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The Workplace

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    The problem with freelancing while traveling the world is that most countries won't let you do that legally on a tourist visa, or be willing to give you a work visa. Lying to immigration about only doing touristy stuff while visiting and getting caught, will likely end with you being deported, banned from returning, and having to answer yes to questions like "have you ever been kicked out for violating immigration rules" which will make getting visas to almost anywhere else in the world much harder in the future. @amcdermott 's suggestion of looping back to your home country is much safer. Commented Jul 16, 2020 at 14:43
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    I have heard of people sailing around the world regularly flying home to work for 3-6 months, then flying back to their boat to keep going, to avoid that issue (or because they can't work remotely, like a nurse). Commented Jul 16, 2020 at 18:55
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    @DmitryGrigoryev - virolino suggested "...middle ground solution would be to do some freelancing while traveling..." @ Dan correctly pointed out that in many cases, you'd be in a country on a tourist visa which expressly forbids work. That's the illegality. The risk may be low (though people do get barred from places for digital nomad activities, you see stories sometimes), but the illegality remains. The open source idea is great, though -- you're not working, so you're not breaking any visa restrictions, it keeps the skills up to date, and builds profile for the work return. Win*3 :-) Commented Jul 17, 2020 at 10:04
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    @DmitryGrigoryev - I think Dan's flagging it up was entirely appropriate and useful to the OP. "Travelling" in this context implies visiting foreign countries, which you usually do on a tourist visa. And the OP specifically said "travel the world." Getting a work visa in most places is much, much, much more difficult than a tourist visa. Commented Jul 17, 2020 at 11:01
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    @DmitryGrigoryev As TJ said, digital nomadding as as suggested is typically illegal, has serious consequences if you're unfortunate enough to get caught at some point, and is often suggested by people naively unaware that there's anything wrong with doing it.. Immigration check points are probably the most likely point for that to happen either by admitting to doing it (by accident or in ignorance that it's illegal); or if a customs officer wants to see bank records for you to prove that you're funding the trip via savings and sees your work payment incoming. Commented Jul 17, 2020 at 13:36