DIGITAL NOMAD VISA

If you’re a digital nomad or “location independent” worker hoping to spend some of your freedom and adventure time in the United States, it is essential you follow U.S. immigration and work authorization laws. This means making sure you have the proper permission and documentation for the activities you have planned during your time in the U.S.

Factors to consider:

Who is paying your salary/wages?
Is it a U.S. company or a foreign company?
Are you working at a U.S. employer’s office location?
Are you working with clients based in the U.S.?
Are you soliciting work from U.S. clients as a freelancer?
If you are applying for a tourist visa, do you know what you are allowed to do on that visa, and how it relates to any work you plan to do while in the U.S. on that visa?  
How long do you intend to stay in the U.S.?

Why does it matter?

What you do now can affect your future travels to the United States.

It may seem harmless telling little white lies to customs and border patrol when you enter the U.S. (indicating you’re visiting a friend when you’re actually working for a U.S. employer or clients) or checking “no” instead of “yes” on an ESTA waiver or other visa application may seem harmless. (How will they ever know, amirite?)

BUT - Think about how the world you now live in allows you to be a digital nomad, and all the ways technology has made that possible. The U.S. government is quite capable of finding out what you’re doing while in the U.S., as well as things in your past from your applications. If you’re caught providing untrue information, your ability to travel to the U.S. will be more difficult or even impossible. What are some outcomes of willful misrepresentation?

• No more ESTA waivers. Once you are denied an ESTA, you will be required to obtain a different type of visa from the consulate/embassy in your home country to allow you to travel to the U.S. This is a more complicated process than filling out an online form and paying a small fee. [Fees are higher, time to get approved is much longer, and it is more likely to be denied due to your original ESTA denial.]
• Your dreams of becoming a U.S. permanent resident or citizen is at risk. Prior issues like short overstays, working without authorization, and insignificant white lies might be overlooked by the U.S. government to allow for non-immigration travel, but if you decide you want to stay in the U.S. and get a green card, you face a new set of issues that could make it impossible to get such a privilege.

Talk to us today. You can get the answers you need to make the decisions to live your nomadic dreams.