_Pp_

Hi,

I am a Canadian Permanent Resident and current working based at home in
Vancouver for a US company in Seattle. (Software Development)
Occasionally, I will travel to the office to take part in a meeting or
just report the progress. The trips are normally one night stay. I use
the B1 visa for this for nearly one year. And everytime I cross the
border, I just telling the truth. This has not be a problem until last
Thursday when I was reject to enter US.

The officer basically ask me 3 questions:

Who r u going to visit?
XXX company in Seattle

What's my job?
Software Consultant

Are you consulting the company?
Yes

Then he ask for the contact in the company and call them to comfirm
what I tell is true. Then he prepair a document and read it to me and
ask me to sign it. In the document, it says I can not use the B1 visa
to enter US for such kind of purpose. And if in future I want to use
the B1/B2 visa to enter US, I must prove I am not going to work in the
US.

Is my use of the B1 legal for the past year? What will happen if I want
to go to US next time will I be refuse again?

Br/Jasom

Olwagner@Netcourrier.Com

The way you used it is fine (i.e. take part in a meeting or just report
the progress).

But if, in the US, they tell you "we have a bug, the whole thing is
about to blow up", and you have a productive activity (i.e. trying to
fix the damm thing), then you would be working illegally in the US.
(you should say, "I'll go back to Canada, and if it hasn't blowned up
by then, I'll try to fix it remotely").

Also, giving advice during the meeting would be unauthorized work. You
really can only negociate your working conditions (the task they'll
give you / and how they'll pay you) and/or telling them what you did.

Not to mention that if you were to be paid for the time you spend for
those meetings, that would be a proof that your indeed had a productive
activity (i.e. unauthorized work)

As you can see, the difference between business activities authorized
under a B-1 and work (for which you don't have an authorization) is
quite slim, which is the reason for the added scrutinity at the border.

pp wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I am a Canadian Permanent Resident and current working based at home in
> Vancouver for a US company in Seattle. (Software Development)
> Occasionally, I will travel to the office to take part in a meeting or
> just report the progress. The trips are normally one night stay. I use
> the B1 visa for this for nearly one year. And everytime I cross the
> border, I just telling the truth. This has not be a problem until last
> Thursday when I was reject to enter US.
>
> The officer basically ask me 3 questions:
>
> Who r u going to visit?
> XXX company in Seattle
>
> What's my job?
> Software Consultant
>
> Are you consulting the company?
> Yes
>
> Then he ask for the contact in the company and call them to comfirm
> what I tell is true. Then he prepair a document and read it to me and
> ask me to sign it. In the document, it says I can not use the B1 visa
> to enter US for such kind of purpose. And if in future I want to use
> the B1/B2 visa to enter US, I must prove I am not going to work in the
> US.
>
> Is my use of the B1 legal for the past year? What will happen if I want
> to go to US next time will I be refuse again?
>
> Br/Jasom