Business travelers must apply for an e-visa, work visa or work permit before leaving for the United States or Canada, depending on business and accommodation. In this article you will find additional information about the documents required for a business trip to North America.
Permitted work with ESTA USA
Many travelers misunderstand it Visa for North America Can only be used for tourism purposes. However, ESTA is also suitable for business trips to the United States. With an ESTA, one can attend business meetings such as conferences, congresses, symposia and trade fairs and hold talks or discussions with (potential) business partners. A business trip can be combined with a vacation or visit to friends or family in the United States. Once an ESTA is approved, it does not matter whether you are staying in the United States for tourism or business purposes.
Sometimes the United States needs a visa
In some cases, ESTA is not sufficient and a visa is required. This applies in the following situations:
- The traveler enters work with an American employer
- The traveler is about to train in the United States
- The traveler is going to set up a company in the United States
- The traveler is going to invest in an American company
- Traveler works as a journalist in the United States
- After March 1, 2011, he traveled to Iraq, North Korea, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia or Yemen.
It is therefore permissible to work with ESTA in the United States, but only if the traveler is paid by an employer outside the United States. Joining an American company or starting a new business is only possible with a US visa.
Apply for an ESTA or visa
ESTA is easily used online with a digital application form. In the form you enter the travel, passport information and some information about the traveler’s employer. Finally, some security questions need to be answered. After payment of expenses, the application will be processed immediately and usually processed within three days. Once the application is approved, the ESTA will be automatically linked to the passenger’s passport details and added to the Border Control Service’s database. So there is no need to print the confirmation of ESTA. The airline and the U.S. Border Control Agency can find out if a passenger has valid ESTA by scanning the passport.
Applying for a visa to the United States, on the other hand, is more complicated. Passengers must first fill out a DS-160 form online and then make an appointment at the US Consulate. For a visa application, it is always necessary to visit the embassy in person. So applying for a visa takes more time and is usually more expensive than applying for an ESTA. Therefore travelers who meet the requirements of ESTA are advised not to apply for a visa, but to an ESTA.
Permitted work with ETA Canada
The Canadian Immigration Service allows European travelers to apply to ETA Canada so they can fly to Canada without a visa.
An ETA can be used for holidays, courses, transfers, but also for business trips of less than six months. However, you should not be hired by a Canadian employer. For example, with ETA, a business partner is allowed to visit, attend a business meeting, or pursue education or training.
Prepare for a possible sample
Upon arrival in Canada, the planned activities of the traveler during passport control can be checked to see if the EDA is actually allowed with Canada. To prove this, business travelers can ask their (potential) business partner to draw up an invitation letter, which includes personal details, but overnight location, details of the company where the traveler works, the company to visit and the relationship between the two. In addition, a statement from the employer may be helpful. What the traveler in question wants to do in Canada, for what purpose. Finally, before departure, you may be asked to contact a (potential) business partner by phone upon arrival in Canada.
Applying for ETA Canada
Enough in most cases An ETA. Residence in Canada shall not exceed six months and may not be subject to an employment contract with a Canadian organization. In that case there is no need to apply for a work visa or work permit. ETA is cheaper, easier and faster than a physical visa and does not require a visit to a Canadian embassy or consulate. You can apply for ETA online using the online application form. Filling out the form often takes no more than ten minutes.
