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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

#42
I’ve just started a single member LLC in SC, and I’d like to contract with a company in Florida. I will be working predominantly from SC remotely, but may end up in FL for an onsite every once in a while.

Do I need to _also_ set up an LLC in Florida to make this work or is my SC LLC sufficient?

If yes, do I need to do this in all 50 states if I want to do business with entities in each, or how do individuals acting as contractors handle that?

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

#45
Hi Peter,

I’m an entrepreneur looking to start a business in the EU so I can sell to people in that market.

If location in a specific country doesn’t matter to me, what’s the path of least friction to getting long term residency and a business started?

the path of least friction to EU citizenship assuming my business adds value to the EU?

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

#46

For people running a small business that is remote/can be done anywhere (a small SaaS company for example). What are their options for operating in the US? To give a specific example. An indiehacker runs their own business, and wants to move to the US, potentially with the view of trying to become a citizen at some point. They have plenty of income, don't need a job/so don't really have a visa sponsor etc. What steps…

While physically in the U.S., with very limited exceptions, a foreign national must have some form of U.S. work authorization to engage in revenue-generating activities, even if those activities are remote/virtual or occurring in another country. The default options, depending on the individual's country of citizenship (excluding those from Australia, Canada, Chile, Mexico, and Singapore, who have their own work visas), are the O-1, H-1B, and E-2.

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

#48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Employment agreements are at will. Its highly unlikely you can fight this. You need agreement with your employer to continue.

This isn't necessarily true: "at will" means a legitimate termination has no notice period. Employers are not allowed to fire employees for any reason, or to have an abusive employment environment. OP: any employment lawyer could also advise you on jurisdiction.

Employers are absolutely allowed to fire employees for any or no reason as long as the reason isn't specifically illegal (e.g. on the basis of race or gender).

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

#49
Hey Peter, thanks for sharing your expertise

Is it more advantageous in terms of processing time and outcome certainty to pursue Lawful Permanent Resident status via an Immediate Relative Immigrant Visa based on a spousal relationship, or to seek it through an Employment-Based Immigrant Visa?

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

#50

Hi Peter, generally speaking , what is a route to consider for Canadians who are currently Software Developers and want to switch fields (ex. Product Manager) and work in the US for at a startup? TN NAFTA visa looks good although the "NAFTA Profession list" criteria is narrow (ex. doesn't include Product Manager)

Definitely, the TN is almost certainly the best option and the Engineer occupation can be used for Product-related positions that require a strong technical background.

Excellent, thank you
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