Consulting work in the US; tips?

[John Van Ostrand]

On Tue, 2007-07-24 at 14:33 -0400, CLIFFORD ILKAY wrote:
> That advice was was worth exactly what you paid for it, nothing. 

Careful that's the same price she's paying for yours too.

> That 
> you and some of your friends may have gotten away with lying does not 
> make it a good idea. You just have not been caught yet.

Actually I know of many people who do, all for very short engagements,
up to a few days. I know of nobody who has been caught.

> Oh what a tangled web we weave... Now you are relying on other people 
> to lie so that you do not have to be inconvenienced.

Customs processes lots of people every hour and just don't have time to
check up on everything. It is only important to be able to answer their
questions well. "Where are you going, where are you staying, how long
are you staying, what's the purpose of your visit, what profession are
you in, who are you visiting and why, etc."

> When you present yourself at a U.S. border crossing and make a 
> declaration, you are already on American soil and are subject to 
> American laws. If things go sideways, you cannot say, "Oh, I changed 
> my mind. I will just turn around and head back to Canada." You will 
> be detained if the border police suspects you are not telling the 
> truth. At that point, the border police can search anything they 
> want, your personal effects, your computer, your vehicle. All it 
> takes is for one scrap of evidence that contradicts your story, such 
> as an email between you and the American employer where you collude 
> to deceive, for the whole house of cards to come tumbling down.

You should also be aware that customs can detain you for just about any
reason, perform body cavity search and ship you off to Gitmo without
trial or send you back to a different country even if you have the
proper documentation.

FUD. Both are potential outcomes and both are very unlikely. I suspect
that thousands (tens of 000's) of people pass the border every day
without a B1 or TN, perform their work and go back home without
incident. I also suspect that during the same day nobody is prosecuted
for lying about this type of thing.

Now I also suspect these are professionals whose name does not appear on
DNF lists, and are not racially profiled and are not guilty looking.

Madison, it's really up to you and I think you are best to obtain a TN
because being legit is the best way to avoid issues. However, keep in
mind that Clifford's comments do not represent the outcome of the
majority of business travelers who find it necessary or convenient to
lie about the purpose of their trip.

I am curious to know about the process of obtaining a TN. I don't know
anyone who has bothered with it. It's simply been too easy and
uneventful to lie. I've assumed it was a lengthy overcomplicated ordeal.
If I found out it was simple and quick I would certainly offer it as a
valid option to those that need it and I would warm up to Clifford's
insistence.

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John Van Ostrand                          Net Direct Inc.
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