# Declaring WOOFing and collectives at the border



## WanderLost Radical (Jun 18, 2016)

Just a short heads-up that if you plan on spending some time in WOOFs/workaways/collectives/communes/etc in the USA (or anything that offers you shelter/food/anything in exchange of work or just making your share of the chores is considerer work at the border. 

That means: if you're going to the states on anything else that a work visa, you might not want to mention at the customs that you're gonna be staying at one of these places!


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## Tony Pro (Jun 20, 2016)

They really should say this in big red letters on the Wwoof and HelpX homepages.
My fiancee once came to visit me in the UK, told customs we were gonna be doing HelpX, they told her she wasn't allowed into the country. She started crying so they let her in -- so clearly the rule isn't hard and fast. But still.
Some countries are coming to accept it as non-work, though. I believe Canada has an official policy to allow wwoofers in even though it technically falls under the definition of work. So if you're going to Canada, you're okay. And it's so rampantly popular in Aus and NZ, I'm sure it's no worries there too.
With other countries, you're kinda between a rock and a hard place. Lying to immigration officials is a terrible, shitty, potentially catastrophic idea. So I don't know whether or not I agree with your advice.


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## WanderLost Radical (Jun 28, 2016)

Tony Pro said:


> Lying to immigration officials is a terrible, shitty, potentially catastrophic idea. So I don't know whether or not I agree with your advice.



That's why I said to just not mention it. Like: if the officer asks you about your finances, don't go: Well I'll be WOOFing for 2 weeks so that'll cut my expenses


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## Tony Pro (Jun 29, 2016)

Carl Wander said:


> That's why I said to just not mention it. Like: if the officer asks you about your finances, don't go: Well I'll be WOOFing for 2 weeks so that'll cut my expenses


True, but he's probably gonna want to know where you'll be staying for that time, and how you'll be able to pay for accommodation.

NB I'm American so I don't know what they ask foreigners at the border; this is just what I've experienced in other countries.


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## WanderLost Radical (Jun 30, 2016)

Depeding on where it is (If it's plausible or not), just say you're gonna visit the city. And of course, you need to have the extra money to be able to afford hostels in that area


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