11 ms·

Ask HN: What visa do foreign YC founders use to stay in US beyond 3 months?

191 points by tophernash 11y ago

Is there a minimum funding they need to raise to qualify for a long term visa ?

yurisagalov 11y ago
Regardless of whether you're a YC founder or not, in general unless you're Canadian/Mexican and can qualify for a TN, or Australian and can qualify for an E-3, your only viable real option is an O-1 (Alien of Extraordinary ability). It's not an unachievable visa, and there are many founders who use it, but the requirements to demonstrate extraordinary ability are onerous. From USCIS: * Receipt of nationally or internationally recognized prizes or awards for excellence in the field of endeavor * Membership in associations in the field for which classification is sought which require outstanding achievements, as judged by recognized national or international experts in the field * Published material in professional or major trade publications, newspapers or other major media about the beneficiary and the beneficiary’s work in the field for which classification is sought * Original scientific, scholarly, or business-related contributions of major significance in the field * Authorship of scholarly articles in professional journals or other major media in the field for which classification is sought * A high salary or other remuneration for services as evidenced by contracts or other reliable evidence * Participation on a panel, or individually, as a judge of the work of others in the same or in a field of specialization allied to that field for which classification is sought * Employment in a critical or essential capacity for organizations and establishments that have a distinguished reputation Additional info on the O-1A can be found here: http://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/temporary-workers/o-1-visa-individuals-extraordinary-ability-or-achievement http://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/temporary-workers... I'm specifically ignoring H-1B as an option because it's only a viable option between April 1st and 5th of a given year, and the odds are very much stacked against you at this point (from a pure statistics perspective). There are a few other visas that may be an option, such as the investor visa (E-2), and intra-company transfer visa (L-1), but these are highly situation specific visas. Also, this is not legal advice, I'm not an immigration lawyer, and you really should talk to an immigration lawyer :)
- zkirill 11y ago
  I hear that O-1 review has become less favourable to founders over the last 1-2 years. TN is risky because you may be asked to prove that you are not employing yourself and that you can can be fired at any time by your boss. On top of that, you must be paid market wage or higher and not a "founder's salary". Another visa to consider is the E-2 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-2_visa https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-2_visa) if you have the financial resources or after you have raised some funding. This is not legal advice, consult an attorney.
  - graeme 11y ago
    >I hear that O-1 review has become less favourable to founders over the last 1-2 years. Is this because it wasn't intended for that purpose and the system is cracking down on founder's using it as such? I've looked into the O-1 based on the fact that I'm (legitimately) a top expert on a very niche field. If I ever move to the states I think it's my only possibility since I work for myself.
    - yurisagalov 11y ago
      From what immigration lawyers have described to me, USCIS is cracking down and making the requirements for an O-1 (And EB-1, by proxy) more strict. What they want is "objectively verifiable" evidence in the form of press, recognition, awards, earnings, etc. What they value much less now than they used to is famous people telling them how awesome you are (e.g. getting your famous investor to write you a letter is less valuable now). Their stance on this is that if you're as awesome as you say you are, there should be objective third party validation available. So in your case, since you are a very top expert in a very niche field, you should be able to produce objective verification from experts in the field, peer reviewed publications (or well regarded publications in the field), and so on. The good news is that the visa actually is designed for people like you :) Once again though: Talk to an immigration lawyer, this is not immigration advice, just things as I know them :)
      - graeme 11y ago
LukaAl 11y ago
If they are from a "treaty country"[1] they could apply for an E-2[2] investor Visa given that at least 50% of the company is owned by entities from the treaty country (easy at that stage) and you could demonstrate a substantial investment in the company (if you are after the prototype stage shouldn't be a problem for a good visa lawyer). On your specific question, from feedback of my lawyer, if they have invested (read: spent) more than 100K in the company they are good to go. No requirement on how much you have raised (but obviously at least 100K). So should't be a problem for a typical YC company. [1] http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/fees/treaty.html http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/fees/treaty.html [2] http://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/temporary-workers/e-2-treaty-investors http://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/temporary-workers...
- sparkzilla 11y ago
  Note that the $100K cannot include salaries to the founders. If you pay yourself $40K, then you would have to have raised $140K to be eligible for the visa.
- hkmurakami 11y ago
  Fwiw we had spent only about $50k by the time we got our E2 visas for my cofounders.
- hkmurakami 11y ago
  Having gone through this process, the stage at which you can apply for an E2 visa is after you have raised your Angel/Seed round. (to clear the 100k~300k bar. We talked to several people about this and the most commonly cited number was 300k investment, already residing in a US bank account) Note that if you have a founding team with mixed US-foreign residency and you have convertible notes involved, you may have to write a convincing letter of explanation to the embassy representative demonstrating why the convertible notes are effectively equity, and how the ownership breakdown would materialize under various "future funding event" scenarios.
  - LukaAl 11y ago
    > Having gone through this process, the stage at which you can apply for an E2 visa is after you have raised your Angel/Seed round. (to clear the 100k~300k bar. We talked to several people about this and the most commonly cited number was 300k investment, already residing in a US bank account) My experience on the process is that you have to demonstrate a commitment in the business through the money you spent. When we got the Visa we was in the process of raising our seed round and the money in the bank account were pretty low (but we've already invested). I've no experience on your point of mixed founding teams but there's something to be considered, when the percentage of ownership from foreign citizen goes under the 50% the E-2 Visa is no more valid. If you are already near the limit and you plan to raise in the US better save money and check other solutions (e.g: H1B, J1, O1). Anyway, better to have a Visa Lawyer assisting you, the only important information is that there are a lot of opportunity.
surfmike 11y ago
I've had two cofounder friends (both non-American) who sponsored each others' H1B. Seems like a loophole but it seemed to work :)
- werber 11y ago
  Are they from different countries?
- sinatra 11y ago
  Considering H1B visa only allows you to work for the company that sponsored your visa, what you're describing sounds illegal, not just a loophole. I'm not saying they shouldn't do so. And I'm also not saying anything about whether the H1B requirements make any sense. I'm just saying that hopefully they're aware that what they're doing is illegal and may hurt their companies at any moment.
  - Joky 11y ago
    H1B is transferrable any time, even before you start working for the company that sponsored it.
    - sinatra 11y ago
      I'd imagine transferring H1B to your own company will have the same issues that applying H1B for your own company will.
  - surfmike 11y ago
    They were co-founders of the same company.
- yurisagalov 11y ago
  Talk to an immigration lawyer before you try this. The H-1B visa was clarified to allow for founder sponsorship, assuming you can demonstrate an employer-employee relationship. To demonstrate an employer-employee relationship you need to be able to show that you can be fired from your company, which is difficult to show if you're the only two founders on the board, and you each own 50% of the company. I'm not saying it's impossible, but you really want to make sure you talk to a immigraiton lawyer before you try this. And in either case, H-1B visas are very difficult to get at this point :)
maccman 11y ago
I wrote a long guide about this a while back. http://blog.sourcing.io/visa-guide http://blog.sourcing.io/visa-guide
- haje 11y ago
  Awesome, thank you!
Finbarr 11y ago
If you have been running your company for a year or more outside of the US, you may have some luck with the L-1 Visa for intra-company transfer[1]. The visa is for managers/executives who are coming to the US to work for a US arm of a foreign company. Seems like it can be used for establishing US based offices as well. [1] http://www.uscis.gov/eir/visa-guide/l-1-intracompany-transferee/understanding-l-1-requirements http://www.uscis.gov/eir/visa-guide/l-1-intracompany-transfe...
- sparkzilla 11y ago
  I was on this visa. You must have been running the business in your home country for at least one year, and you must continue to keep the business running in your home country while you are in the U.S. (The U.S. office is supposed to be a branch). You also need sufficient funds (at least $100K, but $150K is safer). However once you get it, you can renew it for up to seven years, and, unlike the E-2, it has a path to getting a green card
  - Finbarr 11y ago
    Seems ideal for certain circumstances, e.g., with a remote dev team in your home country.
  - aytekin 11y ago
    The downside is you have to renew it every year. Costly if the lawyer does it and too much waste of time. With E2, you get it for 5 years and no more paperwork every year. Then you renew it for another 5 years.
    - sparkzilla 11y ago
      Renewal is every two years.
  - braindead_in 11y ago
    How long did the L1 application take for you? I filed my petition 2 months ago and am still waiting to hear back from USCIS. Keeping my fingers crossed; 50-50 chance that it'll be approved I guess.
haje 11y ago
It's an extremely good idea to lawyer up sooner rather than later, because visas are a huge pain in the backside, and getting it wrong can end up causing a lot of cost and stress. I was lucky; my wife is from the US, and we've been married for longer than 2 years, which is the magical combination that makes it a lot easier - although obviously, that isn't particularly helpful if you aren't / aren't planning to get married to an US citizen.
dsavinkov 11y ago
I agree, that without a lawyer it's almost impossible. In my case, I applied for L1 visa. Initial investment was around 50k.
dotBen 11y ago
Technically it isn't clear what visa foreign YC founders should use to stay in the US during the 3 months. Visa waiver[0] only allows for meetings, attending a conference, attend short-term unpaid training or negotiate a contract. Anything that really is 'working' - such as performing software engineering for a company (even your own) - is arguably outside of the visa waiver. I'm assuming YC doesn't want founders to be outside of the law so I'm curious what their legal advisors have advised them. [0]http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/visit/visa-waiver-program.html http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/visit/visa-waiver-p...
- hugh4 11y ago
  If challenged I would stick it under "negotiating a contract". "Yes, I am negotiating a contract for investment. The work I am doing is part of the negotiation"
  - dotBen 11y ago
    I wouldn't. Why would you have paperwork to be in the US for 3 months to 'negotiate a contract'. Its a serious crime to lie or misrepresent to a Federal DHS Officer
    - hugh4 11y ago
      I'm not suggesting lying, I'm suggesting using a broad definition of "negotiating"
      - dotBen 11y ago
        yeah, I don't think you've had a lot of interactions with Dept Homeland Security.
  - 15155 11y ago
    Federal Judge: "Can I see which specific individual or entity has expressed intent to invest? Oh, there isn't one.. yet? Goodbye!"
  - deleted 11y ago
peterjlee 11y ago
I heard about a seed fund for foreign founders that will invest by hiring the founders and paying them salaries while sponsoring the founders' visa. So the salary is basically the seed fund. I can't remember their name so I'm not sure if they're still around or if it's even legal but I thought the idea was cool. Maybe YC can look into something like that? EDIT: found it. https://angel.co/unshackled https://angel.co/unshackled
- mananm 11y ago
  We are very much around. Hope to help more immigrants build great companies in the U.S.
sprite 11y ago
If you can afford it EB-5 is probably the most straightforward one, but it still takes forever. If you started the process now you probably won't have your visa for 2 years.
titomc 11y ago
US immigration system is broken & is a joke. H1B "skilled" visas are based on your luck (lottery) and not on your skills (surprise). They change the rules every now and then and its a nightmare to be on H1B worrying whether you are in legal status and the fear of being deported. Now LCA is not enough to change your work location. H1B amendment is needed which is another nightmare. You can go for an investor visa option but it has it own quirks. With the current immigration system, foreign investors or founders should exercise a lot of caution as far the immigration system of US is concerned.
- garethsprice 11y ago
  Not sure why this is getting downvoted, as someone who came into the US under an E-2 visa I can attest that the system is horribly flawed* & foreign investors/founders definitely should exercise extreme caution. * - for example, rules of the E-2 state you have to invest your capital, then apply for the visa, which may or may not be granted. If you do it 100% by the book you also have to leave the country while it's under consideration (and leave your investment to run itself). They don't give any guidelines for specific dollar amounts. It then has to be renewed every 2-5 years (again, arbitrary decision) and does not lead to any permanent residency. It's a mess and I would not recommend it as a long term path to living in the US.
- anigbrowl 11y ago
  It's not so much broken as designed to fail for political reasons.
rachellaw 11y ago
I have an O-1 visa, it's not impossible and it's a great visa to have since you can reuse the same documents for your initial application for subsequent renewal. The key is to get as many peer references you can get in your industry. While getting letters from your advisers and investors is great, it's a common mistake to ONLY do people in your startup. You want to get recommendations from your previous employers and also academics who write about the industry you're in to justify your extraordinary ability. You don't want to put "founder" in your application (unless you're IPO'ed), you want to put "founder + professional skill". The reason is that an O-1 is really meant for talent or skilled professionals. Being a founder is not necessarily a skill, it's just an indication that you've started a company. By applying as a founder, you miss the main purpose of the visa and that gets your application rejected. edit: not a YC founder, just a founder.
postila 11y ago
O-1 w/o lawyer is not only impossible, it's the way I recommend to everyone who already achieved smth in homeland country. I received O-1 visa in February 2015 and I did it without lawyer. After I id it, I helped a couple of my friends and they received O-1 as well. Again, without lawyers. All you need is: 1) learn USCIS docs (law itself and directions on the official site) 2) learn as many examples as possible (in my case I found some "DIY O-1 visa" zip in the internet and bought it – it was smth like $150, and although it didn't contain examples from tech, it helped a lot to get proper understanding) 3) examine all your professional life and recall all possible achievements. It cannot take 1 week or so. It should take at least month – because otherwise there is a chance that you miss something that could improve your application. I have now a deep belief that lawyers in case of O-1 can be really helpful only to those founders who are too lazy. No lawyer will do the most important work on O-1 application for you: it's you who should recall your achievements (prizes, your articles, articles about your and your project, etc), it's YOU who should ask YOUR connection for reference letters, and so on. In many cases lawyers even can be a reason of failure of application: for example, they can miss something important in writing reference letter for you, or even make some fact errors. Or even worse, they can be reason of delay in delivering RFE response from USCIS to you, what can automatically lead to failed application since you then have no time to prepare a good answer. (All examples I mention here are from the real life...) So my advice – don't be afraid to DIY, save $3-8k (SF lawyers' prices for O-1), learn the law and examples and DIY! Yes, this process is not really simple but it's definitely doable, and since nobody know your life better than you, nobody can prepare O-1 application better than you. Of course here I should place disclaimer that I'm now professional lawyer and cannot give professional advice in legal areas:) And don't forget that for O-1 you should have a company that will hire you (actually in terms of law, it's the company who officially files the application for you -- the company is a petitioner in this process) – this may be the most difficult point for those who work for themselves. A couple of additional comments: - RFE process ("request for evidence" – when USCIS asks you to provide more information) always occurs, and you should carefully read eveyr USCIS's comment and respond to every comment very clear, this is the key of success. - Once you file your application, if you're in US on your B1/B2 and don't go outside, you receive "pending" status which means that now you're purpose of stay changed and if it is needed, you are able to stay in the country more than the stamp in your passport indicates – you can stay until USCIS's decision on your application. And when you get RFE answer from USCIS, they give you a couple of months to prepare your response. So technically you can enter on B1/B2 and stay more than 6 months without breaking of any law. I stayed 7 months and it is ok (however, on my next travel to US, I had to wait for additional "clearance" checks in JFK – but it took 15 minutes or so). - Visa != status. Visa is used only for entrance. You can enter on B1/B2, then get O-1 status and live on it. But once you leave US, you cannot return to the US. Because you need visa (stamp in your passport) which can be made only by US embassies outside the US. So you should go to US embassy in your country and get O1 visa (based on USCIS decision made previously – but be aware that here, once again, additional "clearance" checks can wait you). Hope it will help somebody. I wish good luck for those who try to DIY O-1 visa. In case you do it, it's a double-victory!
adrianmacneil 11y ago
Since no one has pointed it out yet, I'll also mention the Diversity Visa (a.k.a. Green Card lottery). This allows you to gain permanent residence in the US (if you are eligible). It opens every year in October, and is free to apply. There are lots of scam sites that will offer to enter you in the lottery for payment, but you can do it free here: https://www.dvlottery.state.gov/ https://www.dvlottery.state.gov/ If you get accepted, it takes around 18 months from entering the lottery to actually entering the US, so you have to not be in a hurry. The allocation of visas is quite odd, a bunch of countries are not eligible to enter (including UK, Canada, Mexico). Other countries have different quotas based on their region. As a result, those applying from Australia/NZ have a much higher chance of winning than those applying from Europe or Africa.
- jacques_chester 11y ago
  > The allocation of visas is quite odd It's based on a formula. Regions which saw fewer immigrants are granted more visas. Because Australians have access to the E-3 visa, relatively few of us who live and work in the USA become immigrants for the purpose of the Diversity Lottery calculations.
car 11y ago
According to my lawyer, the funding amount for an E2-visa has to be appropriate for the planned business. So no clear minimum, but the ultimate decision is in the hands of the official who reviews the application.
raymondgh 11y ago
This is a question I've seen asked so many times. The answers are always long and varied. I'd wager it's been this way for much longer than I've known. Is it because of unpredictable legal changes, or is it really just an underserved need? Or something else?
pySSK 11y ago
An L1 Visa is a cheap and easy option. It provides a relatively straightforward path to permanent residency as well.
Void_ 11y ago
Is the 3 months in the US while working on your OWN company legal? What do you tell the immigration cop if they ask you if you're going to work in the US? Would you explain that you're going to work on your own company? Would they accept it? Or would you just say you're going for a vacation?
- dirkdk 11y ago
  working on your US company, or your foreign company, is not allowed when you visit the US on a visa waiver. You are allowed to represent your foreign company, look for partners/customers, do marketing, visit conferences etc. But not be "productive"
  - alexro 11y ago
    If I write open-source code while on the tourist trip to the US does it count as 'working'? I understand you're not giving advice, just curious
    - tricolon 11y ago
      Doing anything for which one would normally expect to be remunerated counts as work. If you volunteer for a project for which no one is paid and will not be paid (and no one ever expects to be paid), that's not work. But "working for free" is work and so is volunteering if others in a similar role are paid. At least that's how it's been explained to me.
- hpagey 11y ago
  So, you can own a company in US but you CANNOT work for it without proper work authorization ( H1B, EAD, OPT, CPT) etc etc. How would you prove that you won't work for your own company? You will also need to prove employer - employee relationship. What is an "immigration cop" ? Are you referring to the Visa Officer at the US consulate who is granting you the visa or the immigration officer the port of entry ?
adenot 11y ago
Although the visa discussion in this thread is healthy, nobody has yet answered the question. OP wants to know what visa do founders currently use, not available options.
- adrianmacneil 11y ago
  The top comment in this thread is pretty accurate. Most founders (YC and other) I know came on a visa waiver originally, and moved to an O1 visa to stay long term.
- ahmeni 11y ago
  Blindly following what other people have done for a situation rather than the appropriate path for your country/status/education/etc. is a fantastic way to get deported or denied entry. OP should consider himself lucky for the contextual information rather than a stats dump.
zallarak 11y ago
Hopefully someone from the government is reading this, and realizes it's time to simplify this bureaucratic process.
schappim 11y ago
For the Australians in the audience... Geoff McQueen has made an awesome "How to"[1] on getting an E3 Visa. Quite a few Australian Startmate[2] founders have done this. [1] http://geoffmcqueen.com/2011/09/28/e-3-visa-for-australians-how-to/ http://geoffmcqueen.com/2011/09/28/e-3-visa-for-australians-... [2] http://www.startmate.com.au http://www.startmate.com.au
Pyxl101 11y ago
What would be the downside of allowing anyone to immigrate to a country as long as they have qualified employment with compensation greater than a certain amount per year? (Let's say $75k or $100k or whatever makes a person an obvious net-bonus to society rather than net loss.) They can stay on that visa as long as they retain employment with any firm for that amount. If a person has demonstrated merit justifying a six figure job, why prevent them from entering your country and staying? They'll be a net win for your economy. It seems like this would solve a lot of immigration problems in high-skill fields. I'm not saying we should casually make this possible without deep thought, but as an immigration idea it seems appealing to me. Simplify the system and reduce it to an issue of whether the person can pull their weight. I suppose the downside is that any rich person who owns a company can allow virtually anyone they want to immigrate, as a "fake employee" of the firm. There should be oversight. Full time employment required, and proof of compensation in the way of wages, IRS review. I suppose it wouldn't help YC founders. Maybe another visa for founders of companies that have raised above a certain minimum amount, above a certain valuation? (I haven't settled how I feel about immigration, so please don't take this as a statement of my stance one way or another. Just seems like a neat idea to explore.)
- adrianmacneil 11y ago
  Continuing your thought experiment, why stop at people with a high paying job offer? What would be wrong with allowing anyone to move anywhere and stay as long as they please, provided that they pay their taxes and don't break any laws. To put it in perspective, I've never heard anyone complain about people from other states moving to California and taking jobs from people who were born here, so why should we be so concerned about people moving from other countries?
- netheril96 11y ago
  For one, many locals will oppose it because the influx of additional workers may lower their compensation due to increased competition.
alexro 11y ago
So, after reading all of the comments and some of the links and not being a lawyer, nor YC founder and residing outside of the US and just been there once on B1... The plan: * get to the US first on B1, quite easy to get and relatively applicable for YC * while there, set up a US company and open a branch in your own country and make it to employ you officially * continue to investigate your options and if young file for J1 (internship) or if older file for O1 (achievements) with references from other founders/VCs * don't mess with H1B * worst case scenario if you didn't apply for other kinds of VISA - leave the US and come back periodically on B1 if need be and continue to be employed in your home country by a branch of your company in the US. after a year or so apply for L1 (inter-company transfer) which is almost automatic to get and allows the spouse to work too.
- adrianbg 11y ago
  http://unshackled.co/ http://unshackled.co/ is working pretty well for me. YC's attitude toward foreign founders didn't inspire much confidence.
mananm 11y ago
Hope this doesn't sound like a shameless plug, but this topic is really why Unshackled exists and why we are on a mission to enable as many immigrant founded companies in the US as we can. As one of the founding partners of Unshackled (www.unshackled.co) I hope that we've been able to help immigrant founders build towards their dreams. It's still early, but in the past 7 months, we've supported 30 founders, across 13 teams, secured sponsorships of 5 different visa types and are working on 2 more (cap-exempt H1-B and H4 EAD). We are optimistic our model is good for teams with immigrant founders. Our next application closes on Oct 23 and hope that we can continue to support the best our country attracts. More on our structure can be found here: http://unshackled.co/a-bigger-and-stronger-unshackled-is-here/ http://unshackled.co/a-bigger-and-stronger-unshackled-is-her...
- canttestthis 11y ago
  Could you elaborate on the visa types you use?
- mikekchar 11y ago
  This may be a stupid question, but why are people so keen to work in their start up in the US? My background is IT, so perhaps that colours my perception, but I can't actually see comparative value for working in the US. Of course you can create a US company. You can travel to the US to make connections and try to raise money, but for actually doing the work, the US seems like a pretty poor choice. Salaries are higher than pretty much anywhere else on earth. There is a shortage of good talent. Real Estate is expensive. Visas for foreign workers are practically impossible. Obviously, some people live in countries where the infrastructure is not set up to really be successful. But there are lots of easier countries to start a business in (and get a visa) than the US. Is there something I'm missing, or are people just buying into the "American dream" thing and assuming that they will be successful in the US?
HistoryInAction 11y ago
Yeah, take a look at the USCIS Visa Guide: http://www.uscis.gov/eir/visa-guide/ http://www.uscis.gov/eir/visa-guide/ There are lots of different options and none are all that good a fit for founders. If you've got a year advance notice, you can set things up for the L-1. If you've got the ability to generate old media press and can raise $500k (rule of thumb), then O-1 is a good fit. If you're from the right country with $50k-150k, then E-2. If you're from Australia, E-3. For the O-1 in particular, the three criteria we tend to use are media coverage, mentorship/conferences, and high salary for those who have been employed previously to becoming entrepreneurs. YC asked the White House to make some tweaks to the O-1 to be a more straightforward path for founders, but the White House went in a different direction with something yet to be announced. We have the Global EIR program which might be of assistance. Our flagship program in Boston: http://masstech.org/innovation-institute/projects-and-initiatives/global-entrepreneur-residence-pilot-program http://masstech.org/innovation-institute/projects-and-initia... We have a pathway that takes advantage of cap-exemptions built into the H-1B program and partnerships with universities. It's pretty straightforward, and in exchange for a few months of part-time work, you'll draw a runway-extending salary and be sponsored for a work visa, after which you'll have a visa runway to raise capital more easily and then switch over to 100% startup time. www.globaleir.org will have more in a short while.
- mananm 11y ago
  We've partnered with UMass to scale the Global EIR program -- https://www.umb.edu/news/detail/unshackled_and_global_entrepreneur_in_residence_program_partner_to_serve_im https://www.umb.edu/news/detail/unshackled_and_global_entrep...
rrecuero 11y ago
I started a previous company on F-1. If you graduate from a STEM degree, you have 12 months of OPT + a 17 month extension (under review). So you have 2 years and a half to create something valuable enough so you can sponsor your H1B (which I did)
ottoid 11y ago
B1/B2 visas are for business and pleasure - so I could see that working for you at the local interview. I believe B1 is pleasure and B2 is business or vice-versa. IANAL but I would recommend having a good source of funding and having an incorporated company and not having taken any kinds of exams such as TOEFL or SAT etc.

191 points by tophernash 11y ago

Is there a minimum funding they need to raise to qualify for a long term visa ?

Regardless of whether you're a YC founder or not, in general unless you're Canadian/Mexican and can qualify for a TN, or Australian and can qualify for an E-3, your only viable real option is an O-1 (Alien of Extraordinary ability). It's not an unachievable visa, and there are many founders who use it, but the requirements to demonstrate extraordinary ability are onerous. From USCIS: * Receipt of nationally or internationally recognized prizes or awards for excellence in the field of endeavor * Membership in associations in the field for which classification is sought which require outstanding achievements, as judged by recognized national or international experts in the field * Published material in professional or major trade publications, newspapers or other major media about the beneficiary and the beneficiary’s work in the field for which classification is sought * Original scientific, scholarly, or business-related contributions of major significance in the field * Authorship of scholarly articles in professional journals or other major media in the field for which classification is sought * A high salary or other remuneration for services as evidenced by contracts or other reliable evidence * Participation on a panel, or individually, as a judge of the work of others in the same or in a field of specialization allied to that field for which classification is sought * Employment in a critical or essential capacity for organizations and establishments that have a distinguished reputation Additional info on the O-1A can be found here: http://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/temporary-workers/o-1-visa-individuals-extraordinary-ability-or-achievement http://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/temporary-workers... I'm specifically ignoring H-1B as an option because it's only a viable option between April 1st and 5th of a given year, and the odds are very much stacked against you at this point (from a pure statistics perspective). There are a few other visas that may be an option, such as the investor visa (E-2), and intra-company transfer visa (L-1), but these are highly situation specific visas. Also, this is not legal advice, I'm not an immigration lawyer, and you really should talk to an immigration lawyer :)

zkirill 11y ago
I hear that O-1 review has become less favourable to founders over the last 1-2 years. TN is risky because you may be asked to prove that you are not employing yourself and that you can can be fired at any time by your boss. On top of that, you must be paid market wage or higher and not a "founder's salary". Another visa to consider is the E-2 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-2_visa https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-2_visa) if you have the financial resources or after you have raised some funding. This is not legal advice, consult an attorney.
- graeme 11y ago
  >I hear that O-1 review has become less favourable to founders over the last 1-2 years. Is this because it wasn't intended for that purpose and the system is cracking down on founder's using it as such? I've looked into the O-1 based on the fact that I'm (legitimately) a top expert on a very niche field. If I ever move to the states I think it's my only possibility since I work for myself.
  - yurisagalov 11y ago
    From what immigration lawyers have described to me, USCIS is cracking down and making the requirements for an O-1 (And EB-1, by proxy) more strict. What they want is "objectively verifiable" evidence in the form of press, recognition, awards, earnings, etc. What they value much less now than they used to is famous people telling them how awesome you are (e.g. getting your famous investor to write you a letter is less valuable now). Their stance on this is that if you're as awesome as you say you are, there should be objective third party validation available. So in your case, since you are a very top expert in a very niche field, you should be able to produce objective verification from experts in the field, peer reviewed publications (or well regarded publications in the field), and so on. The good news is that the visa actually is designed for people like you :) Once again though: Talk to an immigration lawyer, this is not immigration advice, just things as I know them :)
    - graeme 11y ago

LukaAl 11y ago

If they are from a "treaty country"[1] they could apply for an E-2[2] investor Visa given that at least 50% of the company is owned by entities from the treaty country (easy at that stage) and you could demonstrate a substantial investment in the company (if you are after the prototype stage shouldn't be a problem for a good visa lawyer). On your specific question, from feedback of my lawyer, if they have invested (read: spent) more than 100K in the company they are good to go. No requirement on how much you have raised (but obviously at least 100K). So should't be a problem for a typical YC company. [1] http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/fees/treaty.html http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/fees/treaty.html [2] http://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/temporary-workers/e-2-treaty-investors http://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/temporary-workers...

sparkzilla 11y ago
Note that the $100K cannot include salaries to the founders. If you pay yourself $40K, then you would have to have raised $140K to be eligible for the visa.
hkmurakami 11y ago
Fwiw we had spent only about $50k by the time we got our E2 visas for my cofounders.
hkmurakami 11y ago
Having gone through this process, the stage at which you can apply for an E2 visa is after you have raised your Angel/Seed round. (to clear the 100k~300k bar. We talked to several people about this and the most commonly cited number was 300k investment, already residing in a US bank account) Note that if you have a founding team with mixed US-foreign residency and you have convertible notes involved, you may have to write a convincing letter of explanation to the embassy representative demonstrating why the convertible notes are effectively equity, and how the ownership breakdown would materialize under various "future funding event" scenarios.
- LukaAl 11y ago
  > Having gone through this process, the stage at which you can apply for an E2 visa is after you have raised your Angel/Seed round. (to clear the 100k~300k bar. We talked to several people about this and the most commonly cited number was 300k investment, already residing in a US bank account) My experience on the process is that you have to demonstrate a commitment in the business through the money you spent. When we got the Visa we was in the process of raising our seed round and the money in the bank account were pretty low (but we've already invested). I've no experience on your point of mixed founding teams but there's something to be considered, when the percentage of ownership from foreign citizen goes under the 50% the E-2 Visa is no more valid. If you are already near the limit and you plan to raise in the US better save money and check other solutions (e.g: H1B, J1, O1). Anyway, better to have a Visa Lawyer assisting you, the only important information is that there are a lot of opportunity.

surfmike 11y ago

I've had two cofounder friends (both non-American) who sponsored each others' H1B. Seems like a loophole but it seemed to work :)

werber 11y ago
Are they from different countries?
sinatra 11y ago
Considering H1B visa only allows you to work for the company that sponsored your visa, what you're describing sounds illegal, not just a loophole. I'm not saying they shouldn't do so. And I'm also not saying anything about whether the H1B requirements make any sense. I'm just saying that hopefully they're aware that what they're doing is illegal and may hurt their companies at any moment.
- Joky 11y ago
  H1B is transferrable any time, even before you start working for the company that sponsored it.
  - sinatra 11y ago
    I'd imagine transferring H1B to your own company will have the same issues that applying H1B for your own company will.
- surfmike 11y ago
  They were co-founders of the same company.
yurisagalov 11y ago
Talk to an immigration lawyer before you try this. The H-1B visa was clarified to allow for founder sponsorship, assuming you can demonstrate an employer-employee relationship. To demonstrate an employer-employee relationship you need to be able to show that you can be fired from your company, which is difficult to show if you're the only two founders on the board, and you each own 50% of the company. I'm not saying it's impossible, but you really want to make sure you talk to a immigraiton lawyer before you try this. And in either case, H-1B visas are very difficult to get at this point :)

maccman 11y ago

I wrote a long guide about this a while back. http://blog.sourcing.io/visa-guide http://blog.sourcing.io/visa-guide

haje 11y ago
Awesome, thank you!

Finbarr 11y ago

If you have been running your company for a year or more outside of the US, you may have some luck with the L-1 Visa for intra-company transfer[1]. The visa is for managers/executives who are coming to the US to work for a US arm of a foreign company. Seems like it can be used for establishing US based offices as well. [1] http://www.uscis.gov/eir/visa-guide/l-1-intracompany-transferee/understanding-l-1-requirements http://www.uscis.gov/eir/visa-guide/l-1-intracompany-transfe...

sparkzilla 11y ago
I was on this visa. You must have been running the business in your home country for at least one year, and you must continue to keep the business running in your home country while you are in the U.S. (The U.S. office is supposed to be a branch). You also need sufficient funds (at least $100K, but $150K is safer). However once you get it, you can renew it for up to seven years, and, unlike the E-2, it has a path to getting a green card
- Finbarr 11y ago
  Seems ideal for certain circumstances, e.g., with a remote dev team in your home country.
- aytekin 11y ago
  The downside is you have to renew it every year. Costly if the lawyer does it and too much waste of time. With E2, you get it for 5 years and no more paperwork every year. Then you renew it for another 5 years.
  - sparkzilla 11y ago
    Renewal is every two years.
- braindead_in 11y ago
  How long did the L1 application take for you? I filed my petition 2 months ago and am still waiting to hear back from USCIS. Keeping my fingers crossed; 50-50 chance that it'll be approved I guess.

haje 11y ago

It's an extremely good idea to lawyer up sooner rather than later, because visas are a huge pain in the backside, and getting it wrong can end up causing a lot of cost and stress. I was lucky; my wife is from the US, and we've been married for longer than 2 years, which is the magical combination that makes it a lot easier - although obviously, that isn't particularly helpful if you aren't / aren't planning to get married to an US citizen.

dsavinkov 11y ago

I agree, that without a lawyer it's almost impossible. In my case, I applied for L1 visa. Initial investment was around 50k.

dotBen 11y ago

Technically it isn't clear what visa foreign YC founders should use to stay in the US during the 3 months. Visa waiver[0] only allows for meetings, attending a conference, attend short-term unpaid training or negotiate a contract. Anything that really is 'working' - such as performing software engineering for a company (even your own) - is arguably outside of the visa waiver. I'm assuming YC doesn't want founders to be outside of the law so I'm curious what their legal advisors have advised them. [0]http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/visit/visa-waiver-program.html http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/visit/visa-waiver-p...

hugh4 11y ago
If challenged I would stick it under "negotiating a contract". "Yes, I am negotiating a contract for investment. The work I am doing is part of the negotiation"
- dotBen 11y ago
  I wouldn't. Why would you have paperwork to be in the US for 3 months to 'negotiate a contract'. Its a serious crime to lie or misrepresent to a Federal DHS Officer
  - hugh4 11y ago
    I'm not suggesting lying, I'm suggesting using a broad definition of "negotiating"
    - dotBen 11y ago
      yeah, I don't think you've had a lot of interactions with Dept Homeland Security.
- 15155 11y ago
  Federal Judge: "Can I see which specific individual or entity has expressed intent to invest? Oh, there isn't one.. yet? Goodbye!"
- deleted 11y ago

peterjlee 11y ago

I heard about a seed fund for foreign founders that will invest by hiring the founders and paying them salaries while sponsoring the founders' visa. So the salary is basically the seed fund. I can't remember their name so I'm not sure if they're still around or if it's even legal but I thought the idea was cool. Maybe YC can look into something like that? EDIT: found it. https://angel.co/unshackled https://angel.co/unshackled

mananm 11y ago
We are very much around. Hope to help more immigrants build great companies in the U.S.

sprite 11y ago

If you can afford it EB-5 is probably the most straightforward one, but it still takes forever. If you started the process now you probably won't have your visa for 2 years.

titomc 11y ago

US immigration system is broken & is a joke. H1B "skilled" visas are based on your luck (lottery) and not on your skills (surprise). They change the rules every now and then and its a nightmare to be on H1B worrying whether you are in legal status and the fear of being deported. Now LCA is not enough to change your work location. H1B amendment is needed which is another nightmare. You can go for an investor visa option but it has it own quirks. With the current immigration system, foreign investors or founders should exercise a lot of caution as far the immigration system of US is concerned.

garethsprice 11y ago
Not sure why this is getting downvoted, as someone who came into the US under an E-2 visa I can attest that the system is horribly flawed* & foreign investors/founders definitely should exercise extreme caution. * - for example, rules of the E-2 state you have to invest your capital, then apply for the visa, which may or may not be granted. If you do it 100% by the book you also have to leave the country while it's under consideration (and leave your investment to run itself). They don't give any guidelines for specific dollar amounts. It then has to be renewed every 2-5 years (again, arbitrary decision) and does not lead to any permanent residency. It's a mess and I would not recommend it as a long term path to living in the US.
anigbrowl 11y ago
It's not so much broken as designed to fail for political reasons.

rachellaw 11y ago

I have an O-1 visa, it's not impossible and it's a great visa to have since you can reuse the same documents for your initial application for subsequent renewal. The key is to get as many peer references you can get in your industry. While getting letters from your advisers and investors is great, it's a common mistake to ONLY do people in your startup. You want to get recommendations from your previous employers and also academics who write about the industry you're in to justify your extraordinary ability. You don't want to put "founder" in your application (unless you're IPO'ed), you want to put "founder + professional skill". The reason is that an O-1 is really meant for talent or skilled professionals. Being a founder is not necessarily a skill, it's just an indication that you've started a company. By applying as a founder, you miss the main purpose of the visa and that gets your application rejected. edit: not a YC founder, just a founder.

postila 11y ago

O-1 w/o lawyer is not only impossible, it's the way I recommend to everyone who already achieved smth in homeland country. I received O-1 visa in February 2015 and I did it without lawyer. After I id it, I helped a couple of my friends and they received O-1 as well. Again, without lawyers. All you need is: 1) learn USCIS docs (law itself and directions on the official site) 2) learn as many examples as possible (in my case I found some "DIY O-1 visa" zip in the internet and bought it – it was smth like $150, and although it didn't contain examples from tech, it helped a lot to get proper understanding) 3) examine all your professional life and recall all possible achievements. It cannot take 1 week or so. It should take at least month – because otherwise there is a chance that you miss something that could improve your application. I have now a deep belief that lawyers in case of O-1 can be really helpful only to those founders who are too lazy. No lawyer will do the most important work on O-1 application for you: it's you who should recall your achievements (prizes, your articles, articles about your and your project, etc), it's YOU who should ask YOUR connection for reference letters, and so on. In many cases lawyers even can be a reason of failure of application: for example, they can miss something important in writing reference letter for you, or even make some fact errors. Or even worse, they can be reason of delay in delivering RFE response from USCIS to you, what can automatically lead to failed application since you then have no time to prepare a good answer. (All examples I mention here are from the real life...) So my advice – don't be afraid to DIY, save $3-8k (SF lawyers' prices for O-1), learn the law and examples and DIY! Yes, this process is not really simple but it's definitely doable, and since nobody know your life better than you, nobody can prepare O-1 application better than you. Of course here I should place disclaimer that I'm now professional lawyer and cannot give professional advice in legal areas:) And don't forget that for O-1 you should have a company that will hire you (actually in terms of law, it's the company who officially files the application for you -- the company is a petitioner in this process) – this may be the most difficult point for those who work for themselves. A couple of additional comments: - RFE process ("request for evidence" – when USCIS asks you to provide more information) always occurs, and you should carefully read eveyr USCIS's comment and respond to every comment very clear, this is the key of success. - Once you file your application, if you're in US on your B1/B2 and don't go outside, you receive "pending" status which means that now you're purpose of stay changed and if it is needed, you are able to stay in the country more than the stamp in your passport indicates – you can stay until USCIS's decision on your application. And when you get RFE answer from USCIS, they give you a couple of months to prepare your response. So technically you can enter on B1/B2 and stay more than 6 months without breaking of any law. I stayed 7 months and it is ok (however, on my next travel to US, I had to wait for additional "clearance" checks in JFK – but it took 15 minutes or so). - Visa != status. Visa is used only for entrance. You can enter on B1/B2, then get O-1 status and live on it. But once you leave US, you cannot return to the US. Because you need visa (stamp in your passport) which can be made only by US embassies outside the US. So you should go to US embassy in your country and get O1 visa (based on USCIS decision made previously – but be aware that here, once again, additional "clearance" checks can wait you). Hope it will help somebody. I wish good luck for those who try to DIY O-1 visa. In case you do it, it's a double-victory!

adrianmacneil 11y ago

Since no one has pointed it out yet, I'll also mention the Diversity Visa (a.k.a. Green Card lottery). This allows you to gain permanent residence in the US (if you are eligible). It opens every year in October, and is free to apply. There are lots of scam sites that will offer to enter you in the lottery for payment, but you can do it free here: https://www.dvlottery.state.gov/ https://www.dvlottery.state.gov/ If you get accepted, it takes around 18 months from entering the lottery to actually entering the US, so you have to not be in a hurry. The allocation of visas is quite odd, a bunch of countries are not eligible to enter (including UK, Canada, Mexico). Other countries have different quotas based on their region. As a result, those applying from Australia/NZ have a much higher chance of winning than those applying from Europe or Africa.

jacques_chester 11y ago
> The allocation of visas is quite odd It's based on a formula. Regions which saw fewer immigrants are granted more visas. Because Australians have access to the E-3 visa, relatively few of us who live and work in the USA become immigrants for the purpose of the Diversity Lottery calculations.

car 11y ago

According to my lawyer, the funding amount for an E2-visa has to be appropriate for the planned business. So no clear minimum, but the ultimate decision is in the hands of the official who reviews the application.

raymondgh 11y ago

This is a question I've seen asked so many times. The answers are always long and varied. I'd wager it's been this way for much longer than I've known. Is it because of unpredictable legal changes, or is it really just an underserved need? Or something else?

pySSK 11y ago

An L1 Visa is a cheap and easy option. It provides a relatively straightforward path to permanent residency as well.

Void_ 11y ago

Is the 3 months in the US while working on your OWN company legal? What do you tell the immigration cop if they ask you if you're going to work in the US? Would you explain that you're going to work on your own company? Would they accept it? Or would you just say you're going for a vacation?

dirkdk 11y ago
working on your US company, or your foreign company, is not allowed when you visit the US on a visa waiver. You are allowed to represent your foreign company, look for partners/customers, do marketing, visit conferences etc. But not be "productive"
- alexro 11y ago
  If I write open-source code while on the tourist trip to the US does it count as 'working'? I understand you're not giving advice, just curious
  - tricolon 11y ago
    Doing anything for which one would normally expect to be remunerated counts as work. If you volunteer for a project for which no one is paid and will not be paid (and no one ever expects to be paid), that's not work. But "working for free" is work and so is volunteering if others in a similar role are paid. At least that's how it's been explained to me.
hpagey 11y ago
So, you can own a company in US but you CANNOT work for it without proper work authorization ( H1B, EAD, OPT, CPT) etc etc. How would you prove that you won't work for your own company? You will also need to prove employer - employee relationship. What is an "immigration cop" ? Are you referring to the Visa Officer at the US consulate who is granting you the visa or the immigration officer the port of entry ?

adenot 11y ago

Although the visa discussion in this thread is healthy, nobody has yet answered the question. OP wants to know what visa do founders currently use, not available options.

adrianmacneil 11y ago
The top comment in this thread is pretty accurate. Most founders (YC and other) I know came on a visa waiver originally, and moved to an O1 visa to stay long term.
ahmeni 11y ago
Blindly following what other people have done for a situation rather than the appropriate path for your country/status/education/etc. is a fantastic way to get deported or denied entry. OP should consider himself lucky for the contextual information rather than a stats dump.

zallarak 11y ago

Hopefully someone from the government is reading this, and realizes it's time to simplify this bureaucratic process.

schappim 11y ago

For the Australians in the audience... Geoff McQueen has made an awesome "How to"[1] on getting an E3 Visa. Quite a few Australian Startmate[2] founders have done this. [1] http://geoffmcqueen.com/2011/09/28/e-3-visa-for-australians-how-to/ http://geoffmcqueen.com/2011/09/28/e-3-visa-for-australians-... [2] http://www.startmate.com.au http://www.startmate.com.au

Pyxl101 11y ago

What would be the downside of allowing anyone to immigrate to a country as long as they have qualified employment with compensation greater than a certain amount per year? (Let's say $75k or $100k or whatever makes a person an obvious net-bonus to society rather than net loss.) They can stay on that visa as long as they retain employment with any firm for that amount. If a person has demonstrated merit justifying a six figure job, why prevent them from entering your country and staying? They'll be a net win for your economy. It seems like this would solve a lot of immigration problems in high-skill fields. I'm not saying we should casually make this possible without deep thought, but as an immigration idea it seems appealing to me. Simplify the system and reduce it to an issue of whether the person can pull their weight. I suppose the downside is that any rich person who owns a company can allow virtually anyone they want to immigrate, as a "fake employee" of the firm. There should be oversight. Full time employment required, and proof of compensation in the way of wages, IRS review. I suppose it wouldn't help YC founders. Maybe another visa for founders of companies that have raised above a certain minimum amount, above a certain valuation? (I haven't settled how I feel about immigration, so please don't take this as a statement of my stance one way or another. Just seems like a neat idea to explore.)

adrianmacneil 11y ago
Continuing your thought experiment, why stop at people with a high paying job offer? What would be wrong with allowing anyone to move anywhere and stay as long as they please, provided that they pay their taxes and don't break any laws. To put it in perspective, I've never heard anyone complain about people from other states moving to California and taking jobs from people who were born here, so why should we be so concerned about people moving from other countries?
netheril96 11y ago
For one, many locals will oppose it because the influx of additional workers may lower their compensation due to increased competition.

alexro 11y ago

So, after reading all of the comments and some of the links and not being a lawyer, nor YC founder and residing outside of the US and just been there once on B1... The plan: * get to the US first on B1, quite easy to get and relatively applicable for YC * while there, set up a US company and open a branch in your own country and make it to employ you officially * continue to investigate your options and if young file for J1 (internship) or if older file for O1 (achievements) with references from other founders/VCs * don't mess with H1B * worst case scenario if you didn't apply for other kinds of VISA - leave the US and come back periodically on B1 if need be and continue to be employed in your home country by a branch of your company in the US. after a year or so apply for L1 (inter-company transfer) which is almost automatic to get and allows the spouse to work too.

adrianbg 11y ago
http://unshackled.co/ http://unshackled.co/ is working pretty well for me. YC's attitude toward foreign founders didn't inspire much confidence.

mananm 11y ago

Hope this doesn't sound like a shameless plug, but this topic is really why Unshackled exists and why we are on a mission to enable as many immigrant founded companies in the US as we can. As one of the founding partners of Unshackled (www.unshackled.co) I hope that we've been able to help immigrant founders build towards their dreams. It's still early, but in the past 7 months, we've supported 30 founders, across 13 teams, secured sponsorships of 5 different visa types and are working on 2 more (cap-exempt H1-B and H4 EAD). We are optimistic our model is good for teams with immigrant founders. Our next application closes on Oct 23 and hope that we can continue to support the best our country attracts. More on our structure can be found here: http://unshackled.co/a-bigger-and-stronger-unshackled-is-here/ http://unshackled.co/a-bigger-and-stronger-unshackled-is-her...

canttestthis 11y ago
Could you elaborate on the visa types you use?
mikekchar 11y ago
This may be a stupid question, but why are people so keen to work in their start up in the US? My background is IT, so perhaps that colours my perception, but I can't actually see comparative value for working in the US. Of course you can create a US company. You can travel to the US to make connections and try to raise money, but for actually doing the work, the US seems like a pretty poor choice. Salaries are higher than pretty much anywhere else on earth. There is a shortage of good talent. Real Estate is expensive. Visas for foreign workers are practically impossible. Obviously, some people live in countries where the infrastructure is not set up to really be successful. But there are lots of easier countries to start a business in (and get a visa) than the US. Is there something I'm missing, or are people just buying into the "American dream" thing and assuming that they will be successful in the US?

HistoryInAction 11y ago

Yeah, take a look at the USCIS Visa Guide: http://www.uscis.gov/eir/visa-guide/ http://www.uscis.gov/eir/visa-guide/ There are lots of different options and none are all that good a fit for founders. If you've got a year advance notice, you can set things up for the L-1. If you've got the ability to generate old media press and can raise $500k (rule of thumb), then O-1 is a good fit. If you're from the right country with $50k-150k, then E-2. If you're from Australia, E-3. For the O-1 in particular, the three criteria we tend to use are media coverage, mentorship/conferences, and high salary for those who have been employed previously to becoming entrepreneurs. YC asked the White House to make some tweaks to the O-1 to be a more straightforward path for founders, but the White House went in a different direction with something yet to be announced. We have the Global EIR program which might be of assistance. Our flagship program in Boston: http://masstech.org/innovation-institute/projects-and-initiatives/global-entrepreneur-residence-pilot-program http://masstech.org/innovation-institute/projects-and-initia... We have a pathway that takes advantage of cap-exemptions built into the H-1B program and partnerships with universities. It's pretty straightforward, and in exchange for a few months of part-time work, you'll draw a runway-extending salary and be sponsored for a work visa, after which you'll have a visa runway to raise capital more easily and then switch over to 100% startup time. www.globaleir.org will have more in a short while.

mananm 11y ago
We've partnered with UMass to scale the Global EIR program -- https://www.umb.edu/news/detail/unshackled_and_global_entrepreneur_in_residence_program_partner_to_serve_im https://www.umb.edu/news/detail/unshackled_and_global_entrep...

rrecuero 11y ago

I started a previous company on F-1. If you graduate from a STEM degree, you have 12 months of OPT + a 17 month extension (under review). So you have 2 years and a half to create something valuable enough so you can sponsor your H1B (which I did)

ottoid 11y ago

B1/B2 visas are for business and pleasure - so I could see that working for you at the local interview. I believe B1 is pleasure and B2 is business or vice-versa. IANAL but I would recommend having a good source of funding and having an incorporated company and not having taken any kinds of exams such as TOEFL or SAT etc.