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Yeah that sucks, the US isn't nice to anyone. Although we get a far easier go of it (just need to fill in an online form every couple of years).

I don't know how people transit in say LAX if they are from countries that the US doesn't like. I guess you can't.

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You can't. After 911 USA has scrapped airport transfers without passport control, which is pretty unique by world standards.

For example, most of cheaper flights from Mexico to Russia (and rest of the world in general) are via USA. That means USA gets to decide who gets into Mexico and who doesn't.

Transit is different. Because you never leave the transit area of the airport, you aren'"entering" the country. This is why Snowden had to hang out in a transit area of an airport hotel until he could get the paperwork to legally enter Russia.

You may still need a transit visa, but those should be easier to get.

There is no concept of transit/international zone in the U.S.A..

This means passengers, even the ones on transit, must have legal right to enter the U.S..

Going through a U.S. airport just for transit is always a bad idea, as it takes a lot of time to cross the border.

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