What are the legal requirements regarding foreign guests visiting the USA?

[The Farmers Daughter]

I have a couple coming from Germany for an extended stay. Am I required by law to ask for their passports and visas?
If so, what do i do?
Has anyone dealt with this? Thanks

 

[gillumhouse]

As for the legals I have no idea BUT IMO they were passport/visa checked at the port of entry. We do not ask for ID/passports here. We never did when I worked at H I long ago. I do not think Germany requires a visa to visit here anyway..

 

[Morticia]

How extended a stay is it? I think they can be here for 90 days, but it depends on the country of origin. And it's really not something you need to worry about. Visas are not required from German citizens and passports are checked on arrival at the airport. You don't have to check their passports. You can look at it to be sure you have everything spelled correctly and most foreign guests just hand it over anyway.
Sorry, I just realized you were asking what you need to do. Basically, just make sure you get paid and that you have the info necessary to do that. Not really any different from anyone else checking in. If this is really long-term, over 30 days say, make sure you know what your state/town requirements are for long-term rentals.

 

[muirford]

What Mort said - most of them will just hand them to you at check-in because that is what they are used to doing. They may also ask you to place them in a safe - we have been asked to do that once. Fortunately we have a big old safe in our office, so not a problem.

 

[JBloggs]

YOU ask for passports? What are you the immigration at the airport now? HA HA
The reason people hand you their passports is it is a universal ID. That is all. Sure they have other forms of ID, but the passport is the one that YOU will recognize and accept.
On the same subject, do we require proof of person for ANY OF OUR GUESTS? If so, why? Wondering if there is a law out there that states Mr & Mrs John Doe show id? I have never heard of one. Interesting subject.

 

[LA Hostel]

Its not your job to enforce immigration law, we have highly trained people doing that. Im not thinking about the TSA here.
On the other hand, I take a snapshot (how did the world work before the iPhone) of each passport or DL on check in, figuring I want to know who is sleeping here. but I don't question their right to be in california, hey if they were illegally here, they probably would be looking for different type accomodations anyway.
Bo

 

[JBloggs]

This is not going to be pretty...teetering on the edge of politics here...but let's just say it right now, you have no right to ask if they are here legally or not.

 

[Morticia]

This is not going to be pretty...teetering on the edge of politics here...but let's just say it right now, you have no right to ask if they are here legally or not..

I think I tread on thin ice sometimes asking where the accent came from. I love to know where certain accents arise. They may have given a US address, but where did they come from originally? I always want to know that. And I know some people really don't want to say. So, when I get that hesitancy, no matter where they say they're 'from' I always say, 'Wow, that's neat.'
Had a great chat with 2 Aussies the other day who were looking for 'extreme' sports to do around here. (OK, nowhere in any parallel universe would anyone think of here when they think 'extreme sports'.) So, I said, 'You could go surfing, but the surf here is nothing like you have at home.'
They looked startled and said, 'We're from Australia.' To which I replied, 'With an accent like that, where else would you be from?'
They told me over the course of just that day they had been asked if they were from: Canada, Scotland, the UK, Spain, Denmark and a couple of other places. But not Australia.

 

[LA Hostel]

Yup, I find my danish accent have been mistaken a lot, kind of strange.. mostly people are excited to learn Im from Denmark and promptly tell me A. they know where Holland is. or B. they too have family in Denver.

 

[gillumhouse]

Yup, I find my danish accent have been mistaken a lot, kind of strange.. mostly people are excited to learn Im from Denmark and promptly tell me A. they know where Holland is. or B. they too have family in Denver..

Yup, I find my danish accent have been mistaken a lot, kind of strange.. mostly people are excited to learn Im from Denmark and promptly tell me A. they know where Holland is. or B. they too have family in Denver.

That is like the people who tell us they hav ebeen to West Virginia before - they visited Richmond or Williamsburg!

 

[The Farmers Daughter]

YOU ask for passports? What are you the immigration at the airport now? HA HA
The reason people hand you their passports is it is a universal ID. That is all. Sure they have other forms of ID, but the passport is the one that YOU will recognize and accept.
On the same subject, do we require proof of person for ANY OF OUR GUESTS? If so, why? Wondering if there is a law out there that states Mr & Mrs John Doe show id? I have never heard of one. Interesting subject..

YOU ask for passports? What are you the immigration at the airport now? HA HA
The reason people hand you their passports is it is a universal ID. That is all. Sure they have other forms of ID, but the passport is the one that YOU will recognize and accept.
On the same subject, do we require proof of person for ANY OF OUR GUESTS? If so, why? Wondering if there is a law out there that states Mr & Mrs John Doe show id? I have never heard of one. Interesting subject.

I asked this because when I was in Italy, I was made to present my documents to the facility where I was staying. They made photo copies and they wanted my information immediately. I wasn't even staying for an extended (90 days) period of time. Just not sure what is required here.

 

[Copperhead]

On the same subject, do we require proof of person for ANY OF OUR GUESTS? If so, why? Wondering if there is a law out there that states Mr & Mrs John Doe show id? I have never heard of one. Interesting subject.
Interesting to note that each time I have checked into a hotel in the past few years I have been asked for my ID and some have even scanned or photocopied it. I have noticed myself, that when international guests check in, they pull out their ID along with their Credit card like it is standard practice. Since they do hand it to me I do check to make sure it is the same name, etc. and then return it to them..
In doing a quick search on the subject I found several blogs that gave reference to there being no law requiring the showing of IDs at hotels but also found this article dated 7/12/10 on the subject and that Santa Cruz is thinking of adopting such a law http://travel.usatoday.com/hotels/post/2010/07/readers-react-to-citys-proposed-law-to-make-hotels-collect-id-info-concerns-include-identity-theft-and-privacy/99553/1

 

[HighMountainLodge]

Every time I've traveled abroad (Europe and Africa), the hotel always asked for my passport. What they did with it, I don't know, but it was always returned to me, eventually.
That being said, there is no requirement for innkeepers in the US to do anything different for foreign guests than domestic ones.

 

[Morticia]

YOU ask for passports? What are you the immigration at the airport now? HA HA
The reason people hand you their passports is it is a universal ID. That is all. Sure they have other forms of ID, but the passport is the one that YOU will recognize and accept.
On the same subject, do we require proof of person for ANY OF OUR GUESTS? If so, why? Wondering if there is a law out there that states Mr & Mrs John Doe show id? I have never heard of one. Interesting subject..

YOU ask for passports? What are you the immigration at the airport now? HA HA
The reason people hand you their passports is it is a universal ID. That is all. Sure they have other forms of ID, but the passport is the one that YOU will recognize and accept.
On the same subject, do we require proof of person for ANY OF OUR GUESTS? If so, why? Wondering if there is a law out there that states Mr & Mrs John Doe show id? I have never heard of one. Interesting subject.

I asked this because when I was in Italy, I was made to present my documents to the facility where I was staying. They made photo copies and they wanted my information immediately. I wasn't even staying for an extended (90 days) period of time. Just not sure what is required here.
.

Apparently the rest of the world is supposed to report to their local authorities who is staying with them. At least that was what I read when trying to find out more info for your situation. There's nothing like that here.

 

[JBloggs]

Mort, people have asked if our flag out front is Hawaiian. Yes the Southern Cross and all...I have a KANGAROO PELT with TAIL over a chair in the dining room and I tell guests our deer have long tails. It sits beside this giant Aussie cook book and a jar of vegemite (which we serve to guests who want to try it)

 

[JBloggs]

This is America baby. Land of the free home of the brave. "We don't need no stinkin' badges! I don't have to show you no stinkin' badges"

 

[Red Handed Jill]

YOU ask for passports? What are you the immigration at the airport now? HA HA
The reason people hand you their passports is it is a universal ID. That is all. Sure they have other forms of ID, but the passport is the one that YOU will recognize and accept.
On the same subject, do we require proof of person for ANY OF OUR GUESTS? If so, why? Wondering if there is a law out there that states Mr & Mrs John Doe show id? I have never heard of one. Interesting subject..

YOU ask for passports? What are you the immigration at the airport now? HA HA
The reason people hand you their passports is it is a universal ID. That is all. Sure they have other forms of ID, but the passport is the one that YOU will recognize and accept.
On the same subject, do we require proof of person for ANY OF OUR GUESTS? If so, why? Wondering if there is a law out there that states Mr & Mrs John Doe show id? I have never heard of one. Interesting subject.

I asked this because when I was in Italy, I was made to present my documents to the facility where I was staying. They made photo copies and they wanted my information immediately. I wasn't even staying for an extended (90 days) period of time. Just not sure what is required here.
.

I asked this because when I was in Italy, I was made to present my documents to the facility where I was staying. They made photo copies and they wanted my information immediately. I wasn't even staying for an extended (90 days) period of time. Just not sure what is required here.

FD - that's the first thing that came to my mind with your question. But IIRC, it's required of them there - and I remember I was not happy to give up my passport (my landlady took it to make the copies - no copier in the apt). But I got it back promptly. I think everyone else is on spot - that's their law, not ours.

 

[EmptyNest]

You have no responsibility. Their travel and whereabouts have nothing to do with you. We all get foreign guests. What they do and how they travel is their responsibility. Don't worry about it.

 

[EmptyNest]

YOU ask for passports? What are you the immigration at the airport now? HA HA
The reason people hand you their passports is it is a universal ID. That is all. Sure they have other forms of ID, but the passport is the one that YOU will recognize and accept.
On the same subject, do we require proof of person for ANY OF OUR GUESTS? If so, why? Wondering if there is a law out there that states Mr & Mrs John Doe show id? I have never heard of one. Interesting subject..

YOU ask for passports? What are you the immigration at the airport now? HA HA
The reason people hand you their passports is it is a universal ID. That is all. Sure they have other forms of ID, but the passport is the one that YOU will recognize and accept.
On the same subject, do we require proof of person for ANY OF OUR GUESTS? If so, why? Wondering if there is a law out there that states Mr & Mrs John Doe show id? I have never heard of one. Interesting subject.

I asked this because when I was in Italy, I was made to present my documents to the facility where I was staying. They made photo copies and they wanted my information immediately. I wasn't even staying for an extended (90 days) period of time. Just not sure what is required here.
.

I asked this because when I was in Italy,
They have different rules in Italy. HAven't you ever had a foreign guest before? Just treat them as you would any other guest. You do not have any responsibility other than to make sure they have a good stay with you

 

[Samster]

Every time I've traveled abroad (Europe and Africa), the hotel always asked for my passport. What they did with it, I don't know, but it was always returned to me, eventually.
That being said, there is no requirement for innkeepers in the US to do anything different for foreign guests than domestic ones..

Interesting...we were just in the UK in the Fall and I was never asked for my passport at the hotels. Of course, it was presented several times at the airport on arrival and departure, but never any other time (trains or hotels).