Ask HN: American web working abroad

Post by JFred » Wed, Apr 16, 2008, 2:55 PM UTC

People do this from all over. I have a friend here in Jerusalem who is a translator between Japanese and English. Having made many contacts when in Japan, all the work is now done over the web in an apartment in Jerusalem.

I do web development, but I find that meeting people over the web to do this is not easy. Anybody could be anywhere and trust is a problem. Some people have a talent for self promotion, and some don't. The web is loaded with self promoters and spammers. Standing out on the web is hard. Business tends to be about personal relationships and personal trust.

I observe that the people who make contacts on the web are very talented bloggers. Joel Spolsky and 37signals come to mind, also Raganwald. Oh, and of course P. Graham and ycombinator...

Post by astrec » Thu, Apr 17, 2008, 12:42 AM UTC

noodle wrote: post #9

astrec wrote: post #6

Are you going to be paid in the US? Or the other country? If the other country, you'll need a visa with work entitlements, and you'll want to fill in a U.S. Form 1040 when you file your taxes. Generally you won't be taxed twice. On the other hand, if you go somewhere on a tourist visa - say for 3 months - and get paid in the US, it's business as usual.

i'm looking at tourist visas and being paid entirely in the US. i'll probably maintain an official residence with my parents if i end up doing this.

Nice one. I've done exactly this 3 or 4 times without a problem. But,

a) Don't mention the word 'work' when passing through immigration.

b) Ensure you're carrying a credit card, and can produce evidence of a bankroll large enough to cover your entire stay.

c) Don't carry hardcopy docs e.g. functional specs, and bury email that mentions timelines in webmail or some such.

d) Think of the rest of us when you're hacking from a bungalow on Phi Phi Island.

All this sounds excessively cloak and dagger until you're in an interview room with some muppet pawing at your laptop.

Re: Ask HN: American web working abroad

Re: Ask HN: American web working abroad