Brits doing workamping ?? yes orno

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JETLAG

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Joined
Oct 29, 2013
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5
Location
France and UK
I would like to know if we Brits can come and play on the workamping idea. It has long been a dream to travel USA and the idea of buying an RV and working our way through the country seems like a really good idea, but I guess it won't be that easy.

Look forward to hearing your suggestions

Jetlag
 
Technically you cannot work while here on a tourist visa. That said, there are more than a few places where you can "volunteer" your services and receive a campsite in exchange.  That sort of arrangement is pretty common. But if you actually get paid as well, the emplyer is going to demand a US Social Security number or "taxpayer Id" equivalent. You can request a taxpayer Id from our Internal Revenue Service (the infamous "IRS"), but that raises the question of working while on a tourist visa. Maybe best to leave that stone unturned...
 
Hello Jetlag and welcome to The RV Forum. Any 'official' employer will require a social security number (our equivalent of a National Health Service number), which you can't get with a B1/B2 visitor (tourist or business) visa. I can't speak for any employment that pays cash under the table, but I'd be very careful about accepting such arrangements; It could get you (permanently) deported. Nothing stops you buying an RV here and traveling the country, but you can't work while here.

Gary raises an interesting option of having a free campsite (pitch) in exchange for hours worked at a campground. I wouldn't want to speculate on how many places would allow you to do that without them needing to report it.

Meanwhile, check this article in our forum library: Guide for Buying an RV in The USA.
 
Thank you for the info I did guess as much but worth the ask. Simply have to save more of the beer tokens before we set off on our adventure. I know its a little of a "how long is the piece of string" question to try and "guestimate" how may beer tokens we would need for a year to include food, fuel, tolls oops and beer and everything else so I guess the nearest would be to ask you how the cost of living compares to that in the UK.
 
The cost of living in the US is however much you want it to be. There are places you can camp for free and if you cook your own food your living expenses will be less than $100 per person per month. On the other hand there are RV parks that cost $1500 per month and if you have steak and lobster every night and do a lot of driving of the RV it will cost you thousands per month.

 
Clarifying Marsha's comment, B1/B2 visas are usually good for multiple entry over 10 years. However, the length of any single visit is usually limited to 6 months maximum. There are (legal) ways to extend a stay beyond 6 months, and these are discussed at length on our Visitors to the USA message board.

Meanwhile, be aware that entry using the ESTA (visa waiver) program will be limited to single entry and 3 months maximum, with no option to extend any single visit. This is also discussed on our Visitors to the USA board.
 
Over the years, between our visits in both directions across the Atlantic and friends/relatives visiting us here, we've seen relative prices flip flop numerous times. Overall, our perspective has been that prices here are lower than the UK for most things. We also don't have the painful VAT (is it still 20%?); Sales taxes vary by state, and can be anything from 0-10% (I'm sure someone will correct me on the absolute numbers, but they're not 20%).

Notwithstanding the above, UK family recently visiting Orlando for the Nth time commented that things are more expensive than they've been accustomed to. However, I put that down largely to the Mickey Mouse factor (i.e. anything related to, or located near, any Disney park is expensive).

Bottom line, Seilerbird gave a succinct answer: 

The cost of living in the US is however much you want it to be.
Click to expand...

There are probably more options here to do as he said.
 
Thanks all for your input I have quickly read the info regards 6 months stay with the option of visiting Canada and then re-entering USA as a way of extending the stay to beyond 12 months to avoid the import tax into Blighty.

Tom, not sure about the VAT in the UK as we have lived the last 8 years in sunny France running our gites (www.laancienneecolegites.com) but are now in the last stages of selling up here, going back to the UK to hopefully complete a sale on our house in the UK and then ...................WHOOSH. Such are the plans of mice and men, plans are coming together as they say.
In Canada, am I right to assume that the same rules will apply for us regards working etc.
 
Work?  Yes.  But there is no reason you could not volunteer as camp hosts for state park systems.  Since there is no money exchanged this would be the easiest way to camp for free in the USA.
 
A curiosity question. If the work-camper takes up one site...that's a loss of revenue for the CG owner.

Now how does he/she recoup that ? By labor supplied by the camper, of course.

There may be no green-backs exchanged but it will probably show up on their book-keeping. Who knows,

Remember there is no such thing as a free lunch.

  Slightly shady in my little mind. Anyone know ?

 
Most private operators pay for work. Whether you get a site as part of that pay is another matter.  While State parks, at least here your pay is the site and electricity.  And they have dedicated sites for their camp hosts.  It is not about making money to me, it is about having fun and living in some beautiful places for free.
 
In Canada, am I right to assume that the same rules will apply for us regards working etc.
Click to expand...

I don't know the answer, but maybe one of our Canadian-based members will jump in.
 
I have quickly read the info regards 6 months stay with the option of visiting Canada and then re-entering USA as a way of extending the stay to beyond 12 months to avoid the import tax into Blighty.
Click to expand...

Avoiding UK import tax might be one reason to extend your stay here, but I didn't realize you were planning to ship the RV across the Atlantic. Other reasons to extend the stay here include just not wanting to go back to the UK for an extended time, even if you're leaving or selling the RV here. There are also other ways of (legally) extending the stay besides making trips into Canada.

Meanwhile, lots of folks from South of the border don't worry about any of the legalities; They cross the Rio Grand in the middle of the night, run as fast as they can, and don't go home. If they get caught and have a free ride back to the border (from our Border Patrol), they just try again, and again, and again ... Eventually they make it undetected and find a farmer to hire them to pick crops in the fields.
 
I was going to ask about ecole, then guessed it must have been a village school at some time when I saw it in the picture, and confirmed it when reading the blurb.
 
    I am not a lawyer or border officer, but as far as I understand Canadian Laws, they are similar/identical to those being discussed about US laws/regulations, so you won't be able to work while here on a visitor's visa.  Having said that, who knows what changes will be forthcoming with the recently announced Canada/EU Free Trade Agreement, details of which have yet to be made public. 

Ed
 
The US IRS says that if the campsite is in exchange for labor, it is a barter-payment transaction and the value of the campsite is taxable.  But if the use of the campsite is provided "for the convenience of the employer", e.g. to have someone available onsite in case of emergency, it is not taxable. Thus a lot of room for interpretation concerning so-called "volunteer" positions. I won't even attempt to get into the various wrinkles that can come of that - that's what accountants and lawyers get paid for.

Many volunteer position in public parks are handled on this basis, including volunteers with the US Forest Service and other federal agencies.
 
I'd be very careful of providing or accepting any advice suggesting it might be OK (for visitors) to accept compensation of any kind for "working" in the U.S. All it would take would be an innocent reporting to the IRS, a flag goes up with the INS/USCIS, and the Brits' visitors' vacation could be permanently shortened. FWIW the IRS has a threshold of $600 before reporting is required, but I've been asked for a W-9 form for as little as $50. (A W-9 gives a payor the info they need for IRs reporting &/or backup witholding).

Separately, for many years the IRS has had a (self) reporting requirement for long-term visitors before they leave the U.S., although I've never seen or heard of it being enforced. Search this board for prior discussion of "sailing permit".

Bottom line, it's not worth risking the possibility of running afoul of the U.S. government in any of its forms.

Edit: Clarifications  in (parentheses).
 
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