Attend a scientific, educational, professional, or business convention or conference
Settle an estate
Negotiate a contract
Not permitted include:
Study
Employment
Paid performances, or any professional performance before a paying audience
Arrival as a crewmember on a ship or aircraft
Work as foreign press, in radio, film, print journalism, or other information media
Permanent residence in the United States
Also on that official site, it says the permitted activities for visa-free (ESTA) are the same as B visas.
If someone is employed outside the US and comes to the US on behalf of their employer, and not paid for their services by any US entity, then it doesn’t matter what they do, as long as they leave when they are supposed to.
The US government actually doesn’t care who is paying for the work, what matters is if the work is taking place within the US, it requires a proper visa (or esta).
Im definitely not a lawyer, but here is a government link.
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/visitor.html
Permitted activities under b1 include
Not permitted include:
Also on that official site, it says the permitted activities for visa-free (ESTA) are the same as B visas.
The US government actually doesn’t care who is paying for the work, what matters is if the work is taking place within the US, it requires a proper visa (or esta).
Overseeing the construction of a facility and training of staff would be covered.
This is a reminder that no company or nation should trust the US or invest in the US. International boycott, global embargo. It’s the only way.