
Ask HN: Should I work in the US on a tourist visa and get paid via PayPal? - mightybear
I&#x27;m working with a company for a few months remotely, and now they ask me to come aboard to states and work from there for a few months. But they can&#x27;t sponsor a J-1 work (internship) visa and I only have a tourist visa (B1&#x2F;B2) valid for a couple of years from now.<p>Should I move to the states for a few (2-3) months as a friend&#x2F;visitor and get paid via PayPal or some other means?<p>What are your thoughts ?
Thanks !
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marymkearney
IAAL, and as you would expect, I'm going to recommend not doing this, for a
few specific reasons.

1\. Working without authorization is unlawful, and could subject you to
deportation, as well as severe difficulties entering the US in the future.

2\. Entering the US on a B visa, knowing that you plan to work, basically
involves lying to the immigration officer when you arrive and are asked for
the purpose of your visit. This constitutes immigration fraud, and its
consequences are 100x worse than working under the table. You can be barred
from entering the US forever - not just for a few years - or even jailed for a
criminal offense.

3\. Even if none of the above happens, at some point you'll want to renew your
B visa, or apply for some other immigration benefit. The application form will
ask you whether you've ever committed a US immigration violation. You will
have to answer "no" to have any hope of getting the benefit, which will be
untrue, and thus will also constitute immigration fraud, with the same
consequences as above.

4\. A US employer who knowingly seeks to hire unauthorized workers is also
breaking the law, plus this is just a super-scummy way to do business.

5\. If you do this, you can't "undo" it, and it will interfere with your sleep
for the rest of your life. Seriously, you don't want to be looking over your
shoulder, worrying about the consequences, every time you have some dealings
with the US in any way.

HTH

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joshuanomed
Standard disclaimer: not a lawyer, consult someone familiar with immigration
law but…

…please dear g–d don’t do this. If you are caught you can be deported and
banned from re–entry to the US for anywhere from 5-10 years (on any visa).

~~~
greenyoda
Also, any company that would be willing to hire you under these circumstances
would be breaking numerous laws, and thus would probably not be very
trustworthy. If they decided they wanted to not pay you for work you did, it
would be very hard for you to get your money from them.

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albatross83
Dont. Its illegal and if you are caught by any reason you will be permanently
black listed.

