UK spouse getting problems at the US border

So we ran into a bit of mishap when my husband and I went back to the states last week for a long weekend to visit my family. They took him into the dreaded back room when he went through border control, and grilled him about his relationship to me and how long he was expected to stay in the US, etc, etc. They eventually let him through, but said that next time he should probably get a visitors visa because his spouse was American. We were under the impression that unless we traveled to the US really frequently, that he would be okay on the visa waiver program, but apparently no? The immigrations officer we were talking to seemed to make it out like he would be able to get one of those 10 year multiple entry visitors visa, but after looking on the US immigration site it seems like getting a multiple entry one may prove a bit difficult, and we really, really don't want to have to apply for a new visa every time we want to visit the US!

Does anyone else have similar experiences with this? We only travel to the US about once a year, and because of my husband's work can't stay for more than a week or two at the most, so I'm wondering if it's really necessary to apply for a visa for my hubby, or if we just got unlucky?

Sorry to say but I think you were just unlucky buts just my 2p though. whenever Dh & I go to the US to visit my family we always go in the same line together when we go through immigration an have yet to have any problems. the only problem we have ever had was when Dh went through the visitor line an I went through the US line an the officer said he really should have gone through me instead of the visitor line this was Chicago several years ago.

My hubby and I just went through last week, we had no problems at all- I'm sorry you did. The IO didn't even ask us any questions, except to ask hubby how long he planned to stay. We told him 9 weeks, and that was it. I wonder if we just look unassuming with 2 kids in tow- or maybe they just don't want to detain a family... We just seem to be very lucky.

We've never been stopped and we have no kids. 

I think you were unlucky as well.  Maybe next time take evidence you will return?   

We had a similar experience at Minneapolis airport, not had a problem at any other US airport,  my DH is disabled and was in a wheelchair, he went through the line with me, the IO took his passport and took him to the room......for an hour they grilled him wanting to know why he was really in the US.....we went there as my daughter was dying....I was getting angry at them...we told them we would only be there for 5 weeks,  the guy talking to him kept telling my DH that he had lied to the IO in that we would be in the states for only 3 weeks.....I finally got mad and told them this..."why in the hell do you think for one minute that I as a US citizen would want to come back here to live when I just bought a home in the UK where I just came from?"  That was the end of the drilling,  he got up looked at me stamped the passport and we were on our way....NEVER again will I book a flight that goes through that airport.....so I think it is a random thing with them now that they think everyone coming into the states are criminals....also I spoke to someone from the UK who goes to the US quite frequently and he said that everytime he goes over they drill him......PEONS!!!!!!!!

We had a similar experience at Minneapolis airport, not had a problem at any other US airport,  my DH is disabled and was in a wheelchair, he went through the line with me, the IO took his passport and took him to the room......for an hour they grilled him wanting to know why he was really in the US.....we went there as my daughter was dying....I was getting angry at them...we told them we would only be there for 5 weeks,  the guy talking to him kept telling my DH that he had lied to the IO in that we would be in the states for only 3 weeks.....I finally got mad and told them this..."why in the hell do you think for one minute that I as a US citizen would want to come back here to live when I just bought a home in the UK where I just came from?"  That was the end of the drilling,  he got up looked at me stamped the passport and we were on our way....NEVER again will I book a flight that goes through that airport.....so I think it is a random thing with them now that they think everyone coming into the states are criminals....also I spoke to someone from the UK who goes to the US quite frequently and he said that everytime he goes over they drill him......PEONS!!!!!!!!

It is not just a US thing, as evidenced from this board UKBA do the same thing.  Some are just jerks, which is true in every job I suppose.

Probably more turn up in jobs like these because they like being in a position of power though. 

Maybe it was because we went through separate lines? I didn't know we were able to go through the same line since I'm a US citizen and he's UK.

Snowlass that sounds awful, they were really rude to my husband when he was back there too. They told him that they had a phone call from someone in the UK telling them all about him, and that they could keep him there for weeks if he wanted to. And then at the end when they let him through, I asked the officer if next time we should bring evidence that my husband's employed in the UK and he didn't even answer my question and just made a joke about bringing enough cash to pay off the immigration officer. Thanks. 

If you are not at retirement age, getting approved for a B2 visa will be next to impossible for your OH, OP. This is basically because those that qualify to use the VWP, don't really need a B2 to visit.  And once a visa is denied, he will have even more problems on subsequent trips. There have been plenty of examples of folks that apply for a B visa, and find themselves caught in a catch-22 because they can no longer use the VWP to visit (their ESTA's get denied). If you want to do some research on that, please check out the USA forum on www.Britishexpats.com/forum (that's where I'm a long-time member).

The people at the border are the very LAST people you want to get immigration advice from. They barely know their a$$es from holes in the ground. Before jumping the gun on applying for any visas for him, please get some legitimate immigration advice from an attorney. As others have stated, I think you just got extremely unlucky and that IO was having a bad day.