Visas, immigration and house sitting abroad

Most of us think there’s nothing wrong with house sitting abroad because we’re not being paid, right? Wrong. Unpaid house and pet sitting is considered work in the USA, and that means the traveller must be authorised to work there if they want to house and pet sit without issue. Individuals entering the United States under the Visa Waiver Program are prohibited from receiving compensation (e.g. free accommodation/lodging) for services rendered (e.g providing live-in pet care, household chores). Legally speaking, visitor visa (B-1 and B-2) holders aren’t allowed to house and pet sit either.

UK Home Office has a similar view to US Customs and Border Protection, and told Reuters “house-sitting in the United Kingdom is considered a form of work and not permitted with a tourist visa”. That means foreign nationals wanting to house and pet sit anywhere within the UK also need work authorisation. Even countries with slightly more ‘relaxed’ immigration rules have turned foreigners away because they didn’t have a work visa to house sit.

If an immigration officer finds out you’re planning to house and pet sit on a tourist visa—or ESTA in the USA—you could end up being refused entry to the country you’ve secured a house sit in. Your tourist visa or visa waiver is likely to be cancelled on the spot, and you may be banned from re-entering that country. Being banned from one country has a flow-on effect for entry into other countries, and the ban could affect your ability to get a work visa or tourist visa elsewhere.

Remember: Don’t take TrustedHousesitters’ word for it when they say “we don’t regard house sitting as work”. TrustedHousesitters’ opinion of what does and doesn’t constitute work is irrelevant at the border, and house sitting is categorised as work in certain countries. If you’re still not sure about the visa requirements for house sitting, it might be worth consulting an immigration lawyer before agreeing to an international house sit through TrustedHousesitters.