• silent_water [she/her]
    ·
    2 years ago

    I completely don't follow how the abortion thing fits with her reason for denial:

    Gourley was told she would not be granted entry to the US and would be deported on the next flight back to Brisbane, five hours after arriving, because she had breached the conditions of the visa waiver program, which applies to citizens of Australia and many other countries making short visits to the US for business or tourism, but not regular employment.

    A spokesperson for US Customs and Border Protection confirmed that the visa waiver program prohibited applicants from engaging “in any type of employment or get compensation for services rendered”. The rule, which appears to prohibit house-sitting for free accommodation, took Gourley completely by surprise and she said she now wanted to warn other Australians of the consequences of volunteering to house-sit or pet-sit in the US or neighbouring countries.

    like wtf does whether or not she had an abortion have anything to do with anything? you're denying her visit because she's in breach of the visa-waiver rules - apparently free labor earning profit for American businesses isn't enough to get you entry into the US any longer. but there's no federal law prohibiting travel to the US following an abortion. so why even ask?

    like I even get that the torture is self-justifying to these goons. but that still doesn't explain the thought process that brought the agent to the question. literally any port in a storm when you just want to intimidate, I guess?

    • hexaflexagonbear [he/him]
      ·
      2 years ago

      She was going to canada, which is the crazier part. Like surely it should be up to Canadian border patrol to decode whether she should be allowed to stay. But, also, lol, how do you take a flight that long without checking whether you should lie about local accommodations?

      • Thordros [he/him, comrade/them]
        ·
        2 years ago

        They'd also have their own process. She specifically applied for a visa waiver under the ESTA program in the US, which allows you to stay in the US, Canada, or Mexico for up to 90 days. However, your fate is left to the whims of the border cops for the country you're currently entering—in this case, the US.

        It's dumb, of course, but it's how it's intended to work: folks from white people countries can make extended trips with less scrutiny than a visa application.

      • TraschcanOfIdeology [they/them, comrade/them]
        ·
        2 years ago

        I used to travel internationally for work for long stretches of time. It was somewhat of a gray area because I was definitely working for local companies while getting my salary from my employer back home. Rule number one when you were dealing with any immigration agents was never say the word "work", because it could get you deported immediately. As far as the authorities were concerned, I was "visiting clients", and any other details were confidential.

        • hexaflexagonbear [he/him]
          ·
          2 years ago

          I know for conferences you have to say "business", because you're allowed to receive reimbursements for travel from American businesses without violating the business visa rules. And also you will not receive lodging or travel reimbursements if you accidentally day leisure, lol.

          • TraschcanOfIdeology [they/them, comrade/them]
            ·
            edit-2
            2 years ago

            Business is okay to say, but 'work' is a huge no-no and will definitely lead to the immigration officials taking you to the little room in the back to "ask more questions", in the best of cases.