baby sitting while on turist visa

[Cathi 5,777]

I would disagree with everyone in this thread and say that it would be allowed under a B-2 visa. "Visit with friends or relatives" is a permitted activity according to the Dept. of State's website.

I think that when you specified the number of hours per day she would be caring for your child and said that it was so you could go back to work, you made the arrangement sound more formal than it actually will be. "Babysitting" implies some kind of work for pay. If part of your mother's "visit with relatives" involves her caring for your child while she is there, in addition to all of the other activities she will do, I don't consider that "taking money out of a US citizen's pocket."

Just because you disagree doesn't make it legal. Period.

[NikLR 13,231]

I would disagree with everyone in this thread and say that it would be allowed under a B-2 visa. "Visit with friends or relatives" is a permitted activity according to the Dept. of State's website.

I think that when you specified the number of hours per day she would be caring for your child and said that it was so you could go back to work, you made the arrangement sound more formal than it actually will be. "Babysitting" implies some kind of work for pay. If part of your mother's "visit with relatives" involves her caring for your child while she is there, in addition to all of the other activities she will do, I don't consider that "taking money out of a US citizen's pocket."

If the grandma wasn't there and the mother still had to work, she would be paying someone else to look after the child so yes, she's taking money out of a USC's or LPR's pocket.

On a tourist visa you cannot work or volunteer for anything. The point is to be a tourist.

Could the grandma look after the little one, one night, incidentally, so mom and dad can have a date night, yeah that's okay. She's visiting with her grandchild. But every day for 6 months so mom can go to work? No.

Edited January 3, 2015 by NLR

[sma1488 155]

Just because you disagree doesn't make it legal. Period.

What a silly response that contributes nothing to the thread.

If the grandma wasn't there and the mother still had to work, she would be paying someone else to look after the child so yes, she's taking money out of a USC's or LPR's pocket.

On a tourist visa you cannot work or volunteer for anything. The point is to be a tourist.

Could the grandma look after the little one, one night, incidentally, so mom and dad can have a date night, yeah that's okay. She's visiting with her grandchild. But every day for 6 months so mom can go to work? No.

So where does the line get drawn then? Can the grandma not cook any meals at home because she should employ a chef instead? Not clean the house because that's a maid's job? In your date night example, she would also be preventing some local teenager from earning a few bucks too, right? That's the part that's not clear here. If one of the specific purposes for a tourism visa is to visit family, what can/can't the visitor do during that visit?

The response by JohnR! hit the nail on the head. If she tells CBP the purpose is a family visit, which is a completely honest statement, odds are she will get in without any problems.

Edited January 3, 2015 by sma1488

[Boiler 45,837]

Does she have a B or is she using the VWP?

[NikLR 13,231]

What a silly response that contributes nothing to the thread.

So where does the line get drawn then? Can the grandma not cook any meals at home because she should employ a chef instead? Not clean the house because that's a maid's job? In your date night example, she would also be preventing some local teenager from earning a few bucks too, right? That's the part that's not clear here. If one of the specific purposes for a tourism visa is to visit family, what can/can't the visitor do during that visit?

The response by JohnR! hit the nail on the head. If she tells CBP the purpose is a family visit, which is a completely honest statement, odds are she will get in without any problems.

Visiting is fine obviously. Taking the role of caregiver is not. It's a fine line and the rules are hard to navigate. Local teenagers are technically paid under the table, so I'm pretty sure the US government doesn't care about them since they aren't getting the taxes. LOL

Also the point some of us is trying to make isn't to tell someone "how to get in" it's to let them know the legal ramifications of actions during their stay. Obviously we all want grandma to be able to visit and to continue to be able to do so.

[Torete 121]

Realizing the OP's post was about babysitting, (and as a side note) if I'm reading the link correctly,

it IS okay to volunteer and/or take a short course of study:

http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/87206.pdf

9 FAM 41.31 N9.1-5 Participants in Voluntary Service Programs

9 FAM 41.31 N13.6 Short Course of Study

Dated 10-14-14

Edited January 3, 2015 by Torete

[Cathi 5,777]

What a silly response that contributes nothing to the thread.

So where does the line get drawn then? Can the grandma not cook any meals at home because she should employ a chef instead? Not clean the house because that's a maid's job? In your date night example, she would also be preventing some local teenager from earning a few bucks too, right? That's the part that's not clear here. If one of the specific purposes for a tourism visa is to visit family, what can/can't the visitor do during that visit?

The response by JohnR! hit the nail on the head. If she tells CBP the purpose is a family visit, which is a completely honest statement, odds are she will get in without any problems.

I don't care if you think my response was silly, yours was stupid to begin with. Just because you don't agree with the law doesn't make it legal. You cannot come here on a tourist visa and work, doesn't matter what kind of work. Baby sitting is work, unpaid or not. With a tourist visa you can visit and visit only. End of story.

[sma1488 155]

I don't care if you think my response was silly, yours was stupid to begin with. Just because you don't agree with the law doesn't make it legal. You cannot come here on a tourist visa and work, doesn't matter what kind of work. Baby sitting is work, unpaid or not. With a tourist visa you can visit and visit only. End of story.

I was disagreeing with other users' interpretation of the situation and how it relates to the law, not the law itself.

If that's the extent of your reading comprehension...I wish you the best of luck because you're going to need it to get through any immigration process that involves understanding any written material.

[Shoot Em Straight 385]

I was disagreeing with other users' interpretation of the situation and how it relates to the law, not the law itself.

If that's the extent of your reading comprehension...I wish you the best of luck because you're going to need it to get through any immigration process that involves understanding any written material.

Ha. She is done. And has earned her stripes on VJ.

To OP. The way you put it in your first post is as Mother coming here to baby sit. That would be a job, if she was not here, for another person already legally here with permission to work at. Or a daycare.

[Boiler 45,837]

The situation can be complicated, however the OP laid out a very simple case.

[NikLR 13,231]

I was disagreeing with other users' interpretation of the situation and how it relates to the law, not the law itself.

If that's the extent of your reading comprehension...I wish you the best of luck because you're going to need it to get through any immigration process that involves understanding any written material.

You may want to look at someone's timeline next time.

[Ontarkie 14,345]

~~Thread closed As the OP has her answer and their is nothing more that can be said that hasn't been said. Do not restart this thread.~~