An Australian traveler is speaking out about getting kicked out of the US. She claims she was kicked out over a trivial matter, and it's traumatized her ever since.
In 2022, Madolline Gourle flew from Australia to Los Angeles. She was pet sitting for someone in exchange for living in their apartment. However, that apparently violated her ESTA visa waiver. That prevents her from working while in the US. Apparently, living in an apartment counted as payment. It eventually bit her on a return trip.
"He started asking things like why I spent so long in the US, where did I go on that trip and why was I back again so soon," she said. "I told him I was able to get around to so many places because I looked after people's cats - unpaid, of course, and through a legitimate house sitting website - in cities and towns I wanted to visit."
US Kicks Traveler out
The US kicked the traveler out of the country. Fast forward three years, and Gourle is scared it will prevent her from going to Canada.
"The US, Canada, Australia, the UK and New Zealand share the information collected by their immigration departments," Ms Gourley told Sydney Morning Herald. Her application had a question. "Have you ever been refused a visa or permit, denied entry to, or ordered to leave Canada or any other country/territory?"
"That had been weighing on my mind a lot," Gourley said. "How being refused entry to the United States would affect future visa applications. I wasn't sure if telling the truth would result in an instant rejection. But thankfully there was an option to attach a letter outlining the particulars. I wrote a two-page letter and two weeks later I got an email saying my application status had been updated. I logged in and scrolled down to see my work permit had been approved."
Fortunately getting kicked out of the US didn't mean she was barred from future travels.
She said, "This was pretty exciting because it meant I was able to house and cat sit in Canada, and I could get a paid job if I wanted to."
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