Isn't the thing to do is set up a sole proprietorship under your name and become a contractor for the US company?
At least in Japan I know several people with that sort of arrangement
Ask HN: In what countries can you legally get a long term teleworking visa?
31–40 of 58 posts
Re: Ask HN: In what countries can you legally get a long term teleworking visa?
#32A friend of mine has set up a simple company in Hong Kong to invoice his remote working for an American employer. He is living in Japan and has a Polish passport. It seems the Japanese authorities don't really seem to care. But I don't know how kosher the whole arrangement is. In any case, Singapore and Hong Kong are worth a look. They are very business-friendly, and you can probably make something work there even le…
I moved to Singapore a decade ago, and I can definitely recommend it.
If you'd like to try this, all the relevant visa information is available from the Singapore Ministry of Manpower: http://www.mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits
I think the OP could possibly be able to get the EntrePass, if he sets up a local company in Singapore and makes sure his work is billed to it. Singapore corporate taxes are probably lower than where he's from, so it would likely be better to do that anyway.
Re: Ask HN: In what countries can you legally get a long term teleworking visa?
#33Isn't the thing to do is set up a sole proprietorship under your name and become a contractor for the US company? At least in Japan I know several people with that sort of arrangement
In Japan the company has to receive most of it's income sources from within Japan so unless you are telecommuting for a Japanese company or a Japanese branch, this should not be ok with the immigration.
Re: Ask HN: In what countries can you legally get a long term teleworking visa?
#34A pair of friends just moved to Paris to do just this. They had to travel to a French Embassy (Houston was closest) and prove they had a States-based job, and that they were financially secure. They're allowed to stay for one year, and then have the opportunity to re-up for one more. I don't know of a master list, unfortunately.
This sounds more like a working holiday arrangement to me
Re: Ask HN: In what countries can you legally get a long term teleworking visa?
#35As far as I know, in Croatia you can stay as long as you want if you can prove you make at least 4000 EUR/month. In Brazil you can stay as long as you want as well if you invest about 25.000 USD in your own Brazilian company. That does mean paying 25.000 USD, but opening a company and putting that amount in it's bank account. You can always close the company an take you money with you afterwards.
The thing about tourist visa is about working in the country. That means "stealing" a job from a citizen of a country.
Nobody cares if a person during his/her holidays answer emails from his/her job in his/her native country.
From another perspective, even if there is not law saying so, for the guest country it's nice to have telecommuters. They spend money on the country, they (probably) won't use the health system (an maybe must have their own private health insurance), and they don't "consume" any of the country's jobs.
But the best part about having a telecommute job is country hopping. A big plus of switching countries at least every 179 days is that unless you are from the US or Eritrea, don't have to pay income taxes nowhere.
Re: Ask HN: In what countries can you legally get a long term teleworking visa?
#36If you're a citizen of a Svalbard Treaty signatory (including the US), the answer is... Svalbard! http://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/45092/where-can-i-...
It's even got a line to it on http://cablemap.info/ !
Re: Ask HN: In what countries can you legally get a long term teleworking visa?
#37A friend of mine has set up a simple company in Hong Kong to invoice his remote working for an American employer. He is living in Japan and has a Polish passport. It seems the Japanese authorities don't really seem to care. But I don't know how kosher the whole arrangement is. In any case, Singapore and Hong Kong are worth a look. They are very business-friendly, and you can probably make something work there even le…
I moved to Singapore a decade ago, and I can definitely recommend it. If you'd like to try this, all the relevant visa information is available from the Singapore Ministry of Manpower: http://www.mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits I think the OP could possibly be able to get the EntrePass, if he sets up a local company in Singapore and makes sure his work is billed to it. Singapore corporate taxes are probably lower than…
He is talking about moving but still working in the US, Singapore's taxes have nothing to do with it.
Re: Ask HN: In what countries can you legally get a long term teleworking visa?
#38Japan recently released this program for highly skilled workers. http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/newimmiact_3/en/
Re: Ask HN: In what countries can you legally get a long term teleworking visa?
#39As far as I know, in Croatia you can stay as long as you want if you can prove you make at least 4000 EUR/month. In Brazil you can stay as long as you want as well if you invest about 25.000 USD in your own Brazilian company. That does mean paying 25.000 USD, but opening a company and putting that amount in it's bank account. You can always close the company an take you money with you afterwards. The thing about tour…
Let's say I run a US company and hires an American who works remotely in Thailand (illegally on a tourist visa).
The other alternatives are:
1. I hire an American who works in the US
2. I open a Thai subsidiary and sponsor work visas for Americans to work there
3. I open a Thai subsidiary and hire Thais
Obviously option 2 and 3, while unlikely, provide a bigger boost to the Thai economy and result in higher tax revenue for the Thai government.
Yes, it's nice for the guest country to have people telecommuting on tourist visas, but it's detrimental to their IT industry.
Re: Ask HN: In what countries can you legally get a long term teleworking visa?
#40A pair of friends just moved to Paris to do just this. They had to travel to a French Embassy (Houston was closest) and prove they had a States-based job, and that they were financially secure. They're allowed to stay for one year, and then have the opportunity to re-up for one more. I don't know of a master list, unfortunately.
I don't think you are allowed to work if it's a tourist visa. It might be not enforced, but teleworking is still working.
There's a big difference between teleworking for a French company (i.e. taking a French job) and teleworking for an American company while staying in France.