That's super strange.

International States

Lel I thought Isis too

No I'm a US citizen who can't type on a phone apparently

Volunteering is considered work in the US, just unpaid. So folks will be turned down as their intent is not to visit, but to work.

Unfortunately, having a refusal of entry on your record for the US border is EXTREMELY bad, as future entry attempts within the calendar year can be considered secondary attempts to enter for the original reason denied (in this case, to find work without approval). Repeated refusals can lead to an outright ban from entering the US, which is nearly impossible (especially with limited funds) to have removed.

There is an appeal process that can be done through Homeland Security (found here: https://www.dhs.gov/dhs-trip ) however it is by no means fast and people report successful appeals taking several months.

Unfortunately for your friend, they will most likely not be able to attend.

More precisely... If you're volunteering and receiving any kind of compensation, even if it's not financial, you're 'working'. For the record, most countries follow this rule.

What has changed is that most countries will let you explain that you're not getting any form of compensation and they'll let it go.

That being said, Rukis' advice is VERY good. Never say you're going down to do anything but 'vacation' or 'shopping'. Almost any other answer can get you in trouble.

Wow, that's crazy. How stupid can it get?! ..No, I take that back. This isn't even the worst thing I've learned this year. Not by a long shot lol *sigh*

I'd try again at a different border crossing

It's logged in computers, this will only make the situation worse.

As someone for years crossed the US, Canadian border, no do not do this. It can make future entries even more difficult and may get a ban from crossing the border.

oh I see
sneak across at night?

That's called entering illegally and will make you ineligible to enter for the next 10 years.

yea but if your white your safe, if you're Mexican, Middle Eastern or Black beware.

CBP doesn't care if you're white. If you cross illegally, you're going to have a bad day when they catch you.

yea but if you're white and Speak the local language they wont tell the difference, they mostly have blinders on

Well, fair point, they have to identify you as someone who has actually crossed, first. But if or when they find out, you're in big trouble, no matter what race you are.

when in Rome do as the Romans

There is no way to appeal the decision of a Customs agent, unless you have friends in high places. It is clearly stated, when you register on the silly ESTA website to have your authorization to board the plane to the US, that the decision of the Customs agent on whether to let you or not are final, and that there is no process for appeal. And he doesn't even have to justify his decision. He can just deny you and send you back home on the next plane.

Customs agents are looking hard for reasons to deny entry nowadays, and they'll also search through your electronics and force you to divulge passwords. The less you tell them, without lying, the better it is.

^This

From crossing the border many times.

N.V.I.
Never Volunteer Information. Give them as little as you can get away with.

lie & say your just shopping?

"I'm coming to visit your country."
"I'm coming to visit friends." -> Better have name and addresses ready to show, and not the address of a the hotel or they'll get suspicious.

First time I crossed the border, I'm French, after 8 hours of flight, the Customs officer looked at me as if I was a criminal, kept asking question, making me nervous, and then he told me 'you look quite nervous Sir'. To what I replied: 'Yes, because I'm not used to being interrogated this way when crossing a border. I'm European, and we don't even have to show our ID cards when traveling around most of Europe, except for UK and they usually just check my passport before letting me go through.' And that was years before Trump and his new rules...

Also.. Keep It Simple.

"I'm on vacation." or "I'm shopping".

^ This is important! You waive your rights by using ESTA. They can do whatever they want. If you get denied entry on ESTA, you will no longer be allowed to use it in the future either.

Additionally, bring your supporting documents (itinerary etc) on paper, not electronically. You will not get to show your documents on your phone or tablet. Made this mistake once before; never again.

Also use a burner phone don't bring your actual phone

i had to learn this the hard way sadly... partner got denied entry when trying to visit for a second time. was here for 2 months and 27-28 days and left before his visa was canceled. when he tried to re-enter the customs officer claimed he was staying here illegally during that time, and took away his ESTA thingy.

been looking for any other ways to get him into the US but not much luck..

I'm sorry to hear that. Has your partner tried to apply for a tourist visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate in their country of residence instead?

haven't tried a tourist visa but we tried a student visa. (he had a sponsor for a college in the US too). got denied entry for "no significant reason to return" (they expect him to have a car/job/house or other ridiculous stuff that someone this young wouldn't really have), and for a previous denied entry (the one he lost is ESTA at). (however there is a possibility that he might try for a tourist visa, just he's going to uni in his home country now, so not much free time)

even talked to a lawyer here and he said the only options seem to be a work visa, or marriage. current plan now is for me to be visiting him as i have no negative marks on me, and visiting Australia seems to be far easier than visiting the US. depending on how things go might get a marriage visa in a few years, though likely better to live with each other a bit more to see if it would workout.

god people make life unnecessarily difficult...

Those are some tricky options (H-1B or K-1 visa) to consider for staying together long-term. I visited the U.S. (using ESTA) once or twice a year for a while to be with my partner, and made sure for my stay duration not to exceed 90 days over a 180 day rolling time window, just to be sure. Ultimately it was easier for him to move to me in Europe than the other way around. I know long-distance relationships are tough. Hopefully you two will find your own way to be together.

Yeah, my wife had gone through the the whole residency process and we've heard of such cases in Canada where a fellow had volunteered to help renovate his fiances home and got sent back home... apparently regardless if you're being paid or not work of any form isn't permitted because supposedly he was denying a contractor a job somewhere...ridiculous. Unfortunately I've not idea an easy work around for that..could get hairy making a second attempt. I ran into a similar situation where the border officers thought I was trying to move to and get a job illegally in the US and all I had to do was bring proof that I have a home in Canada...so basically bring bills with their names on them and such. Not sure if this info helps, but best of luck!

In addition to my passport and nexxus card, I always cross the boarder with proof of return date (ie: convention registrations stating dayX to dayY and the same for a hotel confirmation)

Sometimes it's not enough for them. I'm French, I had printed my return ticket to show at the border, and the Customs Officer still made me feel like a criminal, asked a lot of questions, and made the long speech about me being allowed to stay only 90 days in the US (my return flight was less than a month after my arrival) and if I'd stay beyond the 90 days, they'd know, they'd look for me, find me, eject me from the US and bar me from ever being able to enter again...

Yes this is probably true for International travelers. I'm traveling on a CDN passport, with a Nexxus (rapid border crossing) card.

I just tell them, Vacation, SciFi Convention, Pittsburgh, returning on Date X. If they ask, I'll give them the name of the Con. One year, the 20-something officer in the booth actually knew about AC15 and wanted to go but had to work the 4th of July weekend. So we start chatting. I'm sure the car behind me thought I was getting busted.

We should build a wall and the volunteers have to pay for it.

Whoa that's like really scary

I've read a few cases in the past where foreigners where denied access due to a VOLUNTEER reason for entering the states. The Border Patrol explained their best chance was to have someone of authority from the place they had planned to volunteer at contact border patrol directly and provide proof that they would not be compensated in any way for their labor. Such as a document with the volunteers signature stating as such or some kind of recorded verbal agreement. This isn't 100% but perhaps it will help someone get through.

Honestly, best route is like Rukis mentioned. Just tell them you're on vacation and going to a convention if they ask more, that's it! Never give them information freely unless they ask and always make sure you can back it up with paper work. Most importantly never let them catch you in a lie. Stick to one story and don't add to it! They will intentionally try to confuse you to catch you so make sure to always have everything in your head before you arrive at the border check! I travel across borders to and from Europe and the USA a pretty good bit and have been railed a few times myself and I am an American Citizen!

While that would be true that route can't really be taken anymore by Rukis' friend as they have already stated what their business for entering the country is and it just happened to be a taboo word on their check list.
I think their best course of action would be to plead by a technicality that either the denial of entry was in error by false assumptions or misunderstandings.

Then again getting anything resolved in any Gov' business feels a bit like cutting your hand off to stop the bleeding of a scratch that would of healed on its own anyway.


P.S. Yeah I too have also had to go through the major pain of re-entering the US. I went to South Africa on vacation a few years back and the tour guides told us to tell the border check ins some very odd things but because it didn't raise any red flags it was all cool.

The problem is when they catch you in something they're very likely not going to allow you to go through. Basically what happens is you'll be brought into a room and explained everything then they'll say it's up to the supervisor. More often than not they're just going to say no. At this point it's pretty hopeless sad enough. The way the law works no one that isn't an American Citizen has the right to enter the United States and even with a Visa they can still refuse you for what ever reason they make up at that time. It's an unjust system but unfortunately you don't have a lot of realistic options if they refuse you. And worse yet those who enter with the visa waiver program lose that of they're ever refused even once. You can apeal it sure, but as always they're very likely to say say you're lucky you'll ever be able to enter agin... Isn't a right, you're not American, terrorists, criminal activity, bla bla bla. It sucks but that's the way it is now unfortunately. :/

Times like this makes me glad I moved out of the country years ago!

It's really quite sad, because I think the actions these rules/customs/laws etc. are trying to prevent are so ludicrously sloppy any productive results gained by them are more then offset by the fallout of having them in the first place. There was a quote by a journalist and I forget his name but it goes something like this.

"If you took everybody in politics out and replaced them with the mentally disabled. They would get a lot more done for a lot less effort and still make the billions the fat leeches so desperately try to make."

the US is the only Western/modern country that does not want international tourism

Paranoid and backwards behavior at it's finest! When the United States finally manages to isolate itself from the rest of the world and its economy goes to shit maybe then people will learn a lesson.

by then I'll have left this ass backward nation for greener pastures. because anything else will be greener. my loyalty ends when stability ends.

I did that years ago. And just having had major back surgery a couple months ago I'm happy that I live in a country that between my government healthcare and my private insurance that cost me all of €20 a month paid for everything including hospitalization, transportation, post opp care, medication, scans, X-rays, and rehabilitation. While if I was still in the United States spinal fusion surgery like I had would of cost me thousands of dollars even with high end insurance!

the only Freedom you have in this country is to hurry up and die or pay up all your money to live

Might be a long shot; I know most cons comp volunteer hours with credit towards the next convention and may provide other in-kind compensation as well (I know BLFC had some sort of meal voucher things for their volunteers, for example). So it might not be possible for AC staff to give such an affidavit in good faith.

(IANAL, TINLA)

Yeah, looking pretty bleak for the friend. Falling into one of their check traps or taboo subjects is borderline equivalent to stepping on a landmine. All you can really hope for is what's left over is intact.

It's a strange time we live in today. I feel fortunate to be both a permanent EU ID holder and a American citizen. But as the current hostile climate goes if they forced me to choose I'd give up my American citizenship and remain here. It saddens me that I even have to consider that!

Border stuff is really really volatile atm from what I understand. Seems most agents are on edge and quick to stop you for silly things. The EFF did an article on it and wanted stories about what happened.

'Murica. Land of the Free.

Hmm pretty sure that's not new. I knew not to say that when I went to the USA back at 2012. It also depends on the officer you encounter of course. Search around the web and you'll see it's not new, though maybe more enforced now.

As a warnign for all attendands to AC, I heard that a group of people are trying to get AC swatted along with trying to get PETA at it as well. So please my fellows be careful.
Here would be more info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EApd3rQl50U

Wow Jaffar that's messed up. I saw a lot of Nazi chat names in that. Some form of far-right group, or just general trolls?

I say trolls and maybe the same yahoos that made RMFC shut down, who knows, I am not sure if serious, but messed up dumbasses to be sure

trolls and far right are not far from one another on the spectrum

A troll does not recognize political affiliation, far left, right, or center field, does not matter; pandemonium, that is what troll understand however, you are not wrong either way.

It's just punk ass kids! They don't respect anyone or anything other themselves! Funny how I remember the media calling my generation lazy. Well look at the fine citizens my generations children have become! It's like every Generation X parent thought our parents were to hard on us so let's never discipline kids ever again! That'll certainly make them well rounded and outstanding individuals!

Those people are racist and anti furry as far as I can tell.
They are calling themselves mostly "moonman" and are spamming hatespeech, mostly against black people in a game called Town Of Salem.
Just wanted to prewarn people for this, I hope This message cna reach some more to be careful :c

Alt-furry is the same as Alt-Right, white supremacists/neo-nazis who are too cowardly to call themselves Nazis. Though they do also engage in trolling people/events/businesses that they don't like.

I think they view this as they would be working even though there is no pay.. honestly this sucks!

I would like to make clear to those entering the US from Canada do not bring your own phone use a burner phone, a throwaway, even if you deny them the passwords to your smart ass phones they can copy everything and take their time getting in.

More importantly, as a Canadian citizen going into the US - you do not have 4th and 5th amendment rights. Refusing to give up a password or unlock your phone will at best get you turned back, at worst get you arrested or held for obstructing justice if they suspect you're crossing the border to commit illegal acts.

oh wow

Thanks for information. Didn't think this can cause you to be refused to enter.

The United States is politically divided within itself, and it only makes it more of a headache for people from across the globe to enter. Our government takes its own problems out on the world.

This is total BS, though and I feel for your friend.

Also do not forget that when going into canada, carrying or importing any furry porn is illigitial(banned sence i can not spell today) also.

That's not actually true. To be banned it must include images of one or more of the following:

Non-consensual sex,
Violence, especially sexual, against women or children
Acts intended to be demeaning towards women or children
Any kind of sexual acts involving children or minors
Acts of bestiality

That last one is where most furry porn gets into trouble, but if the characters are anthro, then you're most likely ok. If some of the characters are feral, then you're in trouble.

All of that being said, in the end, it's up to the discretion of the border guard.

And there's a really simple solution - store your files on Google Drive or DropBox or some similar place, remove them from your laptop, then retrieve them when you get to your destination.

There's actually an episode of Border Patrol (a show where they film people being stopped by the border patrols of various countries) where an American Furry artist is stopped at the Canadian border and indeed his laptop is searched. After looking at all his stuff, they said they had been concerned that some of his art was in violation of the law, but they checked and since all the characters were basically humans with animal heads and tails, they decided it didn't qualify as bestiality.

Oddly what they did turn him away on was that he had no money and no return plans.

It isn't a new immigration act, it is the same old one, just being enforced to the letter of the law. Simply put, the US and (Canada) do not want people to come in from across the border to take 'jobs' away from their citizens. If you are volunteering, the question is why isn't the con or someone paying a US citizen to do the job, obviously cause they can get a 'volunteer' for free!

It is mainly so companies can't get cheap labour from outside the country, but it has been enforced to the letter of the law to include folks coming from Canada to help houses for humanity.

Different President's have enforced the same law differently ever since NAFTA.

While we're on the subject, 'cause we are Furries after all..

For the love of God, do not put Furry porn on your laptop, tablet or phone then cross the border. If you really must have it, get a free Google Drive account and stick it up there, and retrieve it when you arrive.

Same with your phone. The three things they check are your messaging clients, your emails and your files. Make sure you could let your grandmother (or mother) go through your phone without embarrassment.

They can also turn you away if they suspect you're trying to enter the country for work without a work visa (and work means 'any compensation, even non-financial', which is why 'volunteering' trips a red flag), if you don't have evidence of means (usually not enough money to pay for your time in the country and nothing like credit cards), if you don't seem to have any return plans or tickets (you're only allowed to stay in the US for up to three months as a visitor, I believe - it could be six), or if you have anything that even hints of drugs.

Finally, here's the trick: there's a dead space between borders at land crossings. If you check, the customs gates are always at least 500m past the actual border. This creates a zone where the laws are fuzzy, especially if you're a foreigner. You do not have full rights there.

So forget 'I won't tell you my password' if you're not a citizen (and even if you are... forget 'I won't give you my fingerprint to unlock my phone') and absolutely forget encrypted partitions and the like. The consequences of their finding them are pretty major since you're now guilty of obstructing justice.

This is the new reality, I'm afraid.

I read every comment here. If I didn't know about so many worse things that defy logic and rational thought, I wouldn't believe it. But, unfortunately I live in this psychotic land we call a country. And I am ashamed. At this point I'd do anything to leave. But I'm stuck and I don't see any way out.

WDF!!!

*gets all teary eyed as she salutes a flag* ...MERICA!

Seriously, ugh, I read about what they were going to pass and SUPPOSEDLY it was only for people from Muslim countries, which is still awful and rather racist, but...wow...just wow.

it was for several counties in the middle east. there are still several muslim majority counties out there that have no ban placed on them.

however this likely has nothing to do with the new bills or whatever. customs has been like this for awhile from what iv seen (partner denied last year before any of this stuff). Customs officers are just jerks, imo they are pretty much the same as the TSA as they dont really do much yet what ever they say goes and it seems that some of the worst people chose those jobs (likely because they are too much of a failure to become a cop). i saw a friendly customs officer once so they arent all like this, but from what it seems most are..

just really hope i can get my partner here sometime.. hopefully next time he tries to enter we get a friendly customs officer.

All this is why I don't travel to the US anymore. What a nightmare.

So happy to live in Canada, won't be visiting for a while (at least till things settle down and the tangerine turd either gets ousted or finishes his term)

How sad.

i hate the US's customs stuff.. july, 2016 they denied my partner entry into the US and logged him as living here illegally when he visited me for 3 months (he left a day before he legally had to leave)

sadly i do not believe there is a quick way to appeal this besides possibly going to an embassy and complaining alot. my partner has emailed several different customs places, and sent a letter to the US ambassador for Australia but no luck. customs has been broken for quite some time here...