H1B visa holder for Volunteer position

[rakzrakz]

I would like to know if I can join a volunteer position not for additional but for interest. For eg: I have very good interest in dough preparing, there's a near by store who does that and I wanted to do learn and understand how they do it. I am not expecting to be paid nor its going to be more than 2 hrs in week end.

Is it legal to take up above volunteer?, please let me know your thoughts - thanks Rakz

[adshah84]

You can not do volunteer work where similar work can paid to others. 

[xTDx]

Volunteering is generally permitted with some restrictions. You can volunteer your time unpaid for a nonprofit organization while you are on an H1B visa as long as the work you are doing would typically be performed by unpaid volunteers. So it seems to be illegal imo as the store is not a nonprofit organization and they are probably paying other people to prepare the dough. 

General rule is to stay away from such grey areas where the interpretation of the law is not quite clear.

Edited July 12, 2019 by xTDx