Leaving your RV in the US for a few months before returning?

[thesmiths]

I have read on someone's blog that if you are a non-resident, you are not allowed to leave the US without your RV, if you have bought one.  Is this correct?  I thought I had read somewhere else that quite a lot of Brits leave their RV in storage and then go home for a bit and then return to do more travelling.

http://rv-and.us/travel/?page_id=2344#Leaving the US without your RV

We were possibly hoping to make one trip, put the RV in storage for a few months whilst returning home, and then return to the US to do another trip.

Can anyone shed any light on this?  I can't find anything legal about this, nor does the blog post any links, it is all word of mouth/anecdotal.  The people who run the blog seem to have got round this by having an LLC, but I am not sure that what they are saying is correct.

Thank you!

[Tom]

There's no reason you can't leave the RV in storage between trips back to the UK. Where you store it and at what price is a different issue, but there are lots of choices. There are also many Brits and Canadians doing this.

When you fly back to the UK, you don't go through the equivalent of 'passport control' as you do at UK airports; The airline merely removes the I-94 form that was stapled in your passport at the immigration desk when you arrived here, and they (the airline) send them to the immigration authorities. So, there's nobody looking to see if you take your RV with you when you leave.

There are different reasons for having an LLC.

Don't believe everything you read on the internet 

[thesmiths]

Thanks Tom - I didn't think it was correct, but needed to ask!

We wouldn't be coming on an I-94 (which I  think is the 90 day visa) but on a B-2, as we would want to be in the States for more than 90 days.  Does the same procedure apply at departure?

[Tom]

We wouldn't be coming on an I-94 ...

Irrespective which type of visa you have, you'll fill out an I-94 on the plane, and they'll staple it in your passport when you enter the country. FWIW I traveled between the UK and USA for many years with a B1/B2 stamped in my passport, and had an I-94 stapled every time.

BTW having the B1/B2 doesn't automatically grant you entry to the U.S. The decision to let you in, and for how long, is up to the officer at the port of entry.

... which I  think is the 90 day visa ...

That's the visa waiver program, but the I-94 still gets filled out and stapled in your passport (actually, it's an I-94W in this case).

Does the same procedure apply at departure?

Yes.

[Tom]

BTW here's an "official" explanation of the I-94 on the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol web site.

[thesmiths]

Thanks for all that Tom.  Yes, I realise the B2 doesn't guarantee us entry - we will be coming armed with our itinerary, bank statements showing we can afford to stay, rental agreement for our house in the UK and return flight tickets, all of which will hopefully prove that we aren't going to be staying indefinitely!  If you can recommend anything else we show as well then that would be great.

[stephen44]

Having done this for the last 20 years - a reference from a US citizen in 'good standing' will not hurt.

Stephen

[Tom]

If you can recommend anything else we show as well then that would be great.

The important thing is demonstrating you don't plan to stay here, that you can financially support yourselves while here, and that you have compelling reasons to return home. It sounds like you've given it some thought. It's good to be prepared, but I wouldn't volunteer anything and inadvertently send the wrong signal. I once stood in line behind a Brit at the US consulate in Vancouver, BC; He made it so obvious that he was almost desperate to enter the US that they ignored his return ticket, and he was sent away.

[thesmiths]

Having done this for the last 20 years - a reference from a US citizen in 'good standing' will not hurt.

Stephen

That sounds great - but we don't know anyone in the US unfortunately.

[thesmiths]

The important thing is demonstrating you don't plan to stay here, that you can financially support yourselves while here, and that you have compelling reasons to return home. It sounds like you've given it some thought. It's good to be prepared, but I wouldn't volunteer anything and inadvertently send the wrong signal. I once stood in line behind a Brit at the US consulate in Vancouver, BC; He made it so obvious that he was almost desperate to enter the US that they ignored his return ticket, and he was sent away.

Thanks Tom - a fine line to tread!  What makes it worse is that even if you get the visa, they still might not let you in, and after you've let out your house for a year and made all your plans, to not be let in would be a nightmare!

[Tom]

... they still might not let you in, and after you've let out your house for a year and made all your plans ....

Didn't mean to scare you; It's highly unlikely that they wouldn't let you in. Just my standard caveat, because we see so many folks say that they have their visa and, unlike you, don't realize it doesn't guarantee entry.

A couple of years ago, our son and daughter-in-law came to visit from the UK, something they've done on a number of occasions. Because of work schedules, our DIL came a couple of weeks earlier than our son. During the routine Q & A on arrival (why are you here? where will you stay? how long will you be here? etc), she casually mentioned that her other half would be joining her in a couple of weeks; That sent up a red flag and made the CBP officer suspicious, leading to a barrage of additional questions.

We've heard a few horror stories here but, over the 40 or so years I've traveled extensively to and from the US, as a foreign (UK) national, a legal US resident, and as a US citizen, I've never experienced a problem personally. I'm always polite and non-confrontational, answer the questions I'm asked, and don't volunteer unnecessary information. One time, they even let me in when I'd mislaid my passport (see below).
Here's the story, from an earlier message of mine, but don't try this intentionally; The rules for entering the US have changed since this happened.

We docked at the 'customs dock' in San Diego aboard our own boat, standard protocol after returning from Mexico. We'd called ahead to request CBP agents to come down from the airport to check us out. When the agents came aboard, I couldn't find our passports because I'd put them in a 'safe' place when we left home 3 months earlier. All our (US-born) passengers were OK but, because of my 'accent', one of the agents insisted on seeing either a US birth certificate or a passport from me.

I was sweating, but he then asked for my drivers license, called his office on the phone, and said "You're good; You're in our computer and have been in and out of the US so many times over the years, we know who you are. Have a nice day". WHEW!

Meanwhile, I explained that Chris wasn't feeling well and was laying on the bed in the forward berth. They didn't ask for her passport, preferring not to disturb her.

[thesmiths]

Thanks Tom!  Wow bet you were definitely sweating re the passport lol!!

[Tom]

Wow bet you were definitely sweating re the passport lol!!

Aye, I sure was. I've often wondered what would have happened if they weren't able to check me out. What if they sent me back to Mexico 

[Utclmjmpr]

I camped along side a citizen from Denmark last summer. We discussed many things, among them that he keeps his 40 foot class A M/H
stored near an airport that he intends for entry on the next trip to the states, and flys out from there. He generally comes over several times a year and tours the more scenic areas of this country. He also has children living in California.  Very nice and well educated couple , he owns a company that builds high end yachts.>>>Dan

[Aussies who RV the USA]

Hi,

I was on the B-2 passport and we were there for just under 6 months. 

We bought an RV and were going to store it but decided to sell in the end.  We changed all our addresses to our Aussies Residential and told our insurance of the situation to store it and it was ok.  I do believe that SOME insurance companies have different rules and regulations.  Just check with the one you are going with.