who can I work for ?

jiajiaa · ‎02-03-2019

Hi, I am a Chinese international student live in the US (with F1 student Visa), currently, I don't have a work Visa in the US, but can I work for Chinese client on Upwork? Is there any other countries' client I can work without a country's working visa? Thank you!

martina_plaschka · ‎02-03-2019

Jiajia Z wrote:
Hi, I am a Chinese international student live in the US (with F1 student Visa), currently, I don't have a work Visa in the US, but can I work for Chinese client on Upwork? Is there any other countries' client I can work without a country's working visa? Thank you!

I don't think that there is a country in the world in which you are allowed to work without the respective visa, work permit or residency.

You can't work for any client on upwork when you are in the US, chinese, american, or any other.

jiajiaa · ‎02-03-2019

Thank you for your reply.

Do you mean even though I have a Chinese passport, I cannot work for clients in China through Upwork becuase I live in US??

I have one additional question. I am graduting in May. Right after my graduation I can apply for OPT (Optional Pratical Training) which will allow me to work in US. When I have OPT, can I work through Upwork?

Thank you!

martina_plaschka · ‎02-03-2019

Jiajia Z wrote:
Thank you for your reply.
Do you mean even though I have a Chinese passport, I cannot work for clients in China through Upwork becuase I live in US??
I have one additional question. I am graduting in May. Right after my graduation I can apply for OPT (Optional Pratical Training) which will allow me to work in US. When I have OPT, can I work through Upwork?
Thank you!

You cannot work for anyone inside or outside the US, on upwork or any other platform while living in the US and not being the holder of a work permit. If you do it, you risk getting deported, not being able to continue or finish your studies, not being able to return to the US for 3 to 10 years. I have no idea what an OPT is or which visa status it implies.

If I were you, I would not be asking these questions on a public forum or having a public upwork profile.

jiajiaa · ‎02-03-2019

I haven't start working on Upwork yet and I think my questions are essential for me. Thank you for helping me figure out that I should not work here but please be polite, I was just trying to figure out if I can work here.

crayhernandez · ‎02-03-2019

Hi Jiajia,

Please consult with a local adviser or legal authorities if you are eligible to work online while residing in the U.S. with your current VISA documents.

prestonhunter · ‎02-03-2019

re: "I was just trying to figure out if I can work here."

It is natural and normal for people to want to ask this question here in the Forum.

Unfortunately, as Forum Moderator Mary points out, that's just not something we can offer real, authoritative help with.

Nobody in in the Forum, and that includes Moderators, has the authority to make decisions about work status, visa status, etc. We CAN offer opinions and advice, but we might be totally wrong. We just don't have all the information. Even if we have been through similar situations ourselves, or even if we have done research, we can't make these decisions or tell you what would be allowed to do. People were born in different places, have different parentage, have different personal histories. Rules change. Policies change. That's why the answer is always the same: Consult with local advisers and authorities.