Re:Denied Entry
by rsj_hn on Thursday June 29, 2017 @03:14AM
(#14661394)
I get that this is a nice jumping off point for a general condemnation of the security state, but in this specific case, the VISA waiver program is primarily intended for tourism and allows only very limited business use:
The common thread is that you can use it to receive awards, attend conferences, or meet with clients, but only if you do not receive any income for doing that. So something like an office all hands meeting is really a gray area -- you are being paid a salary to attend that all hands meeting. IANAL, but it doesn't seem like an extreme situation to say that this should require a regular B-1 VISA and not be covered under the visa waiver program.
Now you can argue that all hands should be covered, or that the VISA waiver laws should be changed, but reasonable people can disagree about this. I don't think the situation warrants current the level of outrage, or is a good poster boy for condemning bureaucrats wanting "control over our daily lives".
Also, the individual was not denied entry, he was denied a VISA waiver. He can still get the VISA and then enter. This is really something you need to check beforehand.
https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/BusinessVisa%20Pu...
The common thread is that you can use it to receive awards, attend conferences, or meet with clients, but only if you do not receive any income for doing that. So something like an office all hands meeting is really a gray area -- you are being paid a salary to attend that all hands meeting. IANAL, but it doesn't seem like an extreme situation to say that this should require a regular B-1 VISA and not be covered under the visa waiver program.
Now you can argue that all hands should be covered, or that the VISA waiver laws should be changed, but reasonable people can disagree about this. I don't think the situation warrants current the level of outrage, or is a good poster boy for condemning bureaucrats wanting "control over our daily lives".
Also, the individual was not denied entry, he was denied a VISA waiver. He can still get the VISA and then enter. This is really something you need to check beforehand.