Reply to: Contract for foreign national

[Lumiere]

I have been on a client working on global projects and done a lot of travelling. They insist on buinsess visas, whatever the cost or delay. They have had more than enough problems with people getting stopped at customs with a suit and two laptops

As a British, try going to US on a business visa and saying to customs that you are about to do some development work there. You will be looking for the next flight to Heathrow in 5 minutes.

[Lumiere]

You're mad if you are considering working on a tourist visa.

If caught you'll be deported and receive a ban on entering the Schengen zone for up to ten years, hardly a way to run a business is it?

Working on a business visa is as illegal as working on a tourist one, but companies do it anyway. You can only have one visa at a time, if you happen to have a tourist one open already, you can't get a business visa in the same period.

Activities Suitable for the Business Visa Category

A 'regular business visitor' is defined as an individual who, despite living and working outside Germany, comes to Germany to:

attend meetings and briefings;

undertake negotiations;

conclude contracts with German businesses; or

buy goods.

All other possible business activities are not covered by a business visa and thus require a respective residence permit before they may be performed legally in Germany. These include the following:

training;

knowledge transfer;

production of goods;

provision of services; and

employment.

Business Visa Provisions Explained - International Law Office

[rurffy]

Ok thread closed.

Moving on ... Next time I will be more vigilant .Uk Only

Thanks all .

[MyUserName]

Is this thread still going?

You do not have the required visa to do the contract. Forget it and look for a different one unless the client has explicitly stated otherwise.

[northernladuk]

You're mad if you are considering working on a tourist visa.

If caught you'll be deported and receive a ban on entering the Schengen zone for up to ten years, hardly a way to run a business is it?

Am with this one I am afraid. I have been on a client working on global projects and done a lot of travelling. They insist on buinsess visas, whatever the cost or delay. They have had more than enough problems with people getting stopped at customs with a suit and two laptops. A quick check of the hotel booking shows the company name etc...

I don't think it is worth chancing getting canned just for the sake of the proper visa. If you can't get the proper visa don't go for the gig.

[stek]

Contract for foreign national

You're mad if you are considering working on a tourist visa.

If caught you'll be deported and receive a ban on entering the Schengen zone for up to ten years, hardly a way to run a business is it?

[rurffy]

Ok , from the few conversation here , i think i might have a chance - Btw i already got the contract ...its just the Germany thing that worries me. But now i think it would even be helpfull if i could get the visa on my own(that is the tourist thing as advised - I dont think going for business trips with tourist visa is illegal (Read on their site) )

However i will let the client know and see what they say - Hopefuly i will come back here to update you guys..

Thanks all..

[Wanderer]

I don´t see any problem, you don´t need a working visa for business trips.

That's what I was thinking too. It may be worth finding out exactly what to say in answer to the "What is the purpose of your visit" question though because if you get the answer wrong then it can cause hassles....

[BlasterBates]

I don´t see any problem, you don´t need a working visa for business trips. If you are employed by a UK company I don´t see that you have anything to worry about.

I used to work for a company which sent us all over the world, we mostly had tourist visas, because that was all you needed. I think on occasion we have overstayed our welcome because the planned 4 week stays went on and on and on. I remember flying to Japan to get my 3 month tourist visa in Korea renewed.

[Lumiere]

But they said occasional visit to the Germany site . They did not say I will be working in Germany for the whole contract ... My base is London .

The company is a Russian company - and I presume they will need work permit for their Russian employees aswell so it might not be difficult to provide one for me lol (just saying ...)

They most likely will be abusing business Schengen visas to ship people to Germany, shouldn't be hard to do it for you as well. Why don't you ask them, that should be something worth clarifying.

Alternatively you could get a 6-month tourist French visa, go for a weekend to Paris to activate it and then use it for business trips to Germany. You can only have one Schengen visa active at a time. But I foresee problems getting a next French visa if your travel log will show trips to Germany instead of France every week. Perhaps travelling by car/train via French border would be better.

[stek]

Ok thanks all for your opinion , let me give some more points ... The role is based in London . But they said occasional visit to the Germany site . They did not say I will be working in Germany for the whole contract ... My base is London .

And I am from Zimbabwe .

The company is a Russian company - and I presume they will need work permit for their Russian employees aswell so it might not be difficult to provide one for me lol (just saying ...)

I was interviewed along with 17 other people and I came out their best .. (Now you see why I think it might be possible ? )

But still , I'm alittle worried -

I think you are a little naive, you are a contractor not an employee, your company ie you need to sort out ur visa issues. U R NOT AN EMPLOYEE OF CLIENTCO...

RU OOO may well need WP for them but you are not employed by them.

Read the stickies, you are a bit out of your depth I fear...

Говориш ро-руский очен хорошо?

[northernladuk]

Ok thanks all for your opinion , let me give some more points ... The role is based in London . But they said occasional visit to the Germany site . They did not say I will be working in Germany for the whole contract ... My base is London .

And I am from Zimbabwe .

The company is a Russian company - and I presume they will need work permit for their Russian employees aswell so it might not be difficult to provide one for me lol (just saying ...)

I was interviewed along with 17 other people and I came out their best .. (Now you see why I think it might be possible ? )

But still , I'm alittle worried -

So is this for a permanent role as mentioned by Lumiere? What is the score working as a contract on your visa? Are you allowed to even work for the client let alone the travel?

Do you actually have the gig or are just the top of the pile but no offer yet?

[MyUserName]

Ok thanks all for your opinion , let me give some more points ... The role is based in London . But they said occasional visit to the Germany site . They did not say I will be working in Germany for the whole contract ... My base is London .

And I am from Zimbabwe .

The company is a Russian company - and I presume they will need work permit for their Russian employees aswell so it might not be difficult to provide one for me lol (just saying ...)

I was interviewed along with 17 other people and I came out their best .. (Now you see why I think it might be possible ? )

But still , I'm alittle worried -

Have you told the client that there might be a visa issue?

[rurffy]

Ok thanks all for your opinion , let me give some more points ... The role is based in London . But they said occasional visit to the Germany site . They did not say I will be working in Germany for the whole contract ... My base is London .

And I am from Zimbabwe .

The company is a Russian company - and I presume they will need work permit for their Russian employees aswell so it might not be difficult to provide one for me lol (just saying ...)

I was interviewed along with 17 other people and I came out their best .. (Now you see why I think it might be possible ? )

But still , I'm alittle worried -

[Lumiere]

First of all you are a permie if you are on a work permit since you can only get UK work permit from an employer you permanently work for. They can resell you to a number of clients, but that does not make you "a contractor".

Secondly, it is not rare for people in your position to work on projects in Europe (business visas organised by/with the help of the employer), but it is a grey area. Business visas only allow meetings etc., but not actually performing work. No one cares as far as I know as long as you are employed in the UK and the trips are for a few weeks or so.