destone

Hi All,

I am a software engineer in the UK with a BSc but planning to pursue MSc qualification in the US.

What would happen if I supplemented my income by working ~15 hours a week remotely for my UK based LTD with UK customers? The nature of my work is that it can be done from anywhere.

I guess my questions are:
a) How would they ever find this out?
b) If they did find it out what would the consequences be?

Thanks,
James

ian-mstm

What would happen? You would be violating the terms of the F-1 visa. On an F-1 visa, you are allowed to work only on campus for up to 20 hours per week (or off campus in a very limited capacity), and only after the 1st year.


They likely won't... but that isn't the same as the question you really wanted to ask: "Can I get away with it?"


You'd be in violation of your F-1 visa. The visa will likely be revoked, you'd have to leave school, and you'd likely be removed from the US - with a possible ban on returning.

Ian

Pulaski

You'd also likely guilty of tax evasion, if you don't pay US income taxes and social security deductions, assuming you don't file a US tax return showing the income earned while you were physically in the US.

S Folinsky

Very good question -- and there are a lot of fuzzy areas. The law can get confusing in part because there unauthorized employment of aliens by employers and then there is unauthorized employment by aliens. The former is subject to more regulation than the later.

Where the various dividing lines are a matter of much in the way of debate in the immigration bar.

BTW, taxation is on "income."