A visitor from another country brings their foreign-registered drone to the US and is offered a paid photography job. Which statement is correct?

Why →Part 107 applies to the commercial operation of small unmanned aircraft in US airspace regardless of where the aircraft or operator originates. A foreign visitor conducting paid drone work in the US must meet the same requirements as a US operator: the flight must be conducted under a remote pilot certificate and the aircraft must be properly registered. There is no tourist exemption, and a foreign-issued license does not transfer automatically.

The trap →The tourist-exemption option appeals to the assumption that visitors get a pass on local rules, but US airspace rules apply to everyone flying in it. The foreign-license option assumes reciprocity that Part 107 does not grant.

Field note →The nationality of the pilot or the drone does not change the rule: if the flight happens in US airspace for compensation, Part 107 governs it. Foreign operators register through FAA DroneZone like anyone else.