[oikjhgbpokj]

Even more difficult to go to the USA to hear a talk.

You can be invited to give a paper at an international conference and be allowed in no-problem. But is there is a workshop session where somebody is being paid to give the talk you can attend it without a student visa. And you can't get a student visa unless you are attending a school - workshop talks at conference don't apply.

Everyone from overseas who goes to a paid-for session at a conference is breaking the law.

[jrockway]

It's probably a good idea to back a bold assertion like this with a citation of some sort.

[_delirium]

I've never heard customs actually ask this level of detail; don't people just say they're attending an academic conference? Do they ask exactly how you'll be participating in the conference?

I can believe it'd make a difference in getting a visa from a non-visa-waiver country, though; having a talk on the schedule, and a letter of invitation from the organizers, can make the application go more smoothly.

[oikjhgbpokj]

Well you can always lie to immigration and do anything you like. The real problen is if you do come from a visa-waiver country - it is almost impossible to get a visa, because everybody uses the waiver that if you try and get a business visa to attend a conference they think you must be upto something