British tourist detained by US authorities for 10 days over visa issue

i was following this on another site before it showed up here:

1)UK citizens dont need a visa perse coming into canada as a tourist

1b) electronic travel authorization form is not required for UK citizens coming to canada over land border.

2)she was staying at Workaway, which depending on how you interpret/misinterpret is "working" (which it possibly is, a little shady on what they are.) so canada may have thought she was going to work... which a tourist visa doesnt cover

so my guess is canadian authorities felt she was coming here to work, which she didnt have the proper paperwork so got denied.

USA authorities upon re-entry attempt, probably felt she is scamming the ESTA 90 days being on a "4 month" trip, staying at workaway locations... and playing devils advocate, there is no proof that this is NOT what she was trying to do... going to a short trip in canada before going back thinking it resets ESTA (they have to be gone from usa for a reasonable time)

so much unknowns.

i think they were right to detain her/deny her entry... but the length of detainment is at issue.

very first thing i think of when viewing their site is this is some lodging for volunteer/unpaid labour. https://www.workaway.info/

> very first thing i think of when viewing their site is this is some lodging for volunteer/unpaid labour. https://www.workaway.info/

I'm certainly not an immigration lawyer but my understanding is that _no_ work, none, even in exchange for room and board, is allowed on a tourist visa in the US.

Workaway looks like it isn't compatible with a tourist visa in the US and their website doesn't really call that out. Seems like something that nine times out of ten if you're just quiet about it it'll never come up and you'd be fine.

But unfortunately Canada refused entry and then questions were asked. Rough.