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

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

#121

Post by rogual »

proberts wrote: post #112
rogual wrote: post #105

Hi Peter, thanks for doing this! As a Brit with 10 years experience as a developer but no degree, do I have any hope at all of being able to come and work in the USA?

Absolutely. The requirements for an H-1B visa are a bachelor's degree or its equivalent based on ducation and/or experience and you might have the equivalent of a bachelor's degree (although typically 12 years of experience are required). Also, you might qualify for an O-1 visa if you have a strong background or even an E-2 visa through a British-owned company in the US.

I may be able to claim 12 years if I'm allowed to include my time creating Flash games for small amounts of money in my late teens.

Is that sort of thing counted as experience or do they mean permanent employment only?

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

#123

Post by proberts »

rogual wrote: post #121
proberts wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Absolutely. The requirements for an H-1B visa are a bachelor's degree or its equivalent based on ducation and/or experience and you might have the equivalent of a bachelor's degree (although typically 12 years of experience are required). Also, you might qualify for an O-1 visa if you have a strong background or even an E-2 visa through a British-owned company in the US.

I may be able to claim 12 years if I'm allowed to include my time creating Flash games for small amounts of money in my late teens. Is that sort of thing counted as experience or do they mean permanent employment only?

Sometimes yes, sometimes now. It can depend on the sufficiency of the documentation confirming this work.

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

#125

Post by proberts »

jonathanpoulter wrote: post #107
lauragomez1 wrote: post #83

Hi Peter, I got a L1B visa a month ago, i.e. I'm an intracompany transferee and I want to know if I'd be authorised to work for other companies in the US in the future. If so, should I have to get a different kind of visa? What's the process like? Thanks!!

I'm also on an L1B visa, to my knowledge there's no such flexibility, to the point that you'd have to move back to your country or have a new company file a brand new H1B application if you wanted to move, I don't know how frequently this is done. An L1B visa is actually very restrictive as I understand it, any insight Peter had would certainly be interesting.

The L-1B visa does not allow you to work for another company. You would need to get separate sponsorship to work for another company.

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

#126

Post by gragas »

nyddle wrote: post #40
gragas wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes? You can open a bank account on almost any bank's website. Even my local bank in town will let me open a business bank account remotely.

oh, I actually meant for non-residents

Open a bank account in your home country? Or is it destroyed by corruption and government greed?

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

#127

Post by proberts »

TremendousT wrote: post #104

With all the anti-immigration fervor coming from certain quarters these days, do you recommend getting an attorney for filing I-751's? Uncomplicated situation. I'm a US citizen, wife is from an uncontroversial sub-saharan African nation.

We generally advise our clients to file I-751s on their won and save the money because it's a really straightforward process (assuming no issues).

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

#128

Post by proberts »

squillful wrote: post #68
fgandiya wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What did they change about the STEM extension?

This blog post sums things up well - http://blog.cyrusmehta.com/2016/03/suffocating-the-foreign-e... Whilst it's pretty great that the extension was increased from 17 months to 2 years, you now have to prove an employer-employee relationship, which is significantly more limiting than the previous iteration.

That's right.

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

#130

Post by proberts »

apsychas wrote: post #45
proberts wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You might have to do some explaining but in my experience, when a marriage is legitimate, even if the couple is living apart, the green card application always gets approved.

Wouldn't the wife have to move to the US within six months once she's approved for the green card?

Yes, assuming that she went the immigrant visa route through the US Embassy in Mexico rather than the adjustment route through USCIS.
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