Volunteering in the US - please help!

Hi All,

I am a 23 y/o Canadian citizen and while I'm aware that I can be in the USA for up to 6 months without a visa, I'm looking for specific information regarding document requirements and the questions/inspection I can anticipate at the border on the day of my departure.

On August 3rd/09 I will be flying out of Buffalo to San Diego to volunteer with the non-profit organization, Invisible Children, through and until December 20th/09 when I will be returning via flight to Buffalo. They are NOT compensating me (other than providing me a place to sleep) by ANY means and I will have enough (though just barely) to uphold myself financially as well as health insurance. What should I bring with me to the border - aside from my passport - to ensure I get across? What do my chances realistically look like?

And, what kind of questions might I anticipate? I've never had a problem crossing before for short durations, but given the finances and dedication I've poured into this journey it'd be nice to rest easy knowing that my plight across goes smooth.

Any advice is appreciated, thanks!

Is this a service that a US Citizen can do? If you were not volunteering, would they be paying someone else to do this? Compensation is not always a factor, its more about my first two questions.

What is my concern. Are you displacing a USC by volunteering for this organization?

What is it your volunteering to do?

There is no cut and dry answer without knowing all the facts. Some volunteer work is allowed, but some is not. Did the Organization give you paperwork explaining what you will be doing and for how long? If so, bring it with you to the Border.

Hi There,

This IS work that a US citizen can do - in fact, many US citizens have been doing it over the organization's various volunteer terms and there will be many US citizens doing it alongside myself this term (as well as citizens from other countries). However, if I were not doing this they would NOT be paying someone else to do it - as a non-profit they do not pay ANYONE for their services spare a handful of staff members.

Specifically what I'll be doing is training in SD for a month, then driving around to various highschools in a designated region of America to give oral presentations to youth about the organization's cause and how they can transform their apathy into activism - no sales, no financial gain, just presentations. At the end of my term of visiting various highschools I will return to San Diego to unwind/debrief with my fellow volunteers and then return home.

I currently DON'T have paperwork stating my intent but can most certainly obtain it within a day or so. Your thoughts?

Obtain the paperwork. Without it i would most certainly refuse your entry. The paperwork should state what you will be doing and for how long. You can always call the Port, without leaving your name, and asking them what their policy is for volunteers. Some ports bend, some do not. Good luck.

Okay, I'll definitely contact the port. Thanks so much for your input.

Basically it boils down to if it's work that could be paid work, even though you don't get paid. In that situation you need some sort of work authorization.

I would suggest that you need work authorization. I think there is one specifically for volunteers, but I don't remember what it's called.

I recall a news article a year or 2 ago where a couple of Canadians were denied entry because they were going down south to volunteer and didn't have the correct visa.