K1 adjusting status can volunteer without getitng paid?

[tiggermuffin 41]

Hi all!

 

I came to the US on a K1 visa and I am in the middle of adjusting my status now. As we are not allowed to work, am I able to volunteer while waiting for my green card interview? I am asking this because the nature of my volunteer as a marketer may seem like i have a full-time job. I am thinking of applying for a volunteer position for marketing for a non-profit organization but I am afraid that I am seen to be working full time in the company. Appreciate if anyone has similar experience as me, thanks!

Edited April 3, 2019 by tiggermuffin

[Ash.1101 1,756]

You can technically do any volunteer work that will pay or give you NOTHING in return for the work. 

 

If say the person running the non-profit gave you a gift card as thanks for your hard work, that can be considered payment a USC should have received.

 

people have volunteered, but for the most part they have made sure to accept nothing. Will USCIS know, probably not unless you some how end up on books and report it, but Most just wait until they can legally work. Better safe than sorry.

[C90 376]

54 minutes ago, tiggermuffin said:

Hi all!

 

I came to the US on a K1 visa and I am in the middle of adjusting my status now. As we are not allowed to work, am I able to volunteer while waiting for my green card interview? I am asking this because the nature of my volunteer as a marketer may seem like i have a full-time job. I am thinking of applying for a volunteer position for marketing for a non-profit organization but I am afraid that I am seen to be working full time in the company. Appreciate if anyone has similar experience as me, thanks!

You can do any volunteer work, as long as its nothing that a USC or LPR can get paid for. So make sure they don't normally pay anyone for what you would like to do.

And as said before, make sure you don't accept anything (food, shelter, gift cards etc)

[ITMFA 241]

I volunteered as an English at an ESL school for the past 4 months (one way to help out fellow immigrants who aren't lucky enough to already speak the language!) I felt confident it was ok for two reasons: First, I have no training or qualifications as a teacher or an ESL educator - my professional field is something totally different. Second, the whole organization is volunteer-run, so there was no chance that I was taking away a paid opportunity from an American or green card holder. Just be careful that it won't look like you're doing professional "networking" or "working for free" in your field. 

[JFH 12,190]

You can volunteer but only in a role that no one would normally expect to be paid for. Helping in an animal shelter, a soup kitchen, that sort of thing that people do completely altruistically purely because they feel a personal calling to give their time to help those less fortunate. 

[tiggermuffin 41]

Thank you all for your advice! I think I should search for other volunteer work, as the nature of volunteer work that I am considering th apply for is normally paid.

[Mike E 11,739]

If one entered the USA on a tourist visa and told the CBP Officer one would be volunteering, one would expect to be denied entry.  

 

So so based on that standard, my advice to my wife is to not volunteer until she gets an EAD.