We are in the planning stages of a moto trip from Argentina to the US, we suddenly wondered if, when crossing the border from Mexico to the US, are we likely to be asked for proof of onward (outward) travel by those US border officials?!
Also, does anyone know if we just turn up at the border with no visa, get an ESTA organised or something else?
We are from the UK and flying into Argentina, returning at some point to the UK - but don't know where from or when!
Any info much appreciated.
Phil

ESTA is only need if you are flying in. If you want to stay for more than 90 days then you will need a visa. It gets complicated if you plan on going through Canada to Alaska as I think they count your days in canada and then may not let you in Alaska.

I am a UK citizen and on a recent trip to South America I got a US visa in Santiago de Chile. I got it in 2 days without any problems. Chileans can enter the US on the waiver program so the embassy has very little work.

I would recomend getting a visa.


If you come through Mexico City we will be happy to put you up.

You need to do some research. I don't think showing up at the border is gonna work out. As a U.S. citizen I don't have any direct experience but I did meet several Brits while thru hiking the Appalachian Trail. Seems that a 6 months visa is about max which was pushing it for a thru hike. It took a face to face interview with U.S. state department personnel to get visa and I think they had to have proof of return ticket/on ward travel.

Lot of confusion about the differences between visa waivers (for those who qualify) and visas. The basic lesson here is that you should carefully verify anything you read on an internet forum, no matter how compellingly presented.

For example, a visa will permit a 6 month maximum stay, and you don't need proof of onward travel for entry with a visa. However, border officials can refuse entry for any reason at all, so even if you've got a visa you'll want to stack the odds for entry in your favor--that means having, or appearing to have, a job, family, home, and other responsibilities to attend to elsewhere. It also means having a definite plan to depart the USA, with supporting documentation. And you want to show clear ability to pay your own way while in the USA. Etc. An extension for another 6 months can be applied for from within the country, but it would be unwise to count on getting one of these.

In practice, if you arrive at the border with your own transport, visa, funds, and an obvious life elsewhere you're unlikely to be refused entry--same as traveling everywhere in the world.

A visa waiver will allow entry for 3 months max, and advance authorization (ESTA) plus an onward ticket are required if you arrive by air or sea. That 3 months includes any continuous time spent in the USA, Canada, Mexico, adjacent islands, etc., so plan carefully.

Whether I'm clarifying or muddying the waters further is, in a sense, irrelevant. Don't trust me. Read the actual US government rules on State Department or similar sites. If you can't stomach that, at least go to a dedicated travel site like the Lonely Planet and read, for example, the FAQ threads dedicated to visa and visa waiver issues. Here's one: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntr...ogram-and-esta .

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

Just sneak across the border like everyone else.

I have found this website useful for getting a baseline of the requirement you may face crossing a border. The fee and documentation requirements is geared toward travelers arriving by airplane, and the rules sometime are different for those entering a given country by land. At a minimum, the site provides the worst case fees. Usually air travelers pay the most to enter a country. Information is customized to your citizenship and country to be visited.

https://www.visahq.com/

__________________
Peter B
2008/09 - NJ to Costa Rica and back to NJ
2012/13 - NJ to Northern Argentina, Jamaica, Cuba and back to NJ
2023 - Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia...back to Peru.

Blogs: Peter's Ride