I am US resident on H1B visa and planning to move to India soon.

[geldabhojal]

How will this affect my Upwork profile in terms of

1) Will I have access to US only jobs
2) My drivers license which acts the proof of residency will expire with my Visa. How will I be able to get my profile verified going forward.

[petra_r · Accepted solution]

---

Bhojal G wrote:

How will this affect my Upwork profile in terms of

1) Will I have access to US only jobs
2) My drivers license which acts the proof of residency will expire with my Visa. How will I be able to get my profile verified going forward.

---

When you move to India, you must change your profile's location to India also. You must not have USA on your profile when you are not in the USA.

1. No. USA only jobs are only for people who are physically located in the USA.

2. You won't because you will no longer be in the USA.

By the way, you are not allowed to freelance on an H1B visa... Freelancing is considered “unauthorized work.” As an H1B visa holder, you are authorized to work only for the company on your Form I-129.

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

[geldabhojal]

Thank you Petra. Noted.

[VladimirG]

Hi Bhojal,

Thanks for your questions.

1. Please note that this feature is designed for clients who have a specific need for a freelancer in their country (reasons vary, but in many cases they need the possibility of on-site coordination, localized knowledge, or have to meet certain compliance rules for their company). Our location confirmation process allows for periodic travel, so if we’ve been able to confirm you are in the U.S. you’ll still be able to submit proposals for jobs where the client is requesting U.S. freelancers only. It will then be up to you and your client to determine whether your travel schedule affects your ability to meet their job requirements.

2. At this time, to submit proposals for jobs with a location requirement a freelancer needs to verify their location by using a valid, government-issued ID (driver’s license, passport, etc.). Apart from the ID, we also look at a number of factors, such as the freelancer’s W-9 information, whether they have a verified U.S. bank account, and/or their login activity.