
Ask HN: Foreign founder for ITAR-bound startup (nanolauncher)? - avmich
A friend came to USA from abroad and is working through an accelerator program.<p>He co-founded previously a startup which worked on a small satellite rocket, which eventually folded. Now he wants to create a company in USA given that it&#x27;s a better VC and overall environment.<p>To stay into USA he has to apply for visa, and he may possibly qualify for O-1 (exceptional abilities) with his previous experience. However ITAR (International Traffic of Arms Regulations) prohibit him working on aerospace projects if he doesn&#x27;t at least have GC (green card). With O-1 he&#x27;ll have to work on something in USA, but can&#x27;t work directly on aerospace projects. This could take some time, and one may wonder what VC would think about investing into a company with such a founder.<p>Wonder what HN community would suggest in this situation? Is it feasible to get funding when O-1 and GC processing are ahead (time and money) and ITAR restrictions forbid direct work on the startup product?
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avmich
Read guidelines and FAQ but really not sure why I can't find this question in
the regular list :) .

