I just went through the visa process as my wife is an alien and we had to apply for her green card. Before that she had B-2, F-1, and originally a J visa. All o

I just went through the visa process as my wife is an alien and we had to apply for her green card. Before that she had B-2, F-1, and originally a J visa. All of these visas are very strict. You cannot work on a tourist visa. You're not even allowed to volunteer(!). I know the process can be very time-consuming, so do it ASAP. Check out this PDF from the State department for more information: http://travel.state.gov/pdf/BusinessVisa.pdf http://travel.state.gov/pdf/BusinessVisa.pdf In regards to the specific question of YCombinator, I'm not sure. If you already have a company set up abroad I believe you might be able to get a B-1 as it's akin to finding investment. I'm no lawyer though, so please do as much research as you can.