Never work without authorization

Linda, a Filipina came to the U.S. on a tourist visa with an authorized stay of six months. On her fourth month, she applied for extension of stay for another six months which was granted by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. After a few days of receiving the approval from USCIS, she was hired to work as a babysitter at a local day-care center which paid pretty well. On weekends, she accepted food orders catering to Filipino gatherings. A major portion of her earnings was sent to the Philippines in order to support her children who are in college.

When the expiry date of her extension is almost due, she went back to the Philippines. She wanted to go home so that as per her words "I do not want my immigration status to be in jeopardy." However, a month after arrival in the Philippines, she purchased a plane ticket back to the U.S. with the intent of resuming work at the day-care center and her food business on the side.

On arrival at the immigration counter, she was asked when the last time she was in the U.S. She answered a little over a month ago. When asked why she came back almost immediately to the U.S., she responded that during the last time she was here, she was not able to meet all her friends and relatives and this time, she would make sure that she will have time for them. Sensing that Linda maybe not speaking the truth, they asked for the name and phone numbers of her relatives and her friends, she readily gave them without a hint of hesitation.

Unbeknownst to her, in the other room, the border agent called her friends and relatives using the list that she gave them. Her relatives were asked about Lydia's whereabouts when she came to the U.S. the previous time, almost all of them said that they knew who Lydia was and that she was working under the table. When the border agent learned about this, he was very furious because he knows that Lydia was lying to his face. He made her explain about the fact that she was working and that she runs a food catering business. Unfortunately, she was not able to convince the border agent, and she was denied entry. She had no choice but to leave the U.S. on the next available flight back to the Philippines.

Lydia's situation can give some a few takeaways:

1.) Never lie in front of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer. They interview people every day, so they are well trained to identify and spot lies.

2.) Never work without authorization. Follow the terms of your visa and make sure what you can and cannot do under its terms. Certainly, someone with a tourist visa is not allowed to work.

3.) Do not wave red flags. The fact that Lydia came back almost a month after her departure from the U.S. raises a concern for the immigration officers. There could be some plausible reasons why she came back so soon and one of them could be that she could be working or doing some other illegal activities in the U.S.