[Nursie]

Yeah, I think she probably tripped over the no-work stuff. So you're a professional singer? Going to be doing any singing? You are, but you just said you're not going to be working over here...

There's really no need for the whole thing to be so damn Kafkaesque (shut in empty rooms, not told what's going on for hours), but in all likelihood that's more to do with the sheer incompetence of UK airport staff than any actual malice. And they really are incompetent.

I saw a fight break out in the passport line at heathrow airport one day, over a racist slur. I was amazed how far the staff let it go, they seemed compltely disinterested. In fact other civilians had to restrain the two fighters and the staff still did nothing until some of us started shouting "Aren't you going to get off your arses and bloody do anything?"

Useless bastards...

[wpietri]

I don't know how the UK does it, but the rule in Mexico is that people without work visas can't do anything people normally get paid for. I think that's to minimize shenanigans. "No, officer, I just wait tables here for fun. Nope, no pay. Why would they pay me?"

[theorique]

That seems to be a strange criterion.

The waiting tables example is "obvious", and while some activities are only compensated for a small elite (playing basketball, musical performance), there are a lot of activities that might be compensated and might not. Or be compensated indirectly.

For example, speaking at an academic or professional conference is "work", but it is probably not compensated (except possibly for a keynote or lead speaker). An author giving a book tour is work, but they are not getting paid for talks - instead, they may be "paid" in greater exposure for their work and possible increased sales.

[Nursie]

I know there are specific exemptions for some stuff in the UK - tech support is one of these. If you have sold hardware or software to a UK company, you're allowed to come into the country and fix it with no special visa. Anything other than directly fixing the problem would be considered consultancy and a visa violation.

There are some other exceptions but most work or work-like activities you'd need a visa of some sort for.

[unwind]

So if I go to Mexico, I can't code for fun on my laptop? I hope that's not the case.

[wpietri]

You can code for fun, but my understanding is you can't do it for a Mexican entity. E.g., if you're hanging out at cafe and say, "Hey, let me make a website for you guys," that would be illegal. Actual enforcement varies, of course.

[mynegation]

You can, but you should not be paid for that by Mexican company or individual

[seanmcdirmid]

I see how Heathrow's 4 hour immigration line could lead to this kind of thing. And if the staff (or UK government) really cared, they wouldn't have a 4 hour immigration line. Tip: never fly to Heathrow directly from outside the EU.

[trickaduu]

They are useless. The amount of times I was cursed at and asked if I had nothing better to be doing than checking up on my friend was ridiculous.