US Startup Visas
Discussions center on US visa options for foreign startup founders and employees, including H-1B, O-1, L-1, E-2, OPT, TN, and proposed startup visas, with advice on sponsorship, legal pathways, and challenges for immigrants building companies in the US.
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Anything like this in US? Or any plans for a startup visa?
Maybe if he'd sought an "entrepreneur" visa, not an employee visa?
What kind of Visa sponsorship are you expecting? An L1 visa for transferring from an international company location to the US? That would rule out startups. An H-1B? That takes months, and has less than a 30% success rate. An O-1? Do you have documentation that would support "extra-ordinary" abilities?An E-2 visa is kinda neat though--have you thought of taking matters into your own hands?<a href="https://workpermit.com/immigration/usa/e2-visa-investors
Possibly get an H-1B through the startup or even an O-1 - or even change status to B-1.
Currently under OPT visa co-founding a startup. How would a resident visa from my home country work?
Thanks for commenting. Did you know about the Startup Visa? http://www.techvibes.com/blog/foreign-startup-visa-program-2...
Go back. Get a business visa from your country, come and do business in the US. Alternatively, there is a thing called the 'startup visa' being contemplated. But I think it will get enacted from the end of the year. It requires you to have already got vc funding from an American vc, which u may get if ur startup is good.The o1 is for geniuses. So see if u are eligible.There are no hacks. Be legitimate. Being an entrepreneur is to be so :)
Yes, that is true, in the early stage (before the start-up looks like a respectable company from the outside), it's more complicated. Ideally, you would use a different kind of visa, e.g. F-1 OPT if you have a degree from a US school, or TN if you're Canadian/Mexican. But I agree, the system is screwed up, and making it much harder for non-American founders than it should be. Let's hope Obama administration improves something...
okay i don't mean to be rude, but i'm actually a startup founder looking to score this exact visa for myself soon. i was under the impression you couldn't just "create a company and receive a visa", but rather you need the endorsement of some kind of incubator or accredited investor. is that not true?
@billconan, u might be interested in unshackled.co. they hire onto a h1b.as an immigrant entrepreneur myself, there are other visas other than a h-1b that would allow you to work/stay through YC.