Post: #1

Hey guys

Does anybody know if its illegal to work as a freelancer while being in the US or Europe as a tourist? I work as a freelancer doing IT stuff and i was wondering if i can do the same while traveling abroad. Would i be candidate for deportation if im caught doing this?

Please share your thoughts
thanks

Post: #2

This is hearsay, but I heard that if you get paid in your own country's currency, then you're fine, so see if you can get this arranged. If your income comes doesn't come from the country where you plan on residing, then there's no need to even tell customs about this.

If you tell customs that your purpose of entering the US or Europe is to work and you only have a tourist visa, then there's a potential risk of being deported, so I would just shut my mouth on that end.

In any case, there probably is someone here with more experience on this.

Post: #3

I'll give you my best guess based on being a foreign student studying in the US for a total of three years. Short answer: completely non-legal.

Longer answer: Where are your clients located?

While technically, doing work for any sort of remuneration while in the US if you do not have an appropriate visa is not legal, if you are doing work for a client not located in the US, its not something likely to be prosecuted and is kinda of a questionable grey area.

If you do have clients in the US, but all your communications are online/phone and for all they know you are not in the US, you are unlikely to ever have any trouble. However, if you use the fact that you are on a tourist visa to visit clients and conduct face to face interactions, then you are more at risk of running into trouble.

However, the likelihood in either case of your activities ever being noticed is low. I wouldn't worry too much.

Also, to the best of my knowledge, it is not actually illegal to work without appropriate documentation in the US of A. It just isn't legal and grounds for deportation/future denial of visas.

Post: #4

I am also doing IT for a norwegian publisher and there is absolutely zero chance of being deported anywhere with such a mobile work. As long as you pay taxes to the country you have citizenship in you will still be regarded as a tourist. And a tourist is what you should tell that you are to anyone who ask.