What should I put in ESTA if staying in the US for a few days before going on to Canada?





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I am about to apply for my US ESTA, and there is a question asking if the travel to the US is in transit for another country. I am planning to fly to New York from the UK, stay for a couple of days, and then fly on to Canada. At the other end I will get a bus from Canada to the US and then fly home from there. Do I answer yes or no to the transit question?










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  • 6





    ‘Transit’ typically means short-term (usually max 24 hours) travel across or through the a country on the way to another country. If you’re staying for 2+ days you’re visiting, IMHO.

    – Traveller
    Apr 4 at 19:25






  • 1





    @Traveller yet a garden-variety C-1 US transit visa can authorize up to 29 days of presence in the US. It's archaic, I know, but there it is. The US really puts more emphasis on purpose than on duration.

    – phoog
    Apr 4 at 19:27






  • 1





    @phoog I'd love to see the incredulous looks given to someone who applies for a transit visa saying they want to take a ship from Europe to New York, ride a bicycle (fairly quickly) across the country, and catch a freighter to Asia from the west coast.

    – Zach Lipton
    Apr 4 at 20:00






  • 1





    @ZachLipton yeah, or just to walk from Abbottsford, BC to Tijuana. I suspect that the purpose would be deemed recreational rather than transportational, and a B visa required.

    – phoog
    Apr 4 at 20:05






  • 1





    @AzorAhai that depends on the time of year.

    – phoog
    Apr 4 at 23:01


















11















I am about to apply for my US ESTA, and there is a question asking if the travel to the US is in transit for another country. I am planning to fly to New York from the UK, stay for a couple of days, and then fly on to Canada. At the other end I will get a bus from Canada to the US and then fly home from there. Do I answer yes or no to the transit question?










share|improve this question




















  • 6





    ‘Transit’ typically means short-term (usually max 24 hours) travel across or through the a country on the way to another country. If you’re staying for 2+ days you’re visiting, IMHO.

    – Traveller
    Apr 4 at 19:25






  • 1





    @Traveller yet a garden-variety C-1 US transit visa can authorize up to 29 days of presence in the US. It's archaic, I know, but there it is. The US really puts more emphasis on purpose than on duration.

    – phoog
    Apr 4 at 19:27






  • 1





    @phoog I'd love to see the incredulous looks given to someone who applies for a transit visa saying they want to take a ship from Europe to New York, ride a bicycle (fairly quickly) across the country, and catch a freighter to Asia from the west coast.

    – Zach Lipton
    Apr 4 at 20:00






  • 1





    @ZachLipton yeah, or just to walk from Abbottsford, BC to Tijuana. I suspect that the purpose would be deemed recreational rather than transportational, and a B visa required.

    – phoog
    Apr 4 at 20:05






  • 1





    @AzorAhai that depends on the time of year.

    – phoog
    Apr 4 at 23:01














11












11








11








I am about to apply for my US ESTA, and there is a question asking if the travel to the US is in transit for another country. I am planning to fly to New York from the UK, stay for a couple of days, and then fly on to Canada. At the other end I will get a bus from Canada to the US and then fly home from there. Do I answer yes or no to the transit question?










share|improve this question
















I am about to apply for my US ESTA, and there is a question asking if the travel to the US is in transit for another country. I am planning to fly to New York from the UK, stay for a couple of days, and then fly on to Canada. At the other end I will get a bus from Canada to the US and then fly home from there. Do I answer yes or no to the transit question?







usa transit canada international-travel esta






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edited Apr 5 at 7:54









Peter Mortensen

1928




1928










asked Apr 4 at 19:15









Rachel LovellRachel Lovell

593




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  • 6





    ‘Transit’ typically means short-term (usually max 24 hours) travel across or through the a country on the way to another country. If you’re staying for 2+ days you’re visiting, IMHO.

    – Traveller
    Apr 4 at 19:25






  • 1





    @Traveller yet a garden-variety C-1 US transit visa can authorize up to 29 days of presence in the US. It's archaic, I know, but there it is. The US really puts more emphasis on purpose than on duration.

    – phoog
    Apr 4 at 19:27






  • 1





    @phoog I'd love to see the incredulous looks given to someone who applies for a transit visa saying they want to take a ship from Europe to New York, ride a bicycle (fairly quickly) across the country, and catch a freighter to Asia from the west coast.

    – Zach Lipton
    Apr 4 at 20:00






  • 1





    @ZachLipton yeah, or just to walk from Abbottsford, BC to Tijuana. I suspect that the purpose would be deemed recreational rather than transportational, and a B visa required.

    – phoog
    Apr 4 at 20:05






  • 1





    @AzorAhai that depends on the time of year.

    – phoog
    Apr 4 at 23:01














  • 6





    ‘Transit’ typically means short-term (usually max 24 hours) travel across or through the a country on the way to another country. If you’re staying for 2+ days you’re visiting, IMHO.

    – Traveller
    Apr 4 at 19:25






  • 1





    @Traveller yet a garden-variety C-1 US transit visa can authorize up to 29 days of presence in the US. It's archaic, I know, but there it is. The US really puts more emphasis on purpose than on duration.

    – phoog
    Apr 4 at 19:27






  • 1





    @phoog I'd love to see the incredulous looks given to someone who applies for a transit visa saying they want to take a ship from Europe to New York, ride a bicycle (fairly quickly) across the country, and catch a freighter to Asia from the west coast.

    – Zach Lipton
    Apr 4 at 20:00






  • 1





    @ZachLipton yeah, or just to walk from Abbottsford, BC to Tijuana. I suspect that the purpose would be deemed recreational rather than transportational, and a B visa required.

    – phoog
    Apr 4 at 20:05






  • 1





    @AzorAhai that depends on the time of year.

    – phoog
    Apr 4 at 23:01








6




6





‘Transit’ typically means short-term (usually max 24 hours) travel across or through the a country on the way to another country. If you’re staying for 2+ days you’re visiting, IMHO.

– Traveller
Apr 4 at 19:25





‘Transit’ typically means short-term (usually max 24 hours) travel across or through the a country on the way to another country. If you’re staying for 2+ days you’re visiting, IMHO.

– Traveller
Apr 4 at 19:25




1




1





@Traveller yet a garden-variety C-1 US transit visa can authorize up to 29 days of presence in the US. It's archaic, I know, but there it is. The US really puts more emphasis on purpose than on duration.

– phoog
Apr 4 at 19:27





@Traveller yet a garden-variety C-1 US transit visa can authorize up to 29 days of presence in the US. It's archaic, I know, but there it is. The US really puts more emphasis on purpose than on duration.

– phoog
Apr 4 at 19:27




1




1





@phoog I'd love to see the incredulous looks given to someone who applies for a transit visa saying they want to take a ship from Europe to New York, ride a bicycle (fairly quickly) across the country, and catch a freighter to Asia from the west coast.

– Zach Lipton
Apr 4 at 20:00





@phoog I'd love to see the incredulous looks given to someone who applies for a transit visa saying they want to take a ship from Europe to New York, ride a bicycle (fairly quickly) across the country, and catch a freighter to Asia from the west coast.

– Zach Lipton
Apr 4 at 20:00




1




1





@ZachLipton yeah, or just to walk from Abbottsford, BC to Tijuana. I suspect that the purpose would be deemed recreational rather than transportational, and a B visa required.

– phoog
Apr 4 at 20:05





@ZachLipton yeah, or just to walk from Abbottsford, BC to Tijuana. I suspect that the purpose would be deemed recreational rather than transportational, and a B visa required.

– phoog
Apr 4 at 20:05




1




1





@AzorAhai that depends on the time of year.

– phoog
Apr 4 at 23:01





@AzorAhai that depends on the time of year.

– phoog
Apr 4 at 23:01










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Answer no. You should only answer yes if the sole purpose of your trip is transit. In your case, the purpose of your trip is twofold: one purpose is to get to Canada, but another purpose, however secondary it may be, is to spend a few days in New York.






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    Answer no. You should only answer yes if the sole purpose of your trip is transit. In your case, the purpose of your trip is twofold: one purpose is to get to Canada, but another purpose, however secondary it may be, is to spend a few days in New York.






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      25














      Answer no. You should only answer yes if the sole purpose of your trip is transit. In your case, the purpose of your trip is twofold: one purpose is to get to Canada, but another purpose, however secondary it may be, is to spend a few days in New York.






      share|improve this answer


























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        25







        Answer no. You should only answer yes if the sole purpose of your trip is transit. In your case, the purpose of your trip is twofold: one purpose is to get to Canada, but another purpose, however secondary it may be, is to spend a few days in New York.






        share|improve this answer













        Answer no. You should only answer yes if the sole purpose of your trip is transit. In your case, the purpose of your trip is twofold: one purpose is to get to Canada, but another purpose, however secondary it may be, is to spend a few days in New York.







        share|improve this answer












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        answered Apr 4 at 19:26









        phoogphoog

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