Working for a non US company on an ESTA

[DebbieLS 1]

Hi all

i plan to visit the US soon with an approved ESTA and had wanted to remotely for my UK job while there. My work are now telling me this isn’t possible unless I have a work visa - but I will still be employed by them back in the UK and my permanent residence is there too.

 

Does anyone know if this is correct or could point me in the direction of some clear guidance? I can’t find anything definitive :(

[Timona 4,207]

Yes. They are right. You cannot work in the US without work permit, whether remotely or not.

[igoyougoduke 1,659]

No you are not authorized to work in USA on ESTA even remotely. If you want to work, you should get a work visa 

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

Your work is technically correct. If you are physically located in the US while working, even for a foreign company, you are supposed to have a visa that authorizes working in the US. This is different from just visiting the US for business purposes to have meetings, attend a conference etc, for which an ESTA would be acceptable. 

[DebbieLS 1]

Thanks all. I can’t find any visa that supports this scenario though - is it just not possible...?!

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

15 minutes ago, DebbieLS said:

Thanks all. I can’t find any visa that supports this scenario though - is it just not possible...?!

No, working in the US requires either a US company to sponsor you for a visa, or to have work authorization through for example a green card process,  or a spouse with a US visa category that allows it for you too etc. There is no visa you can apply for yourself that allows you to just temporarily work in the US (or, probably, any other country). 
 

 

Edited October 15, 2020 by SusieQQQ

[JFH 12,190]

Note that visiting from the UK is largely impossible, save for a few specific categories of people/circumstances. I assume you have checked that you qualify?