Hi. My name’s Madolline.

And I’m seeing the world One cat at a time.

House sitting abroad: What I know about visas and immigration

House sitting abroad: What I know about visas and immigration

by | 13 June 2026

In recent months, I have been contacted by people from the UK, the Netherlands and Australia after immigration officials told each of them that house sitting in a foreign country requires work authorisation (e.g. a work visa).

Their messages have prompted me to write a post on what I’ve learned* after I was refused entry to the USA in 2022. My entry refusal received a lot of media attention, with outlets like CBC touching on it years later when several Canadians came forward with similar experiences. One of those Canadians also reached out to me after her plans to house sit in Florida were thwarted when a US immigration officer told her she wouldn’t be allowed to enter the country.

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Another Canadian lady sent me a Facebook message about a year earlier. She told me she was from Vancouver and had secured a TrustedHousesitters sit in Washington state. She, too, was refused entry to the United States after showing an immigration officer one of TrustedHousesitters’ explanatory letters for border control officials. These letters became TrustedHousesitters’ solution to problems like mine and were addressed to:

“As some of our traveller members have, upon their arrival to the United States, been questioned about the nature of our service and the arrangements made among members, we sought the advice of a US immigration attorney. We discussed how US Immigration regulations and guidance determine the nature of “work by foreign nationals which would require work visas/authorization in the United States”, and we, respectfully, do not feel that the above-described arrangements would fall under this category,” the US letter reads. I’m sure CBP officers didn’t appreciate being told what is and isn’t work in the United States, and by a British house and pet sitting company no less.

The second lady—who was turned away at a land border—doesn’t have an entry refusal stamp in her passport, but her name is flagged in the system. Her NEXUS card was cancelled on the spot and she’s been unsuccessful in her attempts to get another one. Every time she wants to cross at the Peace Arch, she is pulled aside for additional questioning. The questioning isn’t as extensive as it was in the months after the entry refusal, but it’s still a huge inconvenience for someone who is only entering the US to get cheaper gas. She has told me some CBP officers have been quite good about the situation while others have been downright jerks. Will she ever be able to cross without all the extra questions? I don’t know. But what I do know is TrustedHousesitters ended up pulling those letters and they now advise sitters to “follow the immigration rules and local laws of the country they’ll be visiting”.

How house sitting is viewed in other parts of the world

A lot of house sitters are now aware they can’t house sit in the United States with their ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) or visitor visa (B-1 and B-2). There’s no specific visa for house and pet sitting either, and it seems highly unlikely an American or American organisation is going to sponsor someone to house sit.

Back in 2022, CBP told Business Insider that “Under the Visa Waiver Program, nonimmigrant foreign nationals visiting the United States as tourists (visitors for pleasure), engaging in unauthorized employment is not allowed. For example, working as a house-and-animal sitter in exchange for room and board.” But newer TrustedHousesitters members are still being turned away, with one British lady messaging me about her experience. She was refused entry to the United States in December 2025.

United Kingdom (UK)

Corrine Petteys, an American, was refused entry to the United Kingdom back in 2019. I found her story on the Housesit Match website not long after returning to Australia. At the time, Corrine was the only other person I knew of who’d been refused entry to a foreign country because she had intended to house sit. I’m now aware of at least five or six others who’ve been refused entry to the UK for that same reason.

Can Trusted Housesitters be Trusted? We have used Trusted Housesitters twice and could not fault our experience. In fact we have recommended them highly to our family and friends. Sadly, we now feel very differently because we're not at all comfortable with their business model:- This was meant to be our third

Reuters hesitantly approached UK Home Office for comment after I reached out to them following what read like an advertorial for TrustedHousesitters.”Smith said she has house-sat in France, Morocco, Japan and South Korea after spending $169 on the cost of an annual membership to TrustedHousesitters, a platform that connects pet owners with in-home sitters,” the original piece read. Reuters eventually amended the story to include the following information.

TrustedHousesitters said its sitters rarely face immigration issues. However, a spokesman for the UK Home Office said house-sitting in the United Kingdom is considered a form of work and not permitted with a tourist visa.

 

(This May 22 story has been corrected to show that housesitting in the UK is not permitted with a tourist visa, according to a government spokesperson, in paragraph 14)

A UK immigration lawyer later cited the Immigration Rules Appendix V: Visitor in an article titled Housesitters and holiday swappers: what are the immigration law implications?.

The Visitor must not intend to:

(a) work in the UK, which includes:

  • (i) taking employment in the UK; and
  • (ii) doing work for an organisation or business in the UK; and
  • (iii) establishing or running a business as a self-employed person; and
  • (iv) doing a work placement or internship; and
  • (v) direct selling to the public; and
  • (vi) providing goods and services,

unless expressly allowed by the permitted activities in Appendix Visitor: Permitted Activities or Appendix Visitor: Permit Free Festival List.

New Zealand

While I haven’t spoke with any sitters who’ve been been refused entry to New Zealand, I have read about it happening once or twice. The New Zealand Immigration website says visitors cannot engage “with a New Zealand business or person in New Zealand in exchange for goods or services, for example free accommodation in exchange for a review” The website goes on to say: “If you want to work for or with a New Zealand-based employer, you must apply for a visa that will allow you to work in New Zealand.”

Australia

It looks like there’s two options available to foreigners wanting to holiday in Australia:

  1. Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) (subclass 601)
  2. Visitor Visa (Subclass 600) Tourist Stream.

ETA and Visitor Visa conditions stipulate the holder can’t work in Australia. The Department of Home Affairs website says: “Work is performing an activity, in Australia, that a person would normally be remunerated for. This could be payment or some other form of reward.”

The Department of Home Affairs website also says tourists can engage in volunteer work without the government’s permission so long as it meets the following conditions:

  • is unpaid, and
  • would not otherwise be done by an Australian for pay (Mad Paws is where those with the right to work in Australia can find paid pet sitting opportunities), and
  • is short term, and
  • is incidental to your visit to Australia, and
  • is done for a not-for-profit organisation (TrustedHousesitters is for profit), and
  • benefits the community.

A working holiday visa, however, may allow younger travellers to house and pet sit while in Australia.

Canada

I ended up getting a working holiday visa so I could house sit in Canada without issue, but I know of two or three people who were refused entry to Canada because of their house sitting (or similar) plans. The most publicised instance of this is from 2025. A British national was refused entry to Canada because CBSA officers “were concerned she may try to work illegally” after learning “she spent time with a host family, helping with household chores in return for accommodation” in the United States. This lady’s arrangements were found through Workaway, not TrustedHousesitters. But both companies ‘match’ travellers with a home/pet owner or host.

Canada requires visa-exempt foreign nationals who intend to “fly to or transit through a Canadian airport” to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). An approved eTA means you can travel to Canada, but it doesn’t allow you to work or study there. Canadian immigration law defines work as “an activity for which wages are paid or commission is earned, or that is in direct competition with the activities of Canadian citizens or permanent residents in the Canadian labour market”. Much like Australia, Canada has paid pet sitting opportunities available through websites like Rover.

The Five Eyes

Being refused entry to any country—e.g. for house sitting without the appropriate visa—must be declared prior to entering a Five Eyes (FVEY) country. The Five Eyes alliance comprises Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the US, and it’s believed these countries share travel and passport data. An entry refusal doesn’t mean you’re automatically ineligible to enter a FVEY country, but immigration officers are going to ask a lot more questions before deciding whether or not they’ll let you in. Entry refusals must also be declared in some visa applications. I had to declare it when applying for an International Experience Canada work permit.

As for the European Union, the new European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) will ask travellers if they are “subject of a return decision” before assessing their ETIAS application.

A word of warning

Even if you follow TrustedHousesitters’ general advice—like having a current passport with sufficient validity and enough savings for the duration of your trip—that doesn’t mean you’re allowed to house and pet sit in a foreign country. If you’re still unsure about where you can house and pet sit, I recommend:

  • speaking with the relevant consulate or embassy about which visa (if any) is needed
  • consulting an immigration lawyer
  • doing a bit more research into the topic. A lot of media outlets like to talk about the cost-saving benefit of house and pet sitting on your travels, but not many of them discuss the visa and immigration risks at great length.

There are certain instances where individuals can house and pet sit in another country without a work visa—like Australians and New Zealanders thanks to the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement—but it’s up to you to ensure your house sitting plans are above board.

*I’m not a lawyer. This post is general information only and is not intended to be legal advice.

Part 3: House and pet sitting questions answered

Part 3: House and pet sitting questions answered

by | 28 January 2026

Here’s another house and pet sitting frequently asked questions (FAQs) post. This one covers things I see discussed online, and questions I have been asked by journalists and strangers alike.

Can I house sit with my partner, family or friend(s)?

I don’t think there would be any issue house and pet sitting with your partner as long as you mention them on your house sitting profile and/or in your application. Some owners don’t want children in their homes and others prefer solo sitters. Every listing is different.

Is it possible to arrange back-to-back house sits if you’re spending more than a few weeks in one city or country?

Back-to-back house sits are very much possible. I spent February to late-August 2024 doing back-to-back sits across Canada and my frequent trips to the US were doable because I was able get sits in cities I wanted to visit. Some of my sits are confirmed months in advance, but not always. I remember being in Salt Lake City, with no sit to go on to until one came up in Denver. The Denver sit was due to start three days after the Salt Lake City one ended. Similarly, I had a gap between a sit in Vancouver and my next one in Montreal. I was prepared to spend a week and half in a hotel, but I was able to get a last-minute (by my standards) sit in a town an hour and half outside Toronto.

Then there’s people I know who choose to house sit locally as opposed to renting or buying a house. One of them actually owns a house, but prefers to rent it out. These people have been living like this for years and they don’t plan on stopping.

What is the most popular house sitting website?

The most popular house sitting website has always been TrustedHousesitters. Sites like Aussie House Sitters and House Sitters Canada are starting to grow in popularity after TrustedHousesitters introduced a booking fee.

Where can I find paid pet sitting opportunities?

Rover (USA and Canada) and Mad Paws (Australia) are the two websites I know of where you get paid to pet sit. But not all owners on Rover and Mad Paws want a live-in pet sitter. Some prefer a sitter who will drop by once or twice a day.

Why do I need a work visa to do unpaid house and pet sitting in a foreign country?

Because unpaid house and pet sitting is viewed as work. You must be authorised to work in that country or what you’re doing (i.e. unpaid house and pet sitting) is illegal. ‘Work authorisation’ can look different depending on the person and where they’re from, but the US and UK governments have said individuals cannot house and pet sit on a tourist visa (or ESTA for visitors to the USA). Even countries with slightly more ‘relaxed’ immigration rules—like Canada, Australia and New Zealand—have turned sitters away because they didn’t have a work visa.

Do you have a favourite cat or house sit?

My favourite cats have been Henry and Josie from Toronto. The Toronto sit also happened to be one of my favourites and I got invited back a second time. Other sits I’ve really enjoyed include looking after Jaws and Killer in Vancouver, and Klaus and Maisy in Melbourne.

Has an owner ever accused you of stealing something from their home?

I haven’t been accused of stealing anything, but there’s two recent stories that come to mind. A Californian couple was arrested in October 2025, and a woman from South East Queensland is said to have stolen appliances and bank card details from a couple who found her on Maw Paws.

How do you recover from a bad review?

I have maintained a 5-star rating, but my advice would be to get a few local sits so the bad review moves further down your profile. Sitters might want to acknowledge what was said by responding to that review or they may choose to ignore it. Sometimes a bad review is not indicative of what you did or didn’t do, but is just a reflection of the person you sat for.

What are some of the weirder rules you’ve encountered?

Some of the weirder ‘rules’ I’ve had to follow include:

  • The cats are not allowed in the bedroom.
  • Use this spoon and this spoon only to serve the cats their wet food. At this sit, the couple even had a particular sponge I was told to use to clean the cats’ food bowls.
  • Wet food being served as a treat. This cat was fed a kangaroo mince–pumpkin mix once or twice a day, but she really loved her weekly serve of wet food.

How has house and pet sitting changed since you started out in 2017?

Expectations have shifted and some sitters come across as quite entitled. For instance, one sitter posted about the owner changing the dates for her 3-month sit. The dates were either being brought forward by a week or pushed back by a week, and the sitter was annoyed she now had to pay for a week’s worth of accommodation in what she described as a ‘desirable holiday location’. Sitters need to remember these services exist to serve pet owners—house sitting websites weren’t created for sitters to score a free place to stay.

Other questions

If you’ve got a house and pet sitting question that hasn’t been answered here, have a read of my other frequently asked questions posts:

I’ll do my best to respond to any questions left as comments or sent through my website’s contact form.

My second time house and cat sitting in Vancouver

My second time house and cat sitting in Vancouver

by | 28 February 2024

I decided to return to Canada (with my open work permit) after spending three and a half months there (using that same open work permit) last summer.

Last year’s trip started with a house and cat sit in Montreal which meant an additional five-hour flight to the other side of the country. I remember having just under two hours to pass through immigration, sort out my work permit and provide immigration officers with whatever paperwork they wanted to see, collect my suitcase and re-check it in, go through security, and be at the gate ready to board my 8:55am flight. While all Air Canada luggage is now sent through to the traveller’s final destination, it’s a lot of stress I could do without and that’s why I was hoping to start off in Vancouver this time. Turns out the lady I sat for in September needed a sitter for 10 days in February. Her dates slotted into my draft itinerary almost perfectly so I told her I’d be happy to take the sit.

The lady shares her West End apartment with two Ragdoll cats from the same litter. They’re 1.5 years old, and their names are Jaws (girl) and Killer (boy). While ‘Killer’ might seem like an odd name to some people, it makes perfect sense when you know their owner. Some of my friends thought Jaws may have been a biter/chewer, but she was named after Steven Spielberg’s film Jaws. Jaws’ owner is fascinated by sharks and went swimming with them on one of her visits to Australia. Cat Jaws even has some shark Jaws toys.

Despite their scary-sounding names, Jaws and Killer are gentle and affectionate. The only ‘violence’ you’ll see these majestic-looking kitties inflicting is upon their toys. And, boy, do they have a lot of them. I don’t think I’ve ever met a cat(s) who plays with their toys as much as these two do. One of their favourite things to do is bring their ‘catch’ to you in bed, or drag it into the shower and continue thrashing it around. Sometimes I’d wake to find an assortment of toys strewn across the bed. Or still in the shower the next morning. Then there was the time one of their toys fell out of my backpack as I went to pay for something at Winners.

It’s interesting to see their personalities are still developing and how they’ve changed since I was here last. Their owner also commented on how she’s noticed the cats’ colours deepening. Jaws has a lot more grey/taupe to her and Killer’s ginger points might be a little more prominent.

I recall Killer being the needy sibling and Jaws mostly keeping to herself. It could’ve been that Jaws is—or was—a bit more reserved around strangers. This time ‘round, Killer is content to be alone (except for when he demands five minutes of your time every evening) and Jaws is the one who wants all your attention. Jaws will now position herself next to me and still be my side when I wake up. Both cats do like to involve themselves in whatever you’re doing and this can sometimes include running into the shower as soon as you’ve turned the water on. Jaws will try to catch the water drops from the other side of the glass door while Killer sits in the bathroom sink. They also like to welcome you home and Killer is the first one to dart out the front door. He’s allowed to walk around in the building’s closed off hall area, but must be supervised for the minute or two he’s allowed to roam. Jaws is a bit more hesitant about venturing out, but she’ll take a quick peep from behind the door before deciding whether or not it’s worth the effort. If she does venture out, she’s usually quick to return. Killer, however, likes to be chased back into the apartment.

Things to do

I didn’t expect to like Vancouver as much as I did, but I guess that’s why I was so keen to come back. English Bay and Stanley Park are within walking distance from the West End apartment, and you can be at Coal Harbour or downtown within about 20 minutes. Here’s some of the things I enjoyed most and these can be done/visited/seen at any time of year.

Main Street, Mount Pleasant

It’s actually called Main Street and isn’t just the main street in Mount Pleasant. I’d recommend walking from about E Fifth Avenue all the way to down to E 32nd Avenue and back up again. The area is known for its vintage and antique stores, but I found it had a lot of good homewares, stationery and ‘things’ stores. Some of my favourites were Front & Company, The Storehouse and Welk’s. Lots of street art in the area, too.

Granville Public Market

From where I’m staying in West End, the trip to Granville Public Market is a scenic one. I walk down Denman Street, past the A-maze-ing Laughter sculptures, and along English Bay and Sunset beaches to get the False Creek Ferry from the Aquatic Centre. It takes less than five minutes to get to Granville Island.

I’d say Granville Public Market is one of the best markets I’ve been to. It’s got its fair share of food, but it has just as many stores selling handmade (and not handmade) goods.

Shop Makers

Shop Makers is a “celebration of local artistry and entrepreneurship” and they’ve got stores all over the country. Everything is handmade by a Canadian artist and each artist gets 100% of the money made from a sale of their goods.

'I can't read' sticker

I’m not sure how I originally learned about Shop Makers, but I must’ve stumbled across a store in Gastown or Kitsilano when I was here last. My favourite Shop Makers store would have to be the one in the Park Royal mall because they’ve got so much cat stuff (stickers, keyrings, etc.). North Vancouver is pretty good, too, and definitely one of the bigger stores.

Lynn Canyon Park and suspension bridge

Lynn Canyon Park offers a significantly cheaper—i.e. free—alternative to the Capilano Suspension Bridge. And there’s 617 acres of forest and several hiking trails to explore. I did some of the Baden Powell Trail before turning around to get the bus back to downtown Vancouver before it got dark, but I’d be keen to come back in the summer.

Stanley Park

I’d never heard of Stanley Park until I got chatting to another Australian on my Niagara Falls tour. She told me it was one of the first places she visited in Vancouver and that it’s bigger than Central Park.

A popular walk within Stanley Park is the 10km seawall loop that forms part of the world’s longest uninterrupted waterfront path. It takes between two and two and half hours to do, and you’ll pass Siwash Rock, Lions Gate Bridge, Brockton Point Lighthouse and the Totem Poles.

Next stop

I’m at Vancouver International Airport waiting to board a plane to Calgary. I spent three nights in Calgary last year, but that wasn’t nearly enough time to see everything I had on my list. This time I’ve got five nights in town, and, unlike my last visit, I will be doing a house and cat sit.

Getting back to international house and cat sitting

Getting back to international house and cat sitting

by | 7 August 2023

One year later and I finally made it to Montreal. This time, however, I wanted to ensure I had the correct paperwork—i.e. a work visa—so I could house and cat sit without issue.

The working holiday visa I applied for forms part of the International Experience Canada (IEC) program that’s designed to give young people from participating countries the opportunity to live, work and travel in Canada for up to two years. For Australians interested in applying, you must:

  • be between 18 and 35 years old
  • have a valid passport
  • receive an invitation from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to submit an application. Receiving an invitation to apply does not mean you’ve been approved for a working holiday visa.

Australia seems to be one of the only countries without a cap on the number of invitations sent out so I think it’s safe to say almost all Australians who register with the IRCC will get an invitation to apply unless they’re deemed inadmissible to Canada.

The application process

I received an invitation to apply a few days after registering my interest.

We are pleased to invite you to apply for the Working Holiday (IEC) work permit under the International Experience Canada program.

The letter said I had to do one of two things:

  1. Apply online and do this by 19 January 2023, or
  2. Decline the invitation.

I was given 20 days to submit all my paperwork and pay the fees associated with the application. It’s $161 CAD regardless of which IEC stream you’re applying for—working holiday, young professionals or international co-op (aka internship)—plus an additional $100 CAD for those who are after an open work permit.

The IEC application form required me to upload several forms of identification, a police check, a traffic history report and my resume. I had to provide my electronic travel authorization (eTA) number; print, fill in and scan a form about my family (things like names, date of birth, citizenship); and declare if I’d been denied entry to another country.

Have you ever been refused a visa or permit, denied entry to, or ordered to leave Canada or any other country/territory?

This is something that’d been weighing on my mind a lot—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 included a screenshot of the email I received from TrustedHousesitters community manager Angela Laws saying house sitting abroad doesn’t breach any visa conditions.

Angela Laws, Social Media & Community Manager, wrote: “The immigration specialists have concluded that members can travel internationally to sit and that they are not in breach of any visa conditions.”

This email highlighted how TrustedHousesitters members are misled about visa requirements and don’t realise the huge risk they’re taking when they accept an international house sit. Work visas are required to house sit in the US and UK, but TrustedHousesitters continues to argue “TrustedHousesitters is for tourism” and “not for arranging house sitting as work”.

Biometrics

IEC applicants must also book an appointment at a biometrics collection services centre to get photographed and fingerprinted. The Canadian Government won’t assess your application until this is done. You’ve got 30 days to give biometrics and they’ll be valid for the next 10 years. Applicants need to be mindful not all cities have a biometrics collection centre(s) and there mightn’t be much flexibility with appointment availability.

Waiting for a decision

It was a nerve-racking few weeks because I really wasn’t sure how the Canadian Government would view being refused entry to the USA. I know I’m not the only person who’s been refused entry, but I’m yet to learn how other countries handle these situations.

Google didn’t have any answers, but it led me to this Working Holiday Visa Canada IEC 2023: Ultimate Application Guide blogpost. I reached out to the author, Gemma, a Canadian citizen as of 2018, asking her if she knew of anyone with a similar set of circumstances. She said she was aware of a few “relatively similar situations” where someone had been refused entry to another country. Like me, they included a detailed letter explaining what’d happened and ended up being granted an open work permit. Gemma gave another example in which someone was asked to leave Canada because they overstayed whichever visa they had. They were also successful with their working holiday visa application. Her email made me a bit more optimistic, but it ended with: “Again, though, it’s all to the discretion of the actual processing agent so it’s hard to say.”

Two weeks later and 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.

Your application to work in Canada has been initially approved by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. The final decision to issue you a work permit and allow you to enter Canada is made after an examination by an officer in Canada. At that time, an officer will assess if you still meet the requirements of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, its Regulations and any other Canadian legislation.

The “requirements” included things like showing proof of:

  • funds (minimum of $2,500 CAD) to support yourself
  • health insurance to cover the two-year period granted to working holiday visa holders
  • a return ticket to Australia.

Good to go

Now it was time to think about when I wanted to go to Canada. My original plan was to head over in September/October, but my employment contact was finishing up at the end of June. I started looking for house sits in the cities I was meant to visit last year. Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa, but I was open to pretty much anywhere as long as the person’s place was close to public transport.

It didn’t take long for a house and cat sit in Montreal to come up. It started on 5 July, with an end date of 27 July. I applied and received a message back asking if I could do a quick phone call with the owner. We scheduled a WhatsApp call for my Saturday morning/Friday afternoon Montreal time and I was offered the sit a few minutes into the call. The sit’s start date coincided with the cheapest airfare available for the entire month of July. If it had started on any other day, I would’ve been looking at paying an extra $600–$700 AUD for my ticket. I booked with Air Canada and flew straight from Brisbane to Vancouver.

Arriving in Canada

Even though my work permit had been initially approved, I knew it didn’t guarantee me entry to Canada. It didn’t guarantee anyone entry to Canada. I was fretting about the Canadian immigration officer seeing the stamp at the back of my passport and the possible interrogation that’d follow. And while I still met the requirements (money, insurance, return ticket), you just never know what kind of shitty human you might get at immigration. As Gemma said: “It’s all to the discretion of the actual processing agent.”

Passport stamp: Refused in accordance with INA section 217

My flight touched down at Vancouver International Airport just after 6am. I think it was one of the first flights in that morning because there was no-one around. This was both good and bad. Good because I was in and out of the eTA line within a few minutes. Bad because the immigration office—where people wanting to sort out their visa paperwork go—didn’t open ’til 7am. I was passed around a bit before being told to head toward the “Sortie” (exit) sign and speak to an officer in there.

This particular section of the airport reminded me a lot of the secondary screening facility at LAX. It was quiet and seemed a lot more serious than the area where most passengers pass through. I kept thinking back to that night at LAX, but I was trying to remain positive. I went up to the only officer on duty and said I was here to activate my work permit. I was expecting a whole lot of questions, but all the officer wanted was my 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’s valid for two years from 5 July 2023 and comes with three conditions:

  1. The work permit is not valid for employment in businesses related to the sex trade.
  2. I must leave Canada by 4 July 2025.
  3. Unless authorised, I am not allowed to attend “any educational institution” or take “any academic professional or vocational training course”.

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.

My immigration experience in Canada was totally different to what happened in the United States. Those entering Canada on an eTA (i.e. most visitors) don’t have to provide an address for where they’re staying and the only immigration official they deal with is the one they hand their slip to in what seems to be a very casual interaction. No-one asks how long you’re staying for or where else you’re visiting on your trip. I find it hard to believe house sitting would ever come up because there is no conversation to be had as you enter and exit passport control. Remember, though, you always need to read up on what is and isn’t allowed on the type of visa you’ve got because it’s not just the United States ruining house sitters’ travel plans. An American TrustedHousesitters member was taken in for secondary questioning at a Canadian land border crossing and was told “staying for free [as a house and pet sitter] is still considered work”. They were let off with a warning, but not everyone is as lucky when it comes to international house sitting with the incorrect paperwork.

Immigration vs TrustedHousesitters: Unpaid house sitting on your travels

Immigration vs TrustedHousesitters: Unpaid house sitting on your travels

by | 17 November 2022

It’s been a long, very frustrating few months following what happened to me at Los Angeles International Airport. United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says unpaid house sitting is work, and tourists need a work visa to do it on their travels*. TrustedHousesitters says US immigration got it wrong and international house sitting is OK for tourists to engage in because they’re visiting the country to holiday/vacation.

TrustedHousesitters has known about what happened to me minutes after I was told I was being refused entry to the United States. And while I didn’t have a whole lot of time between when I got my phone back and when I was escorted to the boarding gate, I did manage to send TrustedHousesitters a quick email about the situation. The company’s community manager responded within minutes—she said was sorry to hear this and asked for details. “It really is about who you get on the day [at immigration] and how they [the immigration officer] CHOOSE to interpret the traveler’s purpose,” was the last thing I heard from TrustedHousesitters. That was just after 12am on 1 July 2022.

I didn’t hear from TrustedHousesitters again until after I spoke with a journalist from The Guardian. The Guardian story was published a good two or three weeks after what went down, but, now, all of a sudden, TrustedHousesitters really wanted to talk about it. The TrustedHousesitters community manager tried calling me on several occasions. She also texted me. She tried to call me on WhatsApp. She even messaged me from two different phone numbers on WhatsApp. Then I saw an email come through: “We became aware of the full facts of your recent border situation just this morning through the Guardian article.” Were they reaching out to see how I was faring? I really didn’t know. But, as the weeks went on, TrustedHousesitters would email me each time a new story came out. “I’ve just picked up the Mama Mia article and would really like to assure you that we did respond when the story first surfaced, we provided the SMH journalist with a statement which she did not publish, in it we expressed how appalled we were at your treatment etc.,” one of their emails read.

traveller.com.au story: Warning over house-sitting after Australian denied entry at US border, deported

When I finally called TrustedHousesitters back, that same community manager began with a story about the time she encountered an immigration-related inconvenience driving from Canada to Washington state. But our experiences weren’t similar at all. The TrustedHousesitters community manager was granted entry to the USA. I wasn’t. I was pulled aside and taken to a closed-off section of the airport. She wasn’t. I would think her ESTA—offered to citizens/eligible nationals of a Visa Waiver Program country—remained intact. My ESTA went from approved to “Travel Not Authorized”.

Customs and Border Protection paperwork: Subject states she was house sitting last trip under the site listed. States she is in transit for this trip

The conversation began to move away from the community manager’s experience to mine and that’s when I said I didn’t blame TrustedHousesitters for what happened. TrustedHousesitters weren’t the ones who refused me entry to the United States. It was US immigration who sent me straight back to Australia. And that’s how I felt four months ago. But now I’m mad at TrustedHousesitters. I’m mad at TrustedHousesitters because they haven’t done anything to address the underlying issue, and house and pet sitters have been refused entry to countries around the the world dating back to 2011.

TrustedHousesitters actively promotes international house and pet sitting as a win-win situation, but most members don’t know they’re breaking the law**. US immigration doesn’t care that no money changes hands in arrangements facilitated through TrustedHousesitters—it’s what the traveller’s doing that’s the issue. Something as trivial as feeding someone’s cat, as I have learned, requires the traveller to have a work visa.

Passport stamp: Refused in accordance with INA section 217

TrustedHousesitters attempted to draw attention to the problems I experienced at LAX with the Our Australian member’s story thread they started on the company’s heavily moderated Community Forum. “Madolline is a hugely valued member … we feel it’s important to give additional background to Madolline’s story and international travel.” TrustedHousesitters wasn’t in any position to give context because they didn’t know anything more than the one- or two-sentence email they received as I was boarding my 15-hour flight to Sydney. “The Information on abortion is new and has only come to our attention as a result of this article … we will of course offer our full support, as we do to all of our members.” The abortion element is irrelevant here—paying members need to know they can be refused entry to the USA for using TrustedHousesitters on their travels. This thread was locked/closed by TrustedHousesitters after two days.

Post by Goodboyjakey: Maybe [TrustedHousesitters] should change the title of this post to “Are you travelling to the US to house sit?” so that people are aware. Truly shocking. Admin Notice: Post Moderated

TrustedHousesitters’ immigration update

It was early August when TrustedHousesitters wanted me to hear about their “immigration update”. I remember thinking maybe they’d fixed this mess. They hadn’t. This update isn’t going to change anything for me, or any other TrustedHousesitters member who finds themselves in airport detention or pulled aside for questioning at a land border. TrustedHousesitters and/or their “immigration specialists” had compiled letters for sitters to show to UK, US and Canadian immigration officials. “… we, respectfully, do not feel that the above-described arrangements [house and pet sitting through TrustedHousesitters] would fall under this category [work],” their USA letter reads.

Angela Laws, Social Media & Community Manager, wrote: “The immigration specialists have concluded that members can travel internationally to sit and that they are not in breach of any visa conditions.”

These letters don’t have anyone’s name, position title or signature attached to them, and I’d be too embarrassed to show this letter to any of the officers I dealt with at LAX. The phone number provided in the letter—the one TrustedHousesitters advises immigration calls for further clarification—is one that seems to go unanswered at the best of times. The unnamed “immigration specialists” have said sitters can house and pet sit anywhere in the world without without “breach[ing] … visa conditions”. My research, however, suggests travelling house sitters have been refused entry to various countries dating back to 2019.

news.com.au story: Cat sitter questioned about abortion because of basic error at Brisbane airport

Media attention

I started to get annoyed because TrustedHousesitters had managed to escape the bulk of the media attention my story was getting. Using TrustedHousesitters as a visitor to the United States (even though Montreal, Canada, was my final destination) was the reason immigration wouldn’t let me enter the country. I had the wrong visa to engage in unpaid house and pet sitting. I wasn’t sent back to Australia because of anything to do with my abortion status despite how some people were choosing to interpret stories they’d read online. traveller.com.au hit the nail on the head when they ran Beware: Simple mistakes that can get you deported or refused entry to other countries, but this wasn’t something I was allowed to discuss on the TrustedHousesitters community forum. Two different moderators—on two separate occasions—stopped me from talking about my experience. It’s worth nothing that most discussions on the TrustedHousesitters forum get locked/closed when the company starts getting painted in a bad light, and every thread and reply posted by a new member must be manually approved by one of the moderators.

TrustedHousesitters community forum: Your recent forum post will not be published as it goes off topic. This topic is about house sitting adventures not immigration issues.

That’s when I took to posting about what happened to me on the TrustedHousesitters Facebook page. Paying members have a right to know this could happen to them and TrustedHousesitters wasn’t doing much to educate them about it. TrustedHousesitters hid all my comments and ended up deleting one of their own posts—one where they had to acknowledge a member’s dog died while in the care of a TrustedHousesitters sitter whose account ended up being suspended—after I bumped it. I got the impression this was another problem TrustedHousesitters didn’t want getting out back then and they didn’t want people being reminded of it three years later. I began to tag TrustedHousesitters on Twitter and from my cat sitting Facebook page, but it wasn’t long before I was blocked on both platforms.

Twitter: You are blocked from following [TrustedHousesitters] and viewing [TrustedHousesitters’] Tweets

Twitter: TrustedHousesitters blocked you, Angela Laws blocked you

It was a “misunderstanding”

TrustedHousesitters decided it was now time to play the “misunderstanding” card. In response to my Trustpilot review, one of their staff said CBP just didn’t get what house sitting abroad is about. The US immigration officer definitely got it when he said these websites can say whatever they want (i.e. international house sitting doesn’t breach visa conditions) to get people’s money. Travellers cannot offer their services (e.g. pet care) for free accommodation under the Visa Waiver Program.

For such a simple “misunderstanding”, the consequences of revealing you’re travelling on the app are pretty significant. My ESTA has been cancelled forever and I can no longer enter the United States in a tourist capacity. My options for re-entering the United States include:

  • Getting a work visa, but who’s going to sponsor someone for unpaid house and cat sitting?
  • Winning the green card lottery. Unlikely to happen and I’m not sure I’d want to permanently relocate to the US.
  • Marrying a US citizen.

I can’t even transit through the country anymore.

Immigration lawyer weighs in

While it was okay to silence me in public, TrustedHousesitters continued to email me each time they get mentioned in the media. Their community manager sought “irrefutable proof of the reason” my ESTA was cancelled after I went to iNews. The iNews travel editor is the only journalist I spoke with who approached a lawyer for comment as part of their coverage and I’m glad they did. The lawyer, who is a partner at Laura Devine Immigration, told iNews pet sitting is work and “not appropriate for ESTA travel”.

I decided to email the lawyer to see if she could offer any advice about the numbers that had been written and stamped at the back of my passport. Her personal assistant responded and offered me a 30-minute phone call with Christi Jackson. Christi said the only surprising part in all of this was the abortion question.

Angela Laws (TrustedHouseitters) has sent you an email via Gmail confidential mode.

TrustedHousesitters were the ones who advised me to seek advice from a US immigration lawyer, but they were quick to change their tune when one weighed in saying house sitting required a work visa. An email I received from the TrustedHousesitters community manager inferred our relationship had soured after Christi Jackson provided comment to iNews. “Where this is now reminds me a little bit of a divorce situation … As soon as the suits/lawyers/media step in that’s when situations are in danger of becoming toxic … which is very sad, unfortunate and often completely unnecessary.”

insider.com story: An Australian woman said she was denied entry to the US over house-sitting plans

Gaslighting and more excuses

One of my last dealings with TrustedHousesitters—aside from the very, very last email I received from their community manager where she tried to gaslight me and likened me to a monster for emailing an animal rescue they work with—is when Queen Elizabeth II died. I’d reiterated my request for TrustedHousesitters to update their international house sitting advice page. I wanted this update posted to all their social media accounts and on their community forum, and sent as a standalone email to members. “Today was a bank holiday in the UK due to the Queen’s Funeral … our team was unavailable,” the community manager wrote. The one and only time I spoke with TrustedHousesitters on the phone, I suggested they put a banner across their website drawing people’s attention to the risks of house sitting abroad. Foreigners must have a work visa to house and pet sit internationally. This banner would link off to a webpage detailing how countries like the United States consider unpaid house and pet sitting work, and one needs work authorisation to do it without breaking the law. Pet owners need to be informed of the risks, too. They probably haven’t given any thought to what they’re going to do if their sitter is refused entry to the country. “Members are fully informed about the information that is available to them … There really isn’t a need to post [this information] on any external channels as this information is only pertinent to our members,” I was told. “The number of members across external channels is really very small … and posting any information would simply not reach a significant number of our members.” If the TrustedHousesitters social media following is so minuscule, why did I get barred for trying to educate such a small amount of people about the risks of using TrustedHousesitters on their overseas travels? Note: TrustedHousesitters’ take on “very small” equates to 256,000-odd people ‘liking’ them on Facebook and 100,000 followers on Instagram.

I want to make it clear I never asked TrustedHousesitters for money. Money, however, is everything to share economy companies like TrustedHousesitters. TrustedHousesitters cares more about money coming in*** than they do about their “community”. The pets TrustedHousesitters sitters are tasked with caring for also take a backseat to profits as evidenced in that now-deleted Facebook post addressing the death of a member’s dog. If TrustedHousesitters cared about their members, they’d update their international house sitting advice in light of what happened to me at LAX. They’d offer support instead of hoping members grow tired of posting about their problems and they’d communicate the massive change to the house sitting application process instead of casually mentioning it on their forum. Most of the 120,000 or so TrustedHousesitters members don’t know about this change and they don’t know they can be refused entry either.

*Engaging in unauthorised employment, like ‘working’ as a house and pet sitter in exchange for room and board, is not allowed under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). ESTA holders cannot be compensated (free accommodation/lodging) for services rendered (pet care, household chores). Visitor visa holders (B-1 (business) and B-2 (tourism)) can’t house and pet sit either.
**Foreigners need work authorisation (e.g. work visa) to house and pet sit in the United States. Citizens and permanent residents of the United States should be able to house and pet sit through TrustedHousesitters without issue.
***TrustedHousesitters received $10-million in funding from UK investment firm Rockpool. Rockpool expects TrustedHousesitters will continue to grow their membership base in the United States.

Note: As per 212 (a)(7)(A)(i)(I) of the Immigration and Nationality Act,  CBP determined I was “an intending immigrant without an immigrant visa”.