(no subject)

Happy birthday, parthenia!

Not, honestly, that I'm thinking of crossing the Atlantic in the near future

But having seen the reports of the recent hoohahs over people (tourists) falling foul of the rather curious definitions of 'work' under both US and Canadian immigration systems -

I'm thinking back over the years and heaving profound sighs of relief that well, maybe that was a less panicked time or something -

Because the only time I had to get A Very Special Visa because I was going to be receiving a Research Fellowship for a month was in 2007, and that was, in fact, the only time I was taken aside for further checking at O'Hare (token middle-aged white woman?). I was usually travelling on an ESTA to US and presumably did not need a visa for Canada -

And would have been Doing Research on several occasions either funded by an Institution over there or by some UK body, and on at least one occasion I was An Invited Speaker who was at least getting expenses for transatlantic travel if not an honorarium.

So as this was, however modestly, remunerated, would it count as WORK?

Even if, me being the curious hedjog I am, I might equally well designate it PLEASURE? (maybe not the invited speaker thing where they faffed me around mightily, but apart from that.)

I'm sort of wondering now how this has worked out for people I know who (actually, I'm not sure if they got them?) applied for Harry Ransom Fellowships in these days, because thirty+ years ago the whole thing as I recall was massively laid back as far as bureaucracy went. (I don't think they actually handed the dosh over in used notes, but it was not a matter of great complication.)