Yep you have to be very careful in how you express your intent. I had a friend turned back because he said "the client pays me", when he actually meant "the cl

Yep you have to be very careful in how you express your intent. I had a friend turned back because he said "the client pays me", when he actually meant "the client pays my company, and my company pays me" (he had an incorporated 1-person company, not freelancer). When I was purely freelancer, I would say "I'm going to see a client, but it's only social, I'm not paid". Customs would frown, but let me pass. I've even had an agent argue "so you have nothing else to do on a weekday, and your work-friend either?" to which I said "yep, we're computer nerds", and he let me pass.