The advent of the Internet has made it so much easier to earn a stream of income. Remote work, for example, is becoming highly in-demand, with employers looking for workers overseas and employees benefiting from the comfort of staying home and working on their computers.
While remote working setups pose great opportunities, they can also cause problems, particularly for those who are under immigration status in the United States.
What is Considered Work By the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services?
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services has strict views on working without permission. Under its rules, a person with immigrant status living in the U.S. needs permission to work a job where they get paid for their service.
Remote work that brings in a stream of income, regardless of how small, is considered work by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. And for it to become acceptable, the worker must have permission to do it.
Should You Be Working Remotely While in the U.S.?
Unless an immigrant has permission to work remotely, they should avoid it as it can be construed as a violation of their visa status. The same can be said about jobs that don’t pay money but instead grant a stipend or other form of exchange for the worker’s service.
Perhaps the only instance when an immigrant can work without the permission of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service is in case of unpaid volunteerism.
Under a strict reading of the rules set forth by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, working remotely for a foreign employer while living in the U.S. is a violation of the immigration status unless the immigrant has permission to do so.