A firefighter from British Columbia who fought with the American army says he has now been Refused entry in the United States and he doesn’t know why.
Jamie Flynn is a British citizen and a Canadian permanent resident who lives in Squamish.
On Wednesday, he tried to leave Vancouver International Airport in Alabama to represent Vancouver firefighters in police matches and world fires in Alabama.
But he was refused.
“It’s boring because I spent three months training for this event and everything collapsed in a second,” Flynn told Global News on Thursday.
Flynn, who is also a research and rescue volunteer and has no criminal record, had to compete in Jiu Jitsu at the Games.
He was told that his passa – electronic system for travel authorization – had expired and would not be renewed.
He says he had no reason and no chance to appeal.
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“All that appears on the application is” unauthorized trips “, said Flynn.
He added that neither the American consulate nor the ESTA program offered him any explanation.
“I think it is an office error, but the fact that I cannot speak to anyone is simply very frustrating,” he said.
“I feel like I am an honest member of society, as if I don’t know why it happened.
“I don’t know what I did with it.”
ESTA is a way for people from low-risk countries to enter the United States instead of requesting a visa.
Eligible candidates complete an online form to visit the United States up to 90 days.
“If you ever violate it or you find yourself ineligible for Esta, you can never apply again, so you must now apply by law for a real visa in an American consulate or embassy,” Immigration Lawyer, which is based in Blaine, Washington, told Global News.
Flynn said he had asked for a visa, but the next appointment is in February 2027.
“There is absolutely no way I can go there unless someone enters and tell me why I have been refused or reset my esta,” said Flynn.
Saunders said that the lesson in this story is that anyone in Canada and eligible for Canadian citizenship should apply.
“(So they) never have to worry about entering the United States with visas,” he said.
“You can just show your Canadian passport to the border and are ready to go.”
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