Working at trade show in US

[sniffles3245]

What steps should I take (paperwork-wise) to work at a trade show in the US?
1. Employer is interested in hiring me to represent their product.
2. Contract work will be for a day or 2. Chances of more work in the future is good.
3. Compensation will not have deduction at source.

I don't see my profession in the TN requirements.

Is the H1 visa the next logical step?

Thanks

[agnelson]

If you were showing YOUR product ata US trade show, you could enter US on B1 business visitor, but the fact tha tyou are being hired bya US firm to do this precludes using B1.

Does showing the product really require a degree? If so, you could get them to sponsor H1 for you, but at $1000's of dollars and several weeks for approval, and it could NOT be contract work, you MUST be an employee for H1.

Looks like you are out of luck...

[Reba]

Yeah, not really any visa options for tradshow work.

[Steven]

I don't think there is any immigration category for this, H-1B requires the work to be specialized and it doesn't sound as though it is, it sounds like a regular sales position. As a regular B-1 visitor, you could enter on behalf of a Canadian (or Mexican) company to represent them at a trade show, take orders, etc.

Taxes in that situation (working for Canadian company) are simple because you'd have to be directly employed and you would be unlikely to hit the $10,000 limit so there would be nothing to do on the US end.

If you're working for a US company, regardless of the immigration situation, they have to withhold taxes, or you do. You can't just ignore the IRS.