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Baxter Reid's family members say they have no idea why he was denied entry to Canada - Representational image Getty Images

An Australian man, who was detained in the US for overstaying his visa by 90 minutes, was released on Wednesday, 10 May.

Baxter Reid was freed after spending more than two weeks in the Batavia detention centre in Buffalo, New York. The 26-year-old from the Australian capital of Canberra had tried to enter Canada along with his American girlfriend, Heather Kancso, for a holiday just before his US visa expired at midnight on 23 April.

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However, he was stopped at the US-Canada border by Canadian authorities and was sent back at about 1.30am (6.30 BST) even though his visa was no longer applicable. Then the US officials charged him with overstaying his legal position in the country and took him into custody.

Baxter's family said they have no idea why he was denied entry to Canada. "He's just a typical Australian tourist just travelling America with his girlfriend," his brother Alex Reid said.

Alex told BBC that his brother is now free "to leave on his own accord" and he would be allowed to return to his homeland. Baxter had been given 120 days to exit the US willingly.

His lawyer, Julie Kruger, said he seemed very happy when the judge announced he was free to move. Also, the court has not prevented him from returning to the US, the lawyer told the Guardian.

"It is a great result because a deportation order would be a 10-year bar to coming back to the US so he won't have that and he did not overstay his status to accrue unlawful presence.

"If you overstay your status by more than six months then you are barred for three years from coming back or if you overstay by more than one year you are barred for 10 years. Because he was only 90 minutes he is not barred for that reason.

"He is able to come back into the US as a visitor," Kruger said.

Baxter's girlfriend Kancso, who had started an online campaign GoFundMe for his legal defence, has also expressed her happiness upon his release. She said, "I am beyond happy to say that Baxter's court case went well."

Her campaign had raised more than $10, 000 ($A13, 600, £ 7,700).