Working for a Canadian client before EAD

[misa 2]

ETA, I guess they would have let my former coworkers in under a "B1" right?

[vanee 13]

As it was explained to me when I was being interrogated for crossing the border for work 6 (or so?) years ago, if you are in the US to work, you have to have a US work permit. Whether you are being paid by a US company, or a Canadian company doesn't matter, you are in the US and working, so you have to have US authorization.

Maybe the rules have changed in the past 6 years?

This is interesting because my previous workplace (Canada-wide firm) has one U.S. subsidary office in Chicago. They often send some of the IT folks down there to do work and to work in the Chicago office sometimes for a few weeks at a time. No one ever had to get a work permit and no one ever got hassled. Maybe they just weren't going down frequently enough to have raised a red flag?

I was in the US for 2 months in the fall (before filing for K-1) and 2 months in the spring (after filing for K-1). Both times at the POE, I was asked what type of work I do, and I explained that I'm self-employed and work at a computer, so I can work wherever I am as long as I have an Internet connection. The second time, the border guard knew that I'd applied for K-1 and that I'd spent 2 months in the US the previous fall. And both times, they allowed me into the US, knowing that I'd be working for myself while I was there.

But a Canadian I had a conversation with in the US a few days ago (see my earlier post in this thread) was given different information when he entered the US to attend a conference.

Maybe the difference is whether you work for yourself or work for a company? But that doesn't fit with your previous workplace experience, misa. Or just who you happen to talk to?

[misa 2]

Maybe the difference is whether you work for yourself or work for a company? But that doesn't fit with your previous workplace experience, misa. Or just who you happen to talk to?

I have no idea now... (FWIW, I worked both for a company and for myself in Canada).

[monicatony 0]

I have been wondering about this exact topic. I work in Canada for an American airline. My airline won't transfer me to a job in the US until I have work auth. in the US. I can't get a leave of absence while waiting the 90 or so days for EAD after entering the US on my K3. I was planning on entering... declaring residence in the US and starting the AOS blah blah.. then flying back and forth to continue working IN Canada. I will be commuting back and forth for as long as it takes to get the work auth. and then for the company to process a transfer. No taking any work with me and not working in the US. I hope this works!!! Has anyone else had a hard time in this situation?

Mon