An Australian woman who was rejected on the US border and placed on the primary flight back to Brisbane says the ordeal has been life-changing within the worst possible way ever since.
In 2022, Queenslander Madolline Gourley arrived to the always-chaotic Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on a flight in from Brisbane.
Gourley revealed to news.com.au on the time — almost three years ago — she was detained while passing through the international terminal on June 30, 2022 — claiming officials were suspicious about her intention to house-sit while holidaying in Canada.
After an interrogation barely five hours after arriving to the US, Gourley was told she was being denied entry and could be sent back to Brisbane on the subsequent available flight.
The rationale? In line with officials, she had breached the conditions of the visa waiver program.
Gourley had made the error of attempting to enter the US (and onwards to Canada) on a tourist visa.
But given she had intended to house-and pet-sit through web sites like TrustedHousesitters to chop accommodation costs, this was deemed as a breach.
The US Customs and Border Protection said the visa waiver program prohibited applicants from engaging “in any variety of employment” or receiving “compensation for services rendered.”
This includes house-sitting services in exchange without spending a dime accommodation.
The CBP spokesperson said it took “allegations of unprofessional behaviour seriously”.
Following her detention, Gourley made headlines around the globe after speaking out in regards to the interrogation experience — including the moment she was patted down by US immigration officials and even asked whether she was pregnant or had recently had an abortion.
Gourley on the time explained to news.com.au the ordeal went from “one disaster to the subsequent” but three years later, the now 35-year-old said the refusal has plagued her travels and attempts at entering foreign countries around the globe ever since.
Chatting with news.com.au from Brisbane, Gourley said her most up-to-date enterprise across the ditch to Recent Zealand was met with questioning from immigration and even having her passport blocked before she’d left Australian soil.
While filling out her Recent Zealand Electronic Travel Declaration for a visit in April, she was met with the one query about previously being deported or refused entry to a rustic.
“I mulled on the query before answering, but all the time say yes as to whether I even have been deported or refused entry,” she said.
“The frustration is that the query doesn’t break it down [whether a person was deported or refused] … it’s just a really broad query, so after I do answer ‘yes’ to it, immigration doesn’t know if it’s a ‘yes’ to being deported, or a yes to being refused.”
Upon arrival for her trip to Auckland, Gourley said she was unable to check-in for her flights from Brisbane airport because she had answered ‘yes’ to the entry declaration’s query: “Have you ever been deported, removed, barred or refused entry to a different country?’”
“A Qantas staff member needed to call Recent Zealand Immigration and I used to be asked several questions before the officer went to debate my situation together with his colleague,” she explained.
“The passport block was lifted and I used to be in a position to check-in and travel, but all of this happened before I’d even left Australia at Brisbane Airport.
“Being deported, removed or barred makes a traveller ineligible to enter Recent Zealand. But as I used to be only refused entry, I used to be permitted to enter, but not without having to clarify what happened at length.
“I left [doing the declaration] until the last minute, because I knew I had to reply that specific query and it made me very nervous. I knew I needs to be OK to enter, but with this — I never really know if I will probably be OK.”
Gourley said because anyone deported, removed or rejected from one other country has stronger barricades in place for entry into Australia, the UK, the USA and Canada — she expects this will probably be a problem for all times.
And for many who think she should simply tell a lie on the shape, there’s a stamp on her passport that claims she was refused entry.
“My understanding is it will all the time occur … So while I used to be prepared for this, I used to be prepared for it to occur in Recent Zealand … not before I’d even checked in to Brisbane airport and left Australia,” she said.
“Travel comes with anxiety for me now. I didn’t expect all this drama at Brisbane airport … I expected it once I got to Auckland. So it was much more anxiety causing because I hadn’t even left the country and I used to be potentially being told no.”
Gourley said despite this refusal from the US for having the incorrect visa, and the following havoc that has caused for other international trips — it has not deterred her from seeing the world.
“It’s not turned me off traveling, because not every country asks that query on the incoming passenger declaration,” she said,
“I do know you would like a piece visa … I even have learnt my lesson so with that … but for it to follow me for the remainder of my life without having broken laws in those countries [I am intending to visit] is a bit excessive.
“My record won’t ever leave the US immigrations records and it would all the time be there. So long as you get that query on the declaration, I’ll all the time answer it truthfully”.
An Australian woman who was rejected on the US border and placed on the primary flight back to Brisbane says the ordeal has been life-changing within the worst possible way ever since.
In 2022, Queenslander Madolline Gourley arrived to the always-chaotic Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on a flight in from Brisbane.
Gourley revealed to news.com.au on the time — almost three years ago — she was detained while passing through the international terminal on June 30, 2022 — claiming officials were suspicious about her intention to house-sit while holidaying in Canada.
After an interrogation barely five hours after arriving to the US, Gourley was told she was being denied entry and could be sent back to Brisbane on the subsequent available flight.
The rationale? In line with officials, she had breached the conditions of the visa waiver program.
Gourley had made the error of attempting to enter the US (and onwards to Canada) on a tourist visa.
But given she had intended to house-and pet-sit through web sites like TrustedHousesitters to chop accommodation costs, this was deemed as a breach.
The US Customs and Border Protection said the visa waiver program prohibited applicants from engaging “in any variety of employment” or receiving “compensation for services rendered.”
This includes house-sitting services in exchange without spending a dime accommodation.
The CBP spokesperson said it took “allegations of unprofessional behaviour seriously”.
Following her detention, Gourley made headlines around the globe after speaking out in regards to the interrogation experience — including the moment she was patted down by US immigration officials and even asked whether she was pregnant or had recently had an abortion.
Gourley on the time explained to news.com.au the ordeal went from “one disaster to the subsequent” but three years later, the now 35-year-old said the refusal has plagued her travels and attempts at entering foreign countries around the globe ever since.
Chatting with news.com.au from Brisbane, Gourley said her most up-to-date enterprise across the ditch to Recent Zealand was met with questioning from immigration and even having her passport blocked before she’d left Australian soil.
While filling out her Recent Zealand Electronic Travel Declaration for a visit in April, she was met with the one query about previously being deported or refused entry to a rustic.
“I mulled on the query before answering, but all the time say yes as to whether I even have been deported or refused entry,” she said.
“The frustration is that the query doesn’t break it down [whether a person was deported or refused] … it’s just a really broad query, so after I do answer ‘yes’ to it, immigration doesn’t know if it’s a ‘yes’ to being deported, or a yes to being refused.”
Upon arrival for her trip to Auckland, Gourley said she was unable to check-in for her flights from Brisbane airport because she had answered ‘yes’ to the entry declaration’s query: “Have you ever been deported, removed, barred or refused entry to a different country?’”
“A Qantas staff member needed to call Recent Zealand Immigration and I used to be asked several questions before the officer went to debate my situation together with his colleague,” she explained.
“The passport block was lifted and I used to be in a position to check-in and travel, but all of this happened before I’d even left Australia at Brisbane Airport.
“Being deported, removed or barred makes a traveller ineligible to enter Recent Zealand. But as I used to be only refused entry, I used to be permitted to enter, but not without having to clarify what happened at length.
“I left [doing the declaration] until the last minute, because I knew I had to reply that specific query and it made me very nervous. I knew I needs to be OK to enter, but with this — I never really know if I will probably be OK.”
Gourley said because anyone deported, removed or rejected from one other country has stronger barricades in place for entry into Australia, the UK, the USA and Canada — she expects this will probably be a problem for all times.
And for many who think she should simply tell a lie on the shape, there’s a stamp on her passport that claims she was refused entry.
“My understanding is it will all the time occur … So while I used to be prepared for this, I used to be prepared for it to occur in Recent Zealand … not before I’d even checked in to Brisbane airport and left Australia,” she said.
“Travel comes with anxiety for me now. I didn’t expect all this drama at Brisbane airport … I expected it once I got to Auckland. So it was much more anxiety causing because I hadn’t even left the country and I used to be potentially being told no.”
Gourley said despite this refusal from the US for having the incorrect visa, and the following havoc that has caused for other international trips — it has not deterred her from seeing the world.
“It’s not turned me off traveling, because not every country asks that query on the incoming passenger declaration,” she said,
“I do know you would like a piece visa … I even have learnt my lesson so with that … but for it to follow me for the remainder of my life without having broken laws in those countries [I am intending to visit] is a bit excessive.
“My record won’t ever leave the US immigrations records and it would all the time be there. So long as you get that query on the declaration, I’ll all the time answer it truthfully”.
