I come from England and can enter the U.S. for 90 days at a time without a visa. I’ve come to the U.S. six times in the last two years to be with my American partner, and the last time they almost didn’t let me into the U.S. airport. What’s going on?
The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) waives (excuses) the requirement to obtain a visa for residents of certain (mostly Western European) countries to travel to the U.S. The VWP does not guarantee admission into the U.S. however. Coming into the U.S. as a non-immigrant (temporary) visitor is always a two-step process. The VWP waives the requirement for the first step – obtaining a visa which allows you to board a plane to the U.S. – but not the second step, actually being permitted into the U.S. Non-immigrant visitors to the U.S. must prove that they do not intend to remain in the U.S. permanently every time they seek to enter the U.S. Even residents of VWP countries will eventually be denied admission into the U.S. if an Immigration official determines that you are actually using the VWP to live in the U.S.