Digital nomads want greater flexibility to travel and work remotely
iam Martin of Ottawa, Canada, couldn’t have looked more suspicious when he walked up to the Australian border agent wearing an Armani suit and an overstuffed backpacker rucksack. “So, this bag and your suit don’t make sense to me,” Martin recalls the agent saying. “How much money do you make?”, said that he was in Sydney to meet his business partner, the agent started asking questions. “Whoa, wait a minute,” Martin recalls the agent saying.
Some stay close to home or travel only for short periods. But for those moving from country to country for longer stretches, working while on a tourist visa is a legal gray area at best.from wealthy countries, digital nomads have typically done “border runs” to leave and re-enter a country if they wish to stay longer than their visa allows. They may face scrutiny from border agents—like Martin says he did—and if caught, they may face foreign income taxes, fines, or deportation.
. You’d opt-in for social safety benefits like healthcare, pensions, and income protection, and pay tax to the municipality where you’re based.