What You Can Do as a Business Visitor

Business visitors are allowed to engage in temporary non-productive business activities that don’t involve hands-on work. Examples include:

• Attending conferences or trade shows

• Participating in internal or client meetings

• Negotiating contracts

• Attending training sessions

What You Cannot Do

You cannot perform hands-on work or activities that would normally be done by a local employee. This includes:

• Doing productive work at a client site

• Giving day-to-day instructions to local staff

• Providing services that directly benefit the local entity

• Getting paid by a company in the country you're visiting

Temporary Nature of Your Trip

Business visitor travel must be temporary. Your trip should have:

• A clearly defined start and end date

• A specific agenda or itinerary

• No intent to stay beyond the approved duration

Proof That You're Returning Home

You may be asked to show ties to your home country. This helps show that you don’t intend to remain in the country you’re visiting. Proof of return may include:

• A residence abroad

• Ongoing employment with your home country employer

• Family or financial ties

Who’s Paying for the Trip?

Because work is not allowed, you should not be paid by a company in the host country. You may be asked to show how the trip is funded. Acceptable sources include:

• Your foreign employer (e.g., travel reimbursements)

• Personal funds

• In some cases, the inviting company may cover travel costs, but not wages

Be Ready to Answer These Questions at the Border

1. What is the purpose of your trip?

Keep it simple and avoid using the word “work.” Instead, say for example:

• “I’m attending a business meeting with our client, [name of client].”

• “I’m going to the Global Business Conference in [name of city] from May 2 to 6.”

You’re traveling on behalf of your employer abroad, and will bring back insights, learnings, or business updates—not doing hands-on work locally.

2. Who is your employer?

Your employer is the company that pays your salary and issues your tax forms. If you're employed through an Employer of Record (EOR) (e.g., Velocity Global), that’s your employer—not the client you’re staffed to.

• Example: If Velocity Global employs you and you’re assigned to Company A, your employer is Velocity Global.

3. What is your travel itinerary?

You may be asked to explain your schedule and purpose. Be specific and consistent with your travel documents.

• Know your travel dates

• Be prepared to show return flights and hotel bookings

• If attending a conference or meeting, ask for an invitation letter in advance

4. How are you being paid?

You should not receive any salary from a company in the country you're visiting. You may receive:

• A per diem

• Reimbursement from your employer abroad

• Coverage of travel costs (hotel, flights, etc.)

Additional Documentation to Carry

To support your entry, bring copies of the following:

• Passport with valid visa (if required)

• Invitation letter from host company

• Employment verification letter from your employer

• Return flight confirmation

• Hotel reservation

• Travel insurance (if applicable)

Previous Immigration or Legal Issues?

Best Practices

• Keep your answers short, truthful, and consistent with your documents

• Be polite and cooperative with immigration officers

• Do not volunteer extra information unless asked

• If you're unsure how to answer a question, it’s okay to say:

  • “Let me clarify—I’m not doing any work here. I’m just attending meetings on behalf of my employer abroad.”

Process: How to Request Your Employer Verification Letter

Before your trip, make sure you have the right documents to support your entry.

Step 1. Send a request to support@velocityglobal.com, requesting an employment verification letter to support your business travel.

The email request should include:

• Your travel dates

• A copy of the invitation letter from the company you'll be visiting

Velocity Global will issue a letter confirming your employment and support your entry as a business visitor.

Not Sure if You Qualify as a Business Visitor?