How to get paid while being in the US and while waiting for H-1B?

Question

I'm currently a contractor for a company in the US and I work remotely from Europe. This company is sponsoring me for H-1B.

This year I would like to travel very often to the US under WT status to see my girlfriend. I won't work while in the US, but I'll be using my Paid Time Off. It is my understanding that under WT status I cannot receive any money from a US company while I'm in the US, even if I'm not working.

If I get past the lottery, when my H-1B petition is processed or during the interview, is it possible that the officer could notice that I received money while I was in the US? In other words, what kind of investigation do they perform while checking my petition?

Now suppose that I want to spend February in the US and I'll be back in March. Something that I could do is to ask my company to hold the payments for February and then give me a double wage in March.

According to my understanding, this would be legally permitted, because I would receive money only while in Europe, but one might say that this is like cheating. Is it possible that an officer could interpret this as a cheat?

Answer 1

If you don't have other status (J-1, L, OPT etc) then you cannot work in the US, period. I would not attempt to do to - if USCIS/CBP/ICE/etc discover that you have been, the penalties are severe (I believe up to a lifetime ban, although I have no source for this). Regardless, it is not worth the risk, especially with the current environment regarding immigration. This includes volunteering for a position that others would be paid to do.

When you go through the border, the officer has authority to search you and all your possessions, this includes your laptop. You can be compelled to provide your password. They can do that, and find your pay stubs. I don't think they have access to tax records, but you never know.