Hi, I just have few questions.

Our AOS is pending rightnow. I know the fact that unauthorized working is against the law. How about baby sitting with a friend, is that ok? or still againts the law?
Just asking cause a filipina friend of mine wants my wife to baby sit her kinds for 2 hours at her house everyday while she doesnt have work and shes gonna pay her 10 bucks an hour, Is that ok?

Actually not.. but oh well.. I would not worry too much about it.

I actually wondered the same thing.

shes not working, but i gues i dont want want to risk it...I wont let her work, she didnt started yet/

I think somewhere on the USCIS hoe page is something that says "illegal work will be forgiven".. mean marriage based.

They cant get bothered about something they dont know;) and I mean its baby sitting...

Its techically not allowed, but practically there will likely be no consequences of her doing that.

It's babysitting - I don't see any problem at all with it, but that is just my opinion.

I think what some indicate *might* (notice I say MIGHT) have a problem with is she's being paid for it...so in one way it constitutes work. As some have said, it is generally forgiven. For us, we just didn't take the chance...my husband filed for his EAD. Got it in less than 90 days.

But your opinion does not the law make.. I'm sorry to be so blunt, but these sorts of posts make for confusing answers. It would lead the OP to think that there is no problem with it, when in fact it's paid labor he talking about and a non-USC needs employment authorization to do it.
I appreciate that you want to help and contribute, but weren't the previous replies enough to cause you to think 'hey, there just might BE a problem with this, regardless of what I think'?

Anyway, more 'not gospel', just my thoughts on the topic.

Jeez guys, we're talking about babysitting here. The chances of any issues being caused are around a million to one. How many babysitters do you know that signed I-9s before starting work? I'm laughing right now at the idea of ICE busting into some house to arrest someone for eating ice cream and watching a DVD while the kids slept upstairs.

Add to that, UCSIS doesn't care (or I should say, isn't legally allowed to care) if you worked illegally if you're married to a US citizen while adjudicating your AOS application.

I would rate the chances of being hit by a bus and killed tomorrow higher than the chances that doing a little babysitting without EAD causing any issues with your green card application.

Its illegal to receive money for services rendered, i.e. a job, so what the OP stated is technically illegal.

That being said, I think the odds of actually getting caught (unless the friend turns her in or something) working like that are somewhere around 0%.

Its illegal, but not really that big of a deal I dont think.

To be honest I'm still not convinced that working "illegally" is breaking any laws. The law is being broken by the employer, not the employee.

That said, when Mum and Dad pay all-American cheerleader Jennie to babysit the kids without getting her to sign an I-9 and prove her employment eligibility, or reporting her earnings to the IRS, that's technically illegal too. The point is, nobody cares.

People on this site sometimes get a little to wrapped up in the technicality legality of things, where a little common sense goes a long way.

Yes, working without authorization is illegal but unauthorized work is not a reason to deny AOS.

There is also the practical rule that states that work under $600.00 annually does not need to be reported.

So it really comes down to is it really work or is she doing her friend and favor and her friend is thanking her with a gift

If you ever dealt with unemployment THEY consider babysitting as employment and at times even not receiving any money for doing a "favor" is still considered employed. Would the 2 agencies use the same language of the law ........ maybe

Why would it be OK? It is employment - no different from being the CEO of IBM, except that the pay is not as good.

I agree