"TRAVEL TO US DRAMA" FOR SCOTTISH COUPLE! OY VEY!!!!!!

http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/06/23/expired-visa-mixup-lands-british-couple-in-american-jail-called/?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000008

"A U.S. vacation turned into a nightmare for one Scottish couple who spent five weeks in an American jail due to confusion over their visas."

America, and Texas for sure, are really getting overly strict.

It sounds like they were trying to do the American version of the British channel hop and got caught.  It would have happened to American tourists here, although I am not sure they would be detained for weeks. 

What were they doing at the Mexican border after crossing at Canada? Why were they detained? Is that normal, or were they trying to fight deportation?  I think there is more here than is being said.  Imagine how fishy it would look if someone entered the EU on an expired tourist visa and were caught by some country's border on the opposite side of the continent?

Since ESTA, it seems a lot of British people are under the impression they then have a visa of sorts.  It happened to a friend who applied for ESTA last year.  I don't know the ins and outs of American immigration, and we were in the middle of taking a trip to the US when our friend tried to enter the US after spending only a month or so out of the US after a 3 month stay.  We had mentioned that he can't just live there on visa waivers, but he said he had a visa that was good for years, so we just left it at that thinking he had applied for some enhanced visitor visa to ensure he could visit his fiancée who may have trouble sponsoring him for a marriage visa.  We also didn't know he had moved out of his flat, quit his job, sold all his stuff he couldn't fit into storage.

He got bounced, of course.  They sent him to jail overnight.  Like actual jail in arm and leg irons and everything.  Horrible experience I wouldn't wish on anyone doing something that amounted to not understanding immigration.  He was told he could get a lawyer, try to fight it, spend months in detention, and then get bounced, but he opted to go home the next morning.  I wonder if that option was given to these people.

I am all for more open borders, but sometimes people from what used to be called "first world" nations get a sense of entitlement that they shouldn't have.  People from any other country on the VWP list would have been bounced, and as much as we'd love a closer relationship with the UK in terms of letting our nationals enter and exit the respective country more freely, the special relationship doesn't cover that.  Push your elected officials to make better agreements if you'd like to see that happen.

5 WEEKS IN PRISON?
I mean, that is HARSH. But I do see your point about border control.

And I MUST admit... I TOTALLY suffered from that sense of entitlement too... I was shocked at what *I* had to go through to get my marriage visa for the UK, because *I* was coming from America, had never been arrested, had a masters degree from a top university! Because *I* was not coming from some third world country... blah, blah, blah... Total entitlement!

I really thought  we could just marry in the UK when I came over and I could stay! And then, after I discovered that THAT was not possible, I still assumed there would be some one page form, for a few dollars, for "well-educated-good-Americans" such as myself, to immigrate to the UK!

Boy was I wrong.

And I am a well traveled person who should know these things! I did know that I suffered from and benefitted from a lot of American exceptionalism. Especially after traveling around Africa and the Middle East with my female friend from Brazil. Her experience crossing borders differed greatly from MY experience! At EVERY BORDER!
It was assumed I was a tourist, and it was assumed she was a hooker trying to relocate illegally. We are the same age, and in the same line of work. But SHE was from Brazil... And *I* was American. I was NEVER questioned, or searched - SHE ALWAYS WAS - FOR HOURS!

And, we DO need regulations, and there should not be special exceptions for entitled Americans such as myself.

I learned a lot through the process!

So, live and learn... 

I really thought  we could just marry in the UK when I came over and I could stay! And then, after I discovered that THAT was not possible, I still assumed there would be some one page form, for a few dollars, for "well-educated-good-Americans" such as myself, to immigrate to the UK!

Well, it used to be as simple as that back 30 odd years ago. That's what makes it so infuriating 

"A U.S. vacation turned into a nightmare for one Scottish couple who spent five weeks in an American jail due to confusion over their visas."

Probably didn't help that they look a little like Whitey Bulger and his girl friend! 

Sort of (vaguely) related to how things used to be for spouses, has anyone ever seen this film, sometimes shown under its original title, I Was a Male War Bride?

I am 41, but I used to model back in the day... I worked a lot in Europe. I would get my work visa, which was SO easy to do in the 80's (I signed a form and paid a tiny fee), and then I would just STAY for as long as I wanted. I overstayed ALL THE TIME back then. So did everyone else!
I did travel between Italy and Spain almost every month, so i got a new stamp all the time, but, NO ONE CARED how long i was in any country. They did not care at all...
So THAT, along with being waved through every border I ever went through, made my American exceptionalism (and I expect it was also white privilege - even tho I am a Cuban Jew, I "look" white) even WORSE.
Even for the last few years that I was in NYC and visiting my then boyfriend in England, I was waived in... No real questions... no searches... And I came over all of the time. I came over for entire summers and all of my school breaks - I even came for weekends - once I came twice, for a week each time, in one month! They just waived me in... And I always told them I was a full time student and visiting my boyfriend - which was true. It was fine.
And when I did my visa, I was afraid they would clock my old "overstays" but they did not. There was no record of it.
I feel bad for people who are in love and denied their visa.
I really cannot imagine anything worse on for two people in love.
I also feel REALLY LUCKY.
The visa was expensive, we paid a lawyer, but we were approved - AND I AM VERY AWARE OF HOW LUCKY WE ARE.

Sort of (vaguely) related to how things used to be for spouses, has anyone ever seen this film, sometimes shown under its original title, I Was a Male War Bride?

Yes!