of Indian, Pakistani, Chinese or Filipino citizenship has faced a grilling on this score. I’m guessing the authorities don’t suspect someone from Japan (or other high income country) would be desperate enough to transact a fake marriage for immigration purposes. ---
**Author:** ![Kelevra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/97f17d/32.png) [@Kelevra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kelevra)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-difficult-to-visit-the-united-states/988222/44 "2023-08-21T19:13:05Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > Back in the day, before 9/11, it was far less formal than that. > Growing up in Michigan, it was quite common to go over the river to Windsor, Ontario, for something trivial, and then come back over. They required nothing more than a driver’s license and answers to a few simple questions. In the 90’s I went to Windsor with 3 friends. The Canadian customs officer asked our citizenship. Me: “American” Carl: “American” Bob: “American” Andy: “Huh?” Customs: “Your citizenship, sir. What is your citizenship?” Andy: “Huh?” Me: “Your citizenship, dude. Say it.” Andy turns to look at me: “Huh?” All of us: “Just say American! Say it!” Andy: “Well what else would I be?” All of us: “SAY IT!” Andy: “American.” Customs: “Thank you and have a nice day.” I suspect it would be different post 9/11! ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-difficult-to-visit-the-united-states/988222/45 "2023-08-21T19:38:06Z")
> [@Kelevra](#): > > In the 90’s I went to Windsor with 3 friends. The Canadian customs officer asked our citizenship. In 1990 or 1991 my roommate and I drove from London, Ontario the 200km to Detroit to see James Taylor at Pine Knob. On the way back in to Canada, the conversation at the border went like this: “What was the purpose of your Trip?” - “Went to see a concert.” “Who did you see?” - “James Taylor” “How was it?” - “Great!” “Have a nice day” ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-difficult-to-visit-the-united-states/988222/46 "2023-08-22T04:09:28Z")
Years ago, when I was studying in Ontario, some of the students put together a bus trip to Syracuse for the day. We stopped at US Customs and the US Customs guy went down the bus, asking citizenship: « Canadian » « Canadian » « Canadian » « Canadian » « Canadian » … Back of the bus, last guy being asked: « Blue » ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-difficult-to-visit-the-united-states/988222/47 "2023-08-22T09:38:31Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Or if I was driving an RV. A colleague and his family recently spent a long holiday in the US, driving Chicago-\>Yellowstone-\>Texas-\>Vegas(where they got Elvis-married!)-\>California in an RV. He says they were mostly interested in the RV rental details, and also why the detour to Texas (for a cousin’s wedding). ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-difficult-to-visit-the-united-states/988222/48 "2023-08-22T09:54:10Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Years ago, when I was studying in Ontario, some of the students put together a bus trip to Syracuse for the day. > > We stopped at US Customs and the US Customs guy went down the bus, asking citizenship: > > « Canadian » > « Canadian » > « Canadian » > « Canadian » > « Canadian » > … > Back of the bus, last guy being asked: « Blue » Okay, I laughed out loud. Thank you! For those not in the know, Molson Canadian and Labatt’s Blue are both brands of Canadian beer. In a bar, you’d just ask for “Canadian” or “Blue,” hence the joke. When I was a student in Toronto, some friends and I decided to take a weekend in New York City. We also took a bus. Problem was, that the only bus we could get back left NYC at an hour that would get us back to Toronto at about 0430 the next day. What the hell, we’ll manage. So on the return, when we hit the border at about 0300, most people were asleep. I wasn’t; I was reading my book, as were a couple of others. Anyway, the Canada Customs guy got up into the bus, saw that most of it was asleep, and asked the driver, “Is everybody aboard either Canadian or American?” “I guess so,” said the driver. “Good enough for me,” said Canada Customs. “Get going.” And that was that. Probably the easiest Canada-US border crossing I’ve ever experienced. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-difficult-to-visit-the-united-states/988222/49 "2023-08-22T10:51:49Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Probably the easiest Canada-US border crossing I’ve ever experienced. When my little brother was ~19 he drove two of his friends ro Canada for a fun day. On the return trip, at the border the guard asked if they had any illegal drugs in the car. The one guy answered, “sure! What do you want?”. He was kidding around. They removed the car’s back seat, etc, taking two hours and not finding a thing. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-difficult-to-visit-the-united-states/988222/50 "2023-08-22T15:38:05Z")
I heard this story from the idiot who was the subject of it. He was born in Germany, moved to Canada with parents at age 2. When he and some buddies went to visit Buffalo (bars stayed open longer than Toronto) the border guards asked them their citizenship. (All you needed back then was some ID like driver’s license). He figured it was a lot simpler to just say he was Canadian, even though he was never naturalized… yet. I guess the computer systems were good enough to figure out this was not true. They hauled him off to an interrogation room, and the next day he had to phone his parents…“Hi mom, dad - I’m in Germany”. When they deport you, it’s off to your country of citizenship. (Also, when you think you’re being funny, the border guards have heard it all too many times before. They just want a simple answer so you can go.) ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-difficult-to-visit-the-united-states/988222/51 "2023-08-22T15:38:38Z")
I’m not so sure that it’s an anachronism. I’m sure there are plenty of people who come to the US and stay at multiple addresses or drive an RV around the country - but I think there are probably many more who stay at one place for their entire visit , whether that’s a week in Vegas or a month at their sister’s house in Boise. ---
**Author:** ![Pixel\_Dent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@Pixel\_Dent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixel_Dent)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-difficult-to-visit-the-united-states/988222/52 "2023-08-22T19:01:32Z")
> [@md-2000](#): > > When he and some buddies went to visit Buffalo (bars stayed open longer than Toronto) the border guards asked them their citizenship. Sorry to sidetrack, but as someone who grew up in Buffalo in the 80’s I’ve become fixated on this detail. As a 19 year old I made plenty of trips going the other direction after the drinking age in NY was raised to 21 (also records by obscure European techno groups were much cheaper for some reason in Toronto). Anyway, it was a good 2+ hour drive to get from, say, Yonge Street in Toronto to, for instance, The Salty Dog in Buffalo. Last call was 2AM in Toronto and 4AM in Buffalo. Sorry, I know this is turning into an algebra word problem. At what time on the clock are they sitting in a bar in Toronto and say, “Hey, this bar closes in X minutes. It takes us X + 135 minutes to get to Buffalo. The bars in Buffalo close in X + 120 minutes. We should driving to Buffalo.” I suspect the answer is probably that they’ve already been drinking for Y minutes, but maybe there’s another solution! ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2023, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-difficult-to-visit-the-united-states/988222/53 "2023-08-23T03:17:31Z")
If it were worded to accomodate the _possibility_ that you were staying in or contactable at one place it would not be an anachronism. But it is invariably worded peremptorily eg _"What is the place at which you will be staying_ etc". So as worded it is an anachronism. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2023, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-difficult-to-visit-the-united-states/988222/54 "2023-08-23T08:58:47Z")
It feels like a throw back to the days when the only way to contact you would be to have a physical address. I’ve noticed car hire companies have moved away from the practice and instead now ask for your mobile number. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2023, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-difficult-to-visit-the-united-states/988222/55 "2023-08-23T12:46:47Z")
Once upon a time… the bars in Toronto closed at 1AM. In Buffalo, 4AM. But then we had a joke that the organization was having a raffle - first prize was a weekend in Buffalo, second prize was two weekends in Buffalo. ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2023, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-difficult-to-visit-the-united-states/988222/56 "2023-08-23T16:29:06Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > the angry response was _“put the place you are staying at which you can be contacted while in the UK! Can’t you read?!”_ in a manner that clearly implied I was an idiot. I decided it was not a good moment to point out that the idiot was not me. This is especially tricky if you are travelling to Dublin via Heathrow. On arrival in Heathrow and entering the Common Travel Area, immigration ask you for “the address where you are staying in the UK”. There is no right answer, and any attempt to explain that you are not staying in the UK at all, but going immediately to your departure gate to board a flight to Ireland, is met with weary sighs and eyerolls. One of many reasons why I will happily pay a premium to avoid flying via Heathrow. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2023, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-difficult-to-visit-the-united-states/988222/57 "2023-08-23T17:35:44Z")
> [@hibernicus](#): > > On arrival in Heathrow and entering the Common Travel Area, immigration ask you for “the address where you are staying in the UK”. I’ve put “in transit” when going through immigration on flights transferring through the U.S. and U.S. customs had no problems with it. Maybe U.S. customs are just incredibly mellow? ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2023, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-difficult-to-visit-the-united-states/988222/58 "2023-08-24T01:07:54Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > So on the return, when we hit the border at about 0300, most people were asleep. I wasn’t; I was reading my book, as were a couple of others. Anyway, the Canada Customs guy got up into the bus, saw that most of it was asleep, and asked the driver, “Is everybody aboard either Canadian or American?” > > “I guess so,” said the driver. > > “Good enough for me,” said Canada Customs. “Get going.” It wouldn’t happen that way today. Back around 1980 I went to the US by bus and back a number of times and it wasn’t much more than that. Now, you have to get off the bus, gather your luggage, go into the customs house, maybe waiting in a line outside at -20 since the custom house wasn’t built for a busload full of people. Show passports, visas if needed, reload the luggage, get back on the bus. What an awful pain. I’ll either fly or take the train (if is running–another issue). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-difficult-to-visit-the-united-states/988222.md?page=2)