# Looking for work visa while "working" in the US



## loladae (11 mo ago)

Hello, I want to live in Europe, but I have a job in the US (hoping to get relocated eventually). I was wondering what are the consequences/if anyone would notice if I got a "looking for work visa" but was actually working with a company based in the US? Anyone have experience with this or getting a student visa and doing the same thing? Thanks!


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Generally speaking, you are considered to be working in whatever country you are physically located in while doing the work. So if you are working remotely for a US company while living in Europe, you're working in Europe and need to be in possession of a proper work visa, with registration in the local tax and social insurances system.

On a student visa, you'll have to attend classes and your work hours may be limited (to allow appropriate time for classes and studying). In some countries a student visa will only allow you to change status to a "work visa" if you find a job in your field of study shortly after completing a degree or program.


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## *Sunshine* (Mar 13, 2016)

loladae said:


> I was wondering what are the consequences/if anyone would notice if I got a "looking for work visa" but was actually working with a company based in the US?


Are you one of those people who drives through red lights in the middle of the night when no one is around? It is not a problem until the night you get caught. 

Keep in mind that in order to combat terrorism and money laundering governments and law enforcement are increasingly using modern technology to scrutinize various financial transactions and it is not unusual for them to stumble upon undocumented workers.


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## loladae (11 mo ago)

Thanks! I am not a person who runs through red lights in the night when no one is around, actually. Thanks for the feedback. I was just wondering.


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## Harry Moles (11 mo ago)

As someone who happily runs through red lights when it's safe to do so, I'll offer my take.

If you keep quiet about it, you won't be busted for working remotely while in Europe. The problem is, you can't stay in the Schengen zone beyond 90 days without a residence permit, and to obtain a residence permit you either need a local job or to demonstrate means of financial support, and working remotely for an offshore employer generally isn't acceptable for this purpose.

In my experience, living in Europe while working remotely for a North American employer is great for a short period of time (up to 6 months) but over the longer term it can suck. If you want to integrate and make friends who work normal hours, you'll grow to hate meetings in the evening. It can really cramp your social life.

Specific to Germany, you've got a few options. (1) You could come over for 90 days and look for a job here while working for your US employer. No one will notice or care. If you find a job within 90 days and are able to obtain a residence permit on that basis, you're in. (2) You might be able to enrol in university then work and not attend classes, but you'd still need to show savings of around €10k beforehand, plus appropriate health insurance, and presumably that only lasts a year or two before someone notices that you're skipping school and they throw you out. (3) You could apply for the job-seeker visa but, again, you'd need to demonstrate savings to cover all your living expenses and it only lasts six months. If you can swing it this might be a way to come for half a year, but you won't be able to extend past that.

If you just want to experience hanging out in Europe but don't want to make a permanent move, you can do the Schengen shuffle - come live somewhere for 90 days, go home or to a non-Schengen country for 90 days, come back and live somewhere else for 90 days, and so on. You're a tourist, nothing more. Keep working remotely the entire time, don't overstay, and don't boast about it too much, you'll be fine.

PS on edit - Back in the day the Berlin foreigner's office was pretty good about granting the "freelancer visa" to Americans who wanted to stay, and rumour has it some folks were able to get that visa on the basis of remote work for a US "client" (i.e. employer). I expect that things have tightened up a bit since then, but who knows? I've also heard rumour that "non-lucrative" residence permits have been granted in the past for a year or two of remote work in France and Spain. Some countries may be willing to allow digital nomad types to live and work for a few years - the pandemic may have accelerated this trend - without requiring they enter the local tax system - they are paying rent and spending money in the local economy, and providing their own health insurance, so it's not the worst deal from the government's perspective. Do more research, anyway.


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