Work Experience and Travel History - Express Entry

[EaTONOty]

This summer, I was hired for a new job as a consultant at a UK-based company. There are employees all over the world. For the first 72 days (~2 months, 10 days) of my job, I was in the US. The primary reason for the trip was tourism - visiting family and friends - and collecting state and national police certificates/records from the US, France, Spain, Germany, and Denmark. As you know, collecting police records can be quite time-consuming. If I had tried to deliver these documents to my home country address, they would have surely been lost.

However, since I was hired after getting to the US, I also participated in permissible business/commercial activities including short-term training and onboarding with a colleague based in the US. I liaised with business associates and vendors and did organizational research through diagnostic staff interviews/intros. Because I didn't sign the contract until after I got to the US, I didn't declare business at customs but I still got an interchangeable B1/B2 visa, though the class of admission on my I-94 was marked as B2. Will it matter that I didn't declare business at customs? I hadn't accepted the job at the time.

Even though I started the initial steps of the EE process before being hired, my company has been interested in supporting my EE application so I could count this as a business-related activity. I was paid full-time by the UK company for these 2 months (72 days to be exact).

These activities mentioned above are all permissible activities under the US B1/B2 visa. However, there is a significant grey area in US adjudication of B1/B2 visas. My main concern is that I don't want Canadian immigration officials to think I was working illegally in the US as I was on a full-time contract.

Should the time spent in the US be subtracted from my work experience? How should I calculate and explain it? How much will Canadian officials scrutinize this part of my travel history?

Note: l have two years of work experience and I already have a Master's degree.

 

[Peacekeeper87]

This summer, I was hired for a new job as a consultant at a UK-based company. There are employees all over the world. For the first 72 days (~2 months, 10 days) of my job, I was in the US. The primary reason for the trip was tourism - visiting family and friends - and collecting state and national police certificates/records from the US, France, Spain, Germany, and Denmark. As you know, collecting police records can be quite time-consuming. If I had tried to deliver these documents to my home country address, they would have surely been lost.

However, since I was hired after getting to the US, I also participated in permissible business/commercial activities including short-term training and onboarding with a colleague based in the US. I liaised with business associates and vendors and did organizational research through diagnostic staff interviews/intros. Because I didn't sign the contract until after I got to the US, I didn't declare business at customs but I still got an interchangeable B1/B2 visa, though the class of admission on my I-94 was marked as B2. Will it matter that I didn't declare business at customs? I hadn't accepted the job at the time.

Even though I started the initial steps of the EE process before being hired, my company has been interested in supporting my EE application so I could count this as a business-related activity. I was paid full-time by the UK company for these 2 months (72 days to be exact).

These activities mentioned above are all permissible activities under the US B1/B2 visa. However, there is a significant grey area in US adjudication of B1/B2 visas. My main concern is that I don't want Canadian immigration officials to think I was working illegally in the US as I was on a full-time contract.

Should the time spent in the US be subtracted from my work experience? How should I calculate and explain it? How much will Canadian officials scrutinize this part of my travel history?

Note: l have two years of work experience and I already have a Master's degree.

Okay I think I understood your situation correctly, but do correct me if I'm wrong.
You were hired by a UK based company while on a trip to the US on B2 (Tourism Status).
When you signed your contract while in the US, contract bearing the information of the same UK company, you started your on boarding process with a colleague based in the US.

Just on a FYI note, there is no grey area as you say for B1/B2 status. On a strict technical USCIS point of view, you should have applied for a change of status with form I-539. But I guess you mean it's very easy to avoid since it's hard for them to know/check. But anywho... moving along.

If you're worried about anyone thinking you were working illegally, I think you're far from having worked illegally, as you were not hired/paid by a US based employer.

If what you did was absolutely just sign a contract (which for all we know, could have been mailed to you there) and chit-chat with new colleagues, I don't think it would be a problem.

B1 Business status is for the purpose of doing business with a US based company.

 

[EaTONOty]

Okay I think I understood your situation correctly, but do correct me if I'm wrong.
You were hired by a UK based company while on a trip to the US on B2 (Tourism Status).
When you signed your contract while in the US, contract bearing the information of the same UK company, you started your on boarding process with a colleague based in the US.

Just on a FYI note, there is no grey area as you say for B1/B2 status. On a strict technical USCIS point of view, you should have applied for a change of status with form I-539. But I guess you mean it's very easy to avoid since it's hard for them to know/check. But anywho... moving along.

If you're worried about anyone thinking you were working illegally, I think you're far from having worked illegally, as you were not hired/paid by a US based employer.

If what you did was absolutely just sign a contract (which for all we know, could have been mailed to you there) and chit-chat with new colleagues, I don't think it would be a problem.

B1 Business status is for the purpose of doing business with a US based company.

Thanks for reading. Yes, I got a B1/B2 visa (class of admission: B2). These days, it seems that USCIS stamps B1/B2 in all passports unless there is some reason not to do so. My passport was stamped with B1/B2. I've read that this means both statuses are interchangeable esp since the main reason for my trip did not change.

Thanks a lot for your advice!

 

[Peacekeeper87]

Thanks for reading. Yes, I got a B1/B2 visa (class of admission: B2). These days, it seems that USCIS stamps B1/B2 in all passports unless there is some reason not to do so. My passport was stamped with B1/B2. I've read that this means both statuses are interchangeable esp since the main reason for my trip did not change.

Thanks a lot for your advice!

If it's stamped B1/B2, then you've got absolutely no reason to worry. That's different.
You were allowed to conduct both pleasure and business activities.
Nothing to see here.
Cheers!