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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

#71

Hi Peter, thanks for doing these AMA. I was counted against the H1-B cap in 2017 and worked for about 3 months before I left the states. Would I be able to use the rest of my time now if I were to get a job in the states?

It's not guaranteed but likely yes; we've done H-1Bs (without having to go through the lottery again) for foreign nationals who haven't been in H-1B status for nearly 10 years.

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

#72
Hi Peter, thanks for doing this AMA!

I’m a cofounder of a startup in the US. Two of us are here on green cards, but our third cofounder is based in Switzerland. He has a PhD from a top university, previously founded a company, and has raised over $30M in the past.

At what stage would it be possible for us to bring him to the US on a visa? Would it be:

- As soon as we incorporate a C Corp?

- After raising funding?

- Once we have revenue?

Are there any specific visa pathways (O-1, L-1, E-2, etc.) that would be most relevant for him, given his background?

Appreciate any guidance on this!

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

#73
Hi Peter, thanks for always circling back to the YC community!

I'm curious about LLMs for the legal system that can reference the law and help to guide individuals on the process they need to navigate. How much of Immigration Law do you think can be navigated independently by people? Obviously, unauthorized practices of the law would be illegal *but if it was permissible*, how critical are lawyers in Immigration Law when people are cheap and want to DIY?

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

#74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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That distinction doesn't even matter. Someone can stand on Main St and shout "I love Hamas" all day and the government can (well, in theory) do nothing. This freedom applies to everyone on American soil regardless of their immigration status. The fact that people are being targeted and prosecuted by this adminstration is a complete breakdown of free speech and first amendment protections, supported by a republican congress and court system.

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

#75

Peter, I'm curious as to the easiest way for Australian founders to get a long stay visa and work permit for the US while working for their own (Delaware) company?

For Australians, even Australian founders, it's always worth looking at the E-3; this is even truer now that USCIS has said that under certain circumstances founders can get H-1B visas (and the E-3 is similar to the H-1B). The other options for Australian founders are the E-1 or E-2 treaty visa or the O-1 visa but these take a lot longer to prepare and are much more expensive than the E-3. But if you are inclined to…

thank you

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

#76
Hi Peter, given that companies are constantly laying off employees, what options do people on H1B have in an event they are out of a job? One can find a job but a 60 day time restriction can be very challenging. It’s almost impossible to apply, schedule multiple rounds of interviews, get an offer AND file the immigration paperwork in that time. A lot of people have established lives and have been here for decades because of the green card backlog. How would one maintain presence legally in the US in such a case?

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

#77
post #19

What are the pitfalls to watch out for when following the I-130 process? I’ve read a bunch about applying for a green card from within the US, but not as much good info for the I-130.

If you are applying for a family-based green card while outside the U.S., then the main challenges are timing - these take longer than U.S.-based applications - and travel to the U.S. - while travel to the U.S. is fine while in the I-130 process abroad, you should expect to be questioned when you enter the U.S. about your plans; CBP will want to make sure that you are not trying to circumvent the process abroad while…

Thanks. How much longer has this avenue taken, in your experience?

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

#78

If my asylum application gets denied, what options do I have? I came to the U.S. as a minor and have little to no memory of my original country. I applied for asylum in 2016 and have been waiting for an interview ever since. Given my pending status, are there any other pathways to obtaining a Green Card or legal residency that would allow me to travel? Edit Additional Question - Some of us like myself, came to the U.…

I am neither OP nor a lawyer at all, but I do have experience watching authoritarian regimes destroy a country in real-time. One of the most terrifying things to me is the breakdown in the rule of law, because you no longer have any expectations to plan against, and anything can happen.

I would never counsel against getting legal advice, because competent legal advice is going to be one of your best assets for planning every possible future outcome. But I would caution you that in this environment, you also need to plan for what to do when the legal advice can no longer predict or inform outcomes.

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

#79
For a U.S. citizen who resides abroad (3 years, NRA spouse) with a single-member LLC doing consulting software work for U.S. clients, what U.S. address should be / can be used for the business address of the LLC? Registered agent?

Separately, I know many startup founders who have long-term software developers ("contractors", apparently...) in other countries like India, Brazil, etc. Paying them with whatever random popular money transfer service. It's common practice but is it legal or risky on the U.S. side?

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

#80
Do Greencard holders have right to Social Security? What can you do if you are denied it?

Background: I was a GC holder and the expiration date on the GC was past due by the time they processed my application for social security. BUT I had also already applied for citizenship, and when doing that online the website informed me that my CG status was automatically extended a year or so because I had applied for citizenship.

I showed the Social Security Administration the printout of the document that showed my GC status had been automatically extended. But they denied my social security application with the reason "We have not been able to determine your age is > 64".

I had been to the SS offices several times showing them my actual greencard and my valid passport from my country of origin. The government issued GC showed my birthdate. Also I showed them the printed social security statement they used to mail me every year or so, showing my age.

So it seems to me I was denied social security on totally false premises. They surely were able to easily and reliably determine my age.

How can this happen in USA? Why would they do this? Do they have a standing order saying "Deny every application you can if it is an immigrant?"

What should I do? Sue the government? (I understand you cannot give an exact recommendation what to do in this case, but would that be a viable practical option?)

Thanks

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