Many Australians have a profound passion for travel. This phase of life often provides more time and freedom to discover new destinations, revisit beloved places, and enjoy experiences that nurture the soul.
However, if you’re planning a trip to the United States (US), you might want to double-check your travel plans and your paperwork.
Recent reports have revealed that Australian travellers, especially younger backpackers, are facing increased scrutiny at US borders, with some even being detained, deported, or banned from future travel. So, what’s going on, and how can you protect yourself?
The US has always been a popular destination for Australians, whether on holiday, during a working stint, or as a stopover en route to other countries. But in recent years, border security has tightened significantly.
This is partly due to an executive order from former President Donald Trump, which called for ‘enhanced vetting and screening’ of all foreign nationals entering the country.
While the order itself isn’t new, its effects are still being felt, and border officials are reportedly taking a much closer look at certain travellers, including Australians.
Prominent immigration lawyer Melissa Vincenty has warned that young Australians, in particular, are being ‘targeted’ by US border officials. Authorities suspect some may be tempted to work—even informally—without the proper visa.
And it’s not just paid work that’s raising red flags. Even unpaid arrangements like house-sitting, pet-sitting, or au pairing can land you in hot water if you don’t have the proper authorisation.
What seems like a harmless exchange—a few days of looking after someone’s cat in return for free accommodation—can be interpreted as ‘work’ by US immigration authorities.
Take the case of Madolline Gourley, a Brisbane local and prolific cat-sitter. Over five years, she’d visited the US nine times, always using the ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) visa waiver program.
But on her way to a pet-sitting gig in Canada, she was stopped in Honolulu, questioned for hours, and ultimately refused entry.
Her ESTA was cancelled, and she was sent back to Australia—all because her unpaid pet-sitting arrangement was deemed ‘work’ for which she didn’t have a visa.
The consequences have been far-reaching. Madolline can no longer use the ESTA program, can’t even transit through the US, and must declare her refusal of entry when visiting other countries.
‘It’s an anxiety when I go to new countries,’ she said.
It’s a grey area, but the US takes a strict view. If you’re doing something that someone would usually be paid for—even if you’re not being paid, or you’re just getting free accommodation or meals in return—it’s considered work. That includes:
- House-sitting
- Pet-sitting
- Babysitting or au pairing
- Volunteering in exchange for room and board
Vincenty’s advice is clear: ‘Don’t do it’ unless you have the correct visa. If you’re unsure, seek professional advice before you travel.
Digital device searches on the rise
Your travel plans are not the only things under scrutiny. US border officials are increasingly searching travellers’ phones, laptops, and other devices.
They may look for evidence of work arrangements, messages about house-sitting gigs, or even apps related to pet-sitting platforms.
Vincenty warned that you can’t refuse a digital search—if you do, you’ll be denied entry. She suggested deleting sensitive apps or swapping out SIM cards before you travel, but she stressed that this must be done before you arrive in the US.
Have you had a run-in with US border officials or been caught out by visa rules overseas? Share your story in the comments below—your experience could help other readers avoid the same pitfalls.
Also read: The truth behind ‘Fee-Free’ travel cards that could cost you a fortune!
What if you stay with a friend whom you visit and you help her clean her house?
does that consider work too?
This is the dumbest thinking ever, especially from an advanced super power with supposedly intelligent people. Even the strictest countries don’t act like that.
They don’t need to march to ban tourists like in Europe, soon nobody will ever go there with that kind of policing; I won’t, even if I got free travel.
Thank goodness that I’m never going to the US.