Sailing to the USA. Do I need a special visa?

[Baggywrinkle]

The USA is an incredible country to visit. Its national parks offer vistas that are stunning. There are amazing road trips as well as sailing destinations. I have never been asked to show my social media or have my phone scrutinised. 2026 would probably have been a good year for tourist deals to the US if it was not for the World Cup. Social media comments are fairly open and easily scrutinised from outside your phone unless you have been very careful curating your posts securely. The chances of being scrutinised are low unless your behaviour to the USA has attracted attention.

The bold bits are why I would never rule a visit out, but you are a sample size of one in millions, so your anecdotal experience doesn't really say anything.

The statistical chance of having your phone searched at the U.S. border is very low, less than 0.01% of all international travellers, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data from Fiscal Year 2024. While the actual number of searches is increasing and targeted searches are rising, it's still a tiny fraction (around 47,000 searches out of 420 million travelers). Your odds increase with repeated crossings, and non-U.S. citizens are targeted more often, but overall, it's a rare event.

The question is how do they choose the 47,000 people to search? Profiling, tip-offs, appearance? This will have a significant effect on your chances of having your phone searched, and I bet if you look like an average middle class white person speaking English your odds are extremely low.

 

[Minerva]

The USA is an incredible country to visit. Its national parks offer vistas that are stunning. There are amazing road trips as well as sailing destinations. I have never been asked to show my social media or have my phone scrutinised. 2026 would probably have been a good year for tourist deals to the US if it was not for the World Cup. Social media comments are fairly open and easily scrutinised from outside your phone unless you have been very careful curating your posts securely. The chances of being scrutinised are low unless your behaviour to the USA has attracted attention.

I’m sure North Korea and Russia are equally beautiful, still would t get me visiting either under current regime. Exactly the same as the US and their current bampot regime

 

[lustyd]

The question is how do they choose the 47,000 people to search? Profiling, tip-offs, appearance? This will have a significant effect on your chances of having your phone searched, and I bet if you look like an average middle class white person speaking English your odds are extremely low.

When I worked at <global tech company> we travelled to the US for onboarding and events. It’s rather clear how they chose. Even though we effectively chartered flights for 40,000 people meaning every one of them worked for the company, all of those stopped were non-white or had a “funny accent”. Every english speaking white person went into one queue (let’s call it the straight through queue) while most brown or non-English accents went to the other queue and had their bags searched. They were questioned for ten minutes on their purpose in America despite showing a corp letter explaining the trip and arriving on a chartered 747 containing only employees into airport gates assigned for the event. We even had our own lounges and queues at checkin.

 

[SimonX]

Unfortunately that’s not the case, there are many examples of arbitrary searches and refused entry recently. US border control love flexing their power when allowed, and this administration has encouraged it.

Unfortunately true. I was a regular visitor to the US in the '80s and '90s but the difference when we went in 2018 was stark and the feedback I get from friends says its worsened. Pity as, as Runaground says, there are some incredible places. Unfortunately some of the most beautiful areas are populated by the most bigoted people.

 

[mjcoon]

Unfortunately true. I was a regular visitor to the US in the '80s and '90s but the difference when we went in 2018 was stark and the feedback I get from friends says its worsened. Pity as, as Runaground says, there are some incredible places. Unfortunately some of the most beautiful areas are populated by the most bigoted people.

I can almost hear those banjos...

 

[oldbloke]

I’m sure North Korea and Russia are equally beautiful, still would t get me visiting either under current regime. Exactly the same as the US and their current bampot regime

This post probably guarantees an electronic search and probably a cavity inspection should you choose to go

 

[Minerva]

This post probably guarantees an electronic search and probably a cavity inspection should you choose to go

Thankfully that particular risk is entirely within my gift to easily mange.

 

[wonkywinch]

I flew Heathrow to Miami yesterday to sail around the Caribbean for 3 weeks (one of Cunard's vessels rather than white flappy things).

The BA check in said you now need a return or onward travel booking to fly to the US and when we arrived there were more thorough questions about our travel plans and finances, how much cash etc.

This was despite having a well used B1/B2 visa and pages of US stamps and insert slips full of entry/exits from the US when I was working.

Long queues and took 90 mins from stepping off plane to getting in the Uber.

Definitely a change in the air.

 

[Sea Change]

I flew Heathrow to Miami yesterday to sail around the Caribbean for 3 weeks (one of Cunard's vessels rather than white flappy things).

The BA check in said you now need a return or onward travel booking to fly to the US and when we arrived there were more thorough questions about our travel plans and finances, how much cash etc.

This was despite having a well used B1/B2 visa and pages of US stamps and insert slips full of entry/exits from the US when I was working.

Long queues and took 90 mins from stepping off plane to getting in the Uber.

Definitely a change in the air.

We have to fly back in April, our boat is over there.
I plan for that to be the last time I enter the US by air. My experience of arriving on our own boat was very friendly and relaxed. But of course it could be down to the individual officer we dealt with.

 

[Slowtack]

Send Big Don a million bucks... And $15,000 processing fee...