

Creating a startup in the U.S. - amrithk

I am currently working with 2 friends on an online venture. Each of us have jobs and we only work on our project in the weekends and some week-nights if we can get home before 10pm. We dream about pursuing our project full-time and we have thought a lot about applying to YC and other similar programs.<p>The problem is that two of us are not American citizens or permanent residents. We require visas to remain here legally. We would like to stay and work together but this is not possible without a visa. At the same time, we really don't see our project getting anywhere unless we pursue it full-time. I was wondering if anyone else has/had this problem when creating their venture. Are there ways to get around it so we can apply to programs like YC?
======
omakase
This thread might be useful if you are looking into getting a visa. My co-
founder and I are looking at these options right now:
<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=115590>

<http://ycombinator.com/faq.html> << also, you only need to be able to come to
the US for the 3 months to be able to participate in YC. so my advice is apply
and begin looking at your visa options. if you get in and have your visa
already sorted out by the time you get to the states I imagine it will make it
easier when you look to raise more money, stick around, etc.

------
nikiscevak
One idea: Create two companies, a US company and a company in your local
country. You local country affiliate can pay your salary and the US company
can pay the foreign company like a vendor.

After a year or so, you will be eligible to get a company L-1 transfer visa.

Or if you don't plan on paying yourself through the company in the first year
or so, try to get a visa at another company (perhaps you are consulting for a
small number of hours per week?). You wont be an employee of your startup, but
you will be the owner.

------
amrithk
That sounds like a good idea. I am already working at another company on a
H1-B visa and run my venture just as aside.

To really pursue this full-time, one route I am thinking is to apply to
business-school and work on my venture through that. That way, I'll get to
work on my venture, have better chances of meeting bright people I can work
with, have better access to funding opportunities and also gain a 1 year
provision through an F-1 visa that I can use to build a startup. Does that
seem like a good idea?

------
prakash
Move to your country of origin or other common countries where you & your
founders don't need a visa and start a startup from there.

If you move from the US to a country where the currency is weaker, the same
dollar will really stretch.

I spoke to the RedSwoosh guys who had moved to Thailand for 6 months and it
worked out well for them:
[http://online.wsj.com/public/article_print/SB119179859820351...](http://online.wsj.com/public/article_print/SB119179859820351674.html)

~~~
amrithk
The problem is we are all from different countries. If I move to the country
of my origin, my team-mates will need a visa to move to that country. Of
course, its much easier to work from different parts of the world but not sure
how advisable that is for a startup when many people need to work face to
face.

------
amrithk
Thanks for the advice....

I don't think I want to go the sham marriage route :-)Perhaps the best thing
would be to consult an immigration lawyer. Just wanted to know if anyone has
had similar experiences to mine as to attend a program like YC, everything is
predicated on being able to remain in the country.

------
davidw
You might google site:news.ycombinator.com , because you guys aren't the first
nor the last to have this problem.

~~~
attack
So the conclusion is to either not do it for years or make a sham marriage. I
have no idea how someone could be unsatisfied by this previous advice:)

It really does seem to be a rather mysterious process if you're this far out
of the norm though. I'm sure every additional datapoint will help.

~~~
ojbyrne
That's because it is a mysterious process -- so much of it seems to be at the
discretion of the USCIS examiner. I think the best advice is to consult an
immigration lawyer. Not only because they know about the law (which I find is
actually pretty hit and miss) but having a letter from a lawyer included in
your application gives you a little more legitimacy.

~~~
gruseom
My observation is that an immigration lawyer adds a _lot_ more legitimacy.
This suggests the hypothesis that US immigration is, de facto, a two-tier
system: those who can afford the right lawyer are on an unofficial fast track.
This is a de facto and not a de jure distinction because it would be
politically unacceptable.

This hypothesis has the advantage of explaining the system's byzantine
complexity, which often seems irrational: it's a membrane. The upper tier of
candidates (those with lawyers) are able to penetrate the membrane more
readily than the lower tier.

------
kuldeep_kap
Thanks for this good thread and our team could run into the same problem. We
would like to know, if its pivotal for any startup to start from US to gain a
good success?

------
ecarder
You wrote "about applying to YC and other similar programs" do you know any
other firms which do the same what YC does? If so, please post some info!
thanks!

~~~
matthewer
<http://www.launchboxdigital.com/> \- based out of DC. Pretty new. Saw them
present @ tech meetup in NYC.

~~~
ecarder
Thank you! i'll check it out!

