Everyone can register a company? But you still need a special VISA to work. That's remarkable.

No, it depends on how USCIS and DoL define work.

I think you'd see a lot more upvotes if you gave an explicit description of how "everyone can come to US, register a company and work for it", instead of making this empty (and to the best knowledge of most people that had to deal with the US immigration, incorrect) statement.

There is a visa (It's one of the E visas) for people bringing capital into the states but you it's not a trivial amount and you need to prove that you will employ a certain number of Americans.

It's called "Treaty Investing"

http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1273.html

Info on the E1 (trader) and E2 (investor) on the US Embassy in Mexico http://www.usembassy-mexico.gov/eng/evisas_E.html

Highlights for the investor visa: - The investor must be coming to the United States solely to develop and direct the enterprise - The investment must be substantial. It must be sufficient to ensure the successful operation of the enterprise - must have the capacity to generate significantly more income than just enough to provide a living to the investor and his or her family, or it must have a significant economic impact in the United States

I'm not sure if a YC funded founder would be elegible, but seems hard

I've been running my own business in the US on an E-2 visa for the last 12 years. The minimum recommended initial investment is of the order of $100,000 - and a majority the E-2 company must be owned by citizens of the non-US 'treaty country'.

Rough guide to application : 0.5-1.0 inch thick.

You have to bring $100,000 of your own personal money into the company (so investment from 3rd party doesn't count).

You also have to maintain control of your company, ie you can never give away more than 50% of the equity in the company - and that will be prohibitive when seeking investment.

The company is thus limited in it's ability to fundraise above a certain point and an exit is impossible without the founder leaving the country.

Forget about E*. Get simple b1/b2 - everyone qualify or L1-bit more complex but possible

Australians should take special interest in the E3 visa:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-3_visa

I can imagine that incorporating a company in the US and then having that company sponsor you would be a valid use of the E3. Once the company has an LCA to prove a US resident can't do your job (requires some hoop jumping and waiting around), it's super easy to get the E3. For a really young/small company you'd probably need to go to some effort to prove that the company isn't simply a vehicle to get the visa for a foreigner.

I had an E3 and left of my own volition without applying for an extension. I tend to get a couple of minutes of extra questioning when going in to/transiting the US now, based on their assumption that I obviously want to return to live/work there, having experienced their awesomeness in the past. I know another person in exactly the same situation.

(edit: changed LMO -> LCA. I was confusing Canadian and US terminology)

From what I understand, you can't self-sponsor your visa as a single founder.

eg. You would still need a US co-founder. E1 or E2 may be a better visa to use if you don't have a co-founder.

Really? It's sound like this would make it possible to work every job, by sub-contracting to your `company'.

1) not all companies need subcontracting. some need direct hire on various reasons (like taxing)

2) schema should have another overseas layer

No, he's partially right but the `company` needs to be big and needs to employ US citizens I think.

Tourist visas are 3 months, and are for tourism, not for working for your company.

I do think that it's possible to register a company, but don't know how that works out for non-US people.

no b1/b2 is for 6 m and can be extended for another 6. visa waiver is for 3m (its EU can come without any visa)

this is incorrect information. There are lots of countries in EU that still require visa.

EU is trying to make US treat it as a single entity ( http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=114061 ) but for the last 4 years they've pretty much failed to do so.

Sheez, what's with the "pile on" downvoting. If he's wrong, vote him down to 0 or -1 and leave it at that.

Thx, but i dont really care about my carma. I simply cant be wrong here because i experienced this myself and know like 10 friends doing such things with zero probs. Heck even YC says that visa isnt a big deal for their companies.

Guess most of downvotes coming from lazy hackers who like to count visa issues as excuse for their own laziness.

> zero problems

Because they haven't been caught, or because what they're doing is legitimate?

this is really interesting. do you mind to elaborate more?

i am Teng Siong Ong from GraffitiGeo(YC S2009). in fact, visa is the worst problem that many YC international founders face now.

this will really help if you could share your experience with all of us.

I too know a ton of friends who are doing it with zero probs.

I also know for a fact they are working illegally.