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I'm Peter Roberts, immigration attorney who does work for YC and startups. AMA

300 points proberts | 3 comments | 14 Mar 25 14:39 UTC | HN request time: 0.676s | source

I'll be here for the next 6 hours. As usual, there are countless possible topics and I'll be guided by whatever you're concerned with but as much as possible I'd like to focus on the recent changes and potential changes in U.S. immigration law, policy, and practice. Please remember that I am limited in providing legal advice on specific cases for obvious liability reasons because I won't have access to all the facts. Please stick to a factual discussion in your questions and comments and I'll try to do the same in my responses. Thank you!
1. ltlftp ◴[14 Mar 25 15:05 UTC] No.43363320[source]▶
We are a group of 3 founders. One with J1 Visa, one with H1B and me (outside the US).

We would like to incorporate in Delaware and I know this is no problem for me, but we are trying to figure out how the other two founders can legally work on the company when established.

Any advice? Thanks Peters.

replies(1): >>43364707 #
2. proberts ◴[14 Mar 25 17:11 UTC] No.43364707[source]▶
They would need work visas and (assuming that they don't qualify for a country-specific visa) the potential options are the H-1B and O-1 (and possibly the E-2 depending on their countries of citizenship and other factors). Because this analysis is so fact-specific, you will need to have a consultation with an attorney to explore the options.
replies(1): >>43365654 #
3. ltlftp ◴[14 Mar 25 18:29 UTC] No.43365654[source]▶
Thanks! We'll consult one.

Quick follow-up: In principle, would it be possible for them to keep their current job while working on the startup, or would they need to leave it entirely?