I am a Ukrainian citizen working remotely for US company. I have a consulting contract and provide services while living in Ukraine.
Am I allowed to travel to USA for a week or two under tourist visa (B1/B2)? I do not intend to work while traveling, but would like to visit company office and meet with the team. Could this cause any issues because, technically, I'm getting paid from the US source to my local bank account every month?
You are fine to travel to the US on a B1/B2 visa, as the Australian US embassy's website explains:
Q: What is a business related (B-1) visitor visa?
A: Generally, the travel appropriate for a business (B-1) visitor visa includes travel to:
- Consult with business associates;
- Attend a scientific, educational, professional or business convention, or a conference on specific dates;
- Settle an estate;
- Negotiate a contract;
- Participate in short-term training.
Q: What is a visitor related (B-2) visa?
A: Generally, the travel appropriate for a visitor (B-2) visitor visa includes travel for:
- Tourism or Family Visits
- Medical Reasons (see below for further details)
- Participation in Social Events
- Armed Forces Dependents
- Dependents of Crewmen
- Short Course of Study
- Amateur Entertainers and Athletes
Depending on what you intend as the primary reason for your visit, you would fall under either the B1 (consult with business associates) or B2 (tourism or family visits) category. Having visited the US for both reasons on various occasions as an Australian working for an American company, I've had no issues.
One caveat is that some immigration officers view a distinction between being there on "business" versus being there for "work" - the latter being potentially a violation of a B1/B2 visa as it does not cover seeking employment in the US.
