Answer colleague calls while on a visit to the USA?

[Reema1 1]

I am asking here for my friend. She is coming from the UK to visit me for a couple of weeks. I just had a refusal to my fiance K1  so my best friend is coming to visit for a couple of weeks. Her company in the UK asked her to take her company phone with her in case her backup needs to reach out to her if they have a question or something. She is worried if that is considered work in the USA. I could not find anything online about this. Can she do that while in the USA?

[aaron2020 11,651]

She can take the phone and take work calls. 

[Reema1 1]

1 minute ago, aaron2020 said:

She can take the phone and take work calls. 

Thank you. Do you by any chance have a source for this? Like a link or something? I could not find any info online 

Edited October 9, 2021 by Reema1

[Boiler 45,908]

Well from a practical point of view who would know. Might be a perfect excuse if she does not want to, sorry would love to help but US immigration law does not allow.

[Reema1 1]

2 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Well from a practical point of view who would know. Might be a perfect excuse if she does not want to, sorry would love to help but US immigration law does not allow.

She definitely does not want to do that. But she would not be able to tell her manager she can not do that unless there is really a clear instructions that says she is not allowed to. Neither me or her are able to find such information that is why I am asking here. Her boss is not that easy to deal with tbh

[Boiler 45,908]

The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) enables most citizens or nationals of participating countries* to travel to the United States for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa. 

 

I assume that the phone calls would not be related to travelling to the US for Business.

[Reema1 1]

2 minutes ago, Boiler said:

The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) enables most citizens or nationals of participating countries* to travel to the United States for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa. 

 

I assume that the phone calls would not be related to travelling to the US for Business.

Yeah I think I might tell her to call CBP. They probably will have better idea. 

[Coco8 1,042]

People can come in a visitor visa to headquarters of their company for work meetings and conferences. You can also reply work emails while you are on holiday. Answering a work call would be the same as any of these.

[Reema1 1]

2 minutes ago, Coco8 said:

People can come in a visitor visa to headquarters of their company for work meetings and conferences. You can also reply work emails while you are on holiday. Answering a work call would be the same as any of these.

I think these people are on B1 visa. But you who knows maybe you are right. It seems like a gray area. 

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

2 hours ago, Reema1 said:

I think these people are on B1 visa. But you who knows maybe you are right. It seems like a gray area. 

Most people have a combined B1/B2 visa. If she is on VWP it is equivalent to B1/B2 for status purposes. (As already quoted above by Boiler.)

 

There’s nothing gray about it btw. It is clearly not “working” in the US. 
 

 

Edited October 9, 2021 by SusieQQQ

[Boiler 45,908]

B or VWP does not make any difference you still need to apply either for business or tourist 

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

1 minute ago, Boiler said:

B or VWP does not make any difference you still need to apply either for business or tourist 

You can certainly apply for both, both for the visa and for entry, done myself on many occasions (4 visas, multiple entries on those visas). Remember you do not need a specific trip planned to apply for a B visa for the US, unlike many other countries.

[Boiler 45,908]

I forget the initials WB? And W something else and it is one or the other 

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

6 minutes ago, Boiler said:

I forget the initials WB? And W something else and it is one or the other 

No idea what initials you mean, all 4 of my visas are clearly marked B1/B2.

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

Visitor visas are nonimmigrant visas for persons who want to enter the United States temporarily for business (visa category B-1), for tourism (visa category B-2), or for a combination of both purposes (B-1/B-2).

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/visitor.html