Source : the age
Madolline Gourley had a special reason to be nervous when she applied for a working holiday visa for a trip to Canada.
Back in 2022, the Brisbane resident had flown into Los Angeles on her way to a pet-sitting holiday when she was denied entry to the US.
Madolline Gourley from Brisbane was denied entry to the US in 2022. Now she’s finding it is causing issues when entering other countries.Credit: Paul Harris
Even though she wasn’t being paid for looking after a homeowner’s pets, she was in violation of her ESTA visa waiver because the free use of the owner’s residence was considered a form of payment. Therefore, she was working, and anyone with an ESTA visa waiver is not allowed to work. After sitting through two interrogations, and after just a few hours in the USA, she was shunted out of the country on a flight back to Australia.
A denial of entry has repercussions. “The US, Canada, Australia, the UK and New Zealand share the information collected by their immigration departments,” says Gourley. So when she applied for a working holiday visa for Canada under the International Experience Canada program, she was alarmed when one of the questions on the application asked: “Have you ever been refused a visa or permit, denied entry to, or ordered to leave Canada or any other country/territory?”
“That had been weighing on my mind a lot,” Gourley says, “how being refused entry to the United States would affect future visa applications. I wasn’t sure if telling the truth would result in an instant rejection, but thankfully there was an option to attach a letter outlining the particulars.
“I wrote a two-page letter and two weeks later I got an email saying my application status had been updated. I logged in and scrolled down to see my work permit had been approved. This was pretty exciting because it meant I was able to house and cat sit in Canada, and I could get a paid job if I wanted to.”
Refusal of entry to one country has implications for future travel
Any country that requires you to apply for a visa or a visa waiver will ask the question, “Have you ever been denied entry to another country?”
Answer “yes” and you can expect to be subject to a higher level of scrutiny. Fail to admit to such an offence and you’ll probably be found out, and the consequences could be serious.
Madolline Gourley faced additional scrutiny from New Zealand immigration due to being denied entry to the US.
Just to make doubly sure her denial of entry to the US would not go unnoticed, Gourley has a stamp in her passport from the US Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection that says: “Refused in accordance with INA section 217”. That refers to a non-US citizen who has been determined by an immigration officer to be ineligible for admission.
A denial-of-entry breach is not insurmountable. Although she was filled with trepidation when she entered Canada with her working holiday visa, she says all the immigration officer wanted was her passport.
“He said to take a seat and wait for my name to be called. I didn’t know what the next steps would entail, but my work permit was printed within 10 minutes. It was valid for two years from July 5, 2023. The only other thing the officer said to me was I’d need the work permit details to apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN). A SIN is required before I can start working in Canada, and apparently it gives me access to certain government benefits.”
Last month Gourley flew to New Zealand, concerned that she’d had to answer “yes” to the question “Have you been deported, removed, barred or refused entry to another country?” on the New Zealand Traveller Declaration.
“A Qantas staff member had to call NZ Immigration, and I was asked several questions before the officer went to discuss my situation with his colleague. The passport block was lifted, and I was able to check in, but all of this happened before I’d even left Australia.”
A denial-of-entry breach is not insurmountable.Credit: Getty Images
However, nations have long memories – they don’t forgive and forget. Even if she were to transit to the US, Gourley has been told she would need a B2 visa, which requires an interview in Australia. The next available appointment for an interview at the US consulate in Sydney is seven months, and six-and-a-half months in Melbourne.
What are the consequences for further travel if you’re deported?
Deportation usually means you’ve been removed from a country for having committed a crime. It could also be for overstaying a visa, entering a country illegally or violating the conditions of a visa or visa waiver, for example by working. It might also be a more serious offence, such as drug trafficking or possession of drugs, violent behaviour, theft or fraud or being a threat to national security, all of which will probably see you forcibly removed, after serving a suitable prison sentence and/or a fine.
Being deported from a country has far more serious implications for future travel than denial of entry. Most countries impose a re-entry ban on deportees, which can be a year or even permanent. Deportation from one of Europe’s Schengen zone countries might apply to every Schengen country. A deportation order goes on your permanent immigration file, and countries share such information. It might also restrict future employment opportunities, for example for a job that requires international travel.
Entry to the US requires special care
Under the current administration the US has tightened its immigration processing and borders. Border security personnel are on high alert for anyone who they suspect might breach the conditions of their visa or ESTA visa waiver. In March 2025, a Traveller reader was denied entry to the US. One reason was because he flew from Sydney to New York via Hong Kong rather than taking a more direct route. His motivation was to save money, but that routing was enough to arouse suspicion.
As a result of the “enhanced vetting” regimen at US international airports, incoming passengers’ phones and social media posts are being inspected for evidence of opinions contrary to the right-think of the Trump administration.
In March, a French academic was denied entry to the US when airport immigration officers found messages on his phone criticising President Trump. Alvin Gibbs, bass player for the British band UK Subs says some band members were denied entry at Los Angeles Airport in March this year, suspecting that social media comments criticising President Trump were the cause.
Madolline Gourley has no plans to re-visit the US.
