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If I am visiting the US with a tourist visa, can I look for a job in the US?

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3 Answers

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No you can most definitely not legally look for work while on a tourist visa.

If any evidence is found that you are looking for a job you will be denied entry on arrival or could risk deportation at any time.

Things that I've heard of US customs using to deny entry or deport travellers:

  • art folios
  • diary entries mentioning job offers or looking for work
  • letters of introduction, curricula vitae, resumes
  • samples of your work
  • tools of your trade

If you are randomly selected or if you fit some profile they may suspect you of looking for work and specifically look for these things.

For deportation I hear the single biggest reason is being reported by somebody. So if you do entertain the notion of looking for work even vaguely during a tourist trip, don't go around telling too many random people you meet, or don't go around giving people reasons to dislike you.

The very same tactics apply in at least Australia and the United Kingdom by the way.

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Wow, strange. :P (I wonder if officials would've deported me from Oz if they'd known I had a chat with a software company "talent scout" over lunch while visiting as tourist.) – Jonik Sep 18 '11 at 9:34
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I wonder what's so wrong about looking for work? – Hasan Khan Sep 18 '11 at 14:54
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Speculation: 1. you've entered the country under false pretenses, 2. governments are under pressure to lower unemployment rates for people already in the country, 3. it's often cheaper in the long run for companies to hire non-citizen/non-green card which is frowned upon by the government, 4. I'm sure it's cheaper to enter on a tourist visa than on a work permit so you're gaming the systm, etc. – mkennedy Sep 19 '11 at 18:30
-1: If you're going to say "most definitely", it would be nice to cite some authoritative sources, rather than "I heard this and that". – Nate Eldredge Feb 13 at 1:45
It's true I don't have any sources to cite. So there's definitely room for another answer to back up what I've said with the actual facts. It might even be worth putting a bounty on the question to encourage somebody dig up some references. – hippietrail Feb 13 at 7:18
up vote 5 down vote

This is absolute drivel. Sad this comes up as the first post on a google search on this topic. So tell me how does one logically come to the USA for a job interview?

It is absolutely OK to travel to the USA on a Tourist visa if you intend to 'look' for work or attend interviews. If asked at the PoE, you state your purpose. I have done that twice now. They typically give you much less than the usual 6 months - say 3 weeks each in my case when I attended interviews for only 2 days. Just be honest about your intentions.

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Do you have a reference / source to cite showing that it is allowed, as opposed to having just been fine for you on two occasions? – Gagravarr Feb 13 at 10:16
So they tell you how long you can stay when you arrive or when you get the visa? How does this affect booking your return ticket? – hippietrail Feb 13 at 11:45
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If you think my answer is drivel, you should say so in a comment to that answer. As it stands you're making it look like it applies to something in your own answer or in the question. There is no guarantee that these two answers will both remain here or remain in their current order. – hippietrail Feb 14 at 2:58

This post does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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Source: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1262.html#overview A SERVICE OF THE BUREAU OF CONSULAR AFFAIRS U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

B1 - B2 VISA Overview

Generally, a citizen of a foreign country who wishes to enter the United States must first obtain a visa, either a nonimmigrant visa for temporary stay, or an immigrant visa for permanent residence. Visitor visas are nonimmigrant visas for persons who want to enter the United States temporarily for business (visa category B-1), tourism, pleasure or visiting (visa category B-2), or a combination of both purposes (B-1/B-2).

Here are some examples of activities permitted with a visitor visa:

Business (B-1):

  • consult with business associates
  • attend a scientific, educational, professional, or business convention or conference
  • settle an estate
  • negotiate a contract

Tourism and Visit (B-2):

  • tourism
  • vacation (holiday)
  • visit with friends or relatives
  • medical treatment
  • participation in social events hosted by fraternal, social, or service organizations
  • participation by amateurs in musical, sports, or similar events or contests, if not being paid for participating
  • enrollment in a short recreational course of study, not for credit toward a degree (for example, a two-day cooking class while on vacation).
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Could you stress the part that answers the question? because it's not obvious. – Vince May 14 at 0:00

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