Road Trip USA&Canada

[Art]

Hi from England,
I am a UK Citizen planning taking two years off from my business in England and touring around Western Canada & USA in an RV.
I do know I can stay in Canada for 6 months legally, and in the USA for two periods of three months., this is all within a peroid of 12 months.

All this is fine, and fits in with my plans, but my main concern is are the border officials going to believe I am NOT working?, I genuinely wont be!
thats the whole idea of my trip, not to work!


I am trying to do this legally, but some have suggested to stay in one of the countries for the whole two year period, so I dont get quized at the borders, and prevented from travelling,which to me is crazy, as I dont want to commit any offences.

So anyone who has experienced this, I would appreciate any help
Art (UK)

[Fatbrit]

Don't think there's really a solution to your visa problem. You can stay in the US for up to 90 days on the VWP. There is a rule of thumb that you should spend at least as much time out as you do in. However, crossing into Canada (or Mexico or the Caribbean islands) does not generally reset the clock on your I-94W. If you start in the US and cross into Canada on day 89, I can see Canadian border officers refusing your entry there.

You may want to consider applying for a B2 visa - but that is also full of caveats. I really think this is going to be difficult if not impossible visa wise.

[twostep]

This is a common misconception - VWP is not a guaranteed 90 day stay. It is at the discretion of the immigration officer at point of entry. The same applies to B2 and its 180 days.

[Bevdeforges]

I think you're going to want to apply for a tourist visa - the B2, I think it is, like fatbrit says. On each entry into the US, you are going to have to prove that you're not planning on staying for the long term. This generally means you have to show that you have strong ties back home, have adequate resources for your stay in the US without working, etc. etc.

The catch is that on each re-entry into the US the border officer has a level of discretion regarding how long he'll allow you to stay. And on each re-entry, you'll have to prove all over again your intention to leave when you say you will.

It's not impossible, but it may take a bit of creativity. One thing that might help is to have a planned itinerary for each 3 month segment - at least to the extent you can - plus receipts indicating how you are getting your money from back home, information about your business, etc. etc.
Cheers,
Bev

[Mamacats]

Hello and Welcome to the forum,

I do have any information to offer but found it quite interesting "Your big Adventure"

Hope you are able to do it and have a safe and enjoyable time!