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I made $200K and PayPal locked my account

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Re: I made $200K and PayPal locked my account

#191

Post by winter_blue »

wyuenho wrote: post #186
winter_blue wrote: post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've replied with some very practical advice relating to OP's specific situation (F-1 student) here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5191832 (Sorry if this sounds like I'm promoting it or anything. I just don't want my comment to get buried among the 150+ other comments here.)

I used to be an international student in the US. So I feel OP's pain. I have an advice in addition to winter_blue's. However, I have been out of the US for 3 years and I don't know if any rules have changed since then. Besides applying for precompletion OPT which will take months and months, a much quicker route for me was to get a part-time job at school. I did this when I was working as a CS tutor in my CS departme…

This is a bad idea. Getting an SSN does not solve the bigger issue of work authorization. Having an SSN would make Paypal happy, but he could be deported by SEVIS/USCIS/ICE for earning an income without proper work authorization.

F-1 OPT is the only status I know that allows you to earn an income while being self-employed.

Even on an H-1B doing what the OP did would be a violation of status, and could lead to deportation.

Re: I made $200K and PayPal locked my account

#192

Post by wildgift »

ChuckMcM wrote: post #101

Sad story, I agree with folks who say you should seek out legal advice. HEADS UP FOR ANYONE ELSE CONSIDERING THIS: If you are going to receive funds with PayPal and they are going to exceed the 'occasional sale' guidelines (which some people interpret to mean the same guidelines at the rule for sending an IRS 1099 form which is First establish your business presence in the US, that means creating an LLC, getting an E…

Another option might be to force paypal to refund money to your customers, and then once re-established, beg your customers to pay you into your new account. I suspect most will do so willingly.

Re: I made $200K and PayPal locked my account

#193

Post by winter_blue »

winter_blue wrote: post #165
sp_ wrote: post #10

When you say you're an international student, do you mean you're in the US on an F-1 visa? If yes, you might be in violation of your visa terms. If you have not researched this, please start reading at http://www.justanswer.com/immigration-law/330cd-holding-f-1-...

I was an F-1 student too, and here's my suggestion: This coming Summer, apply for pre-completion OPT . You are allowed to start a company (register a corporation), and work for it under OPT status. I have inquired about this on HN before: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1523021 I also verified with the DSOs (Designated School Officials) at my university, who are authorized to give legal advice on this matter, an…

Just want to add, OPT (both pre-completion and post-completion) applications will take around 3 months to process; so you should get the paperwork in right now in order to get your OPT authorized (and receive your EAD card) by mid/late May.

Until then, hopefully you can trust PayPal to hold onto your funds (and not gobble it up for some stupid reason).

Re: I made $200K and PayPal locked my account

#194

Post by tluyben2 »

droithomme wrote: post #121

The comments here are good. One point not addressed in the comments is that whether PayPal ever gives you the money back or not, OP has earned $200,000 in income while in the United States and he owes the IRS and possibly the state government as well full US income tax on this amount since he was in the US at the time he did this work. It doesn't matter what his visa situation is, that has nothing at all to do with i…

Instead of all the negative comments about Paypal (I still use them, but I make sure I withdraw money at least every month, in busy times more often), I would suggest not going to the US without stuff like this covered and enough money & insurance to defend yourself. It seems the US is overly aggressive in most legal matters and doesn't really consider the circumstances too much (I don't know if this is overall true, but it seems so from everything I have read). This could ruin a person's life while he only wanted to make some money; it should be possible to explain that and get some understanding instead of threats, bills of lawyers, putting his family in debt for paying his legal fees. He simply didn't know the consequences of what he was doing in trusting Paypal. That's not his fault and he shouldn't be punished for that by a crippled, lawyers take all, 'justice' system.

I'm wondering; when I travel abroad for longer times I have law assistance insurance; it's not expensive and, in his case, it would pay the lawyers for me (set aside some self risk of around E500 one-off per case); isn't this normal for people to close before going that long (and thus more risky) to the US?

Re: I made $200K and PayPal locked my account

#195

Post by gojomo »

smartwater wrote: post #118
sswaner wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

According to the lawyer across the table, privilege starts with the first conversation.

In Massachusetts it starts when you pay any amount of money.

Do you have a reference? This page of the Massachusetts Bar, like other more general discussions, suggests it also applies for any 'potential' or 'prospective' client:

http://www.massbar.org/publications/massachusetts-law-review...

Re: I made $200K and PayPal locked my account

#196

Post by coldtea »

ChuckMcM wrote: post #101

Sad story, I agree with folks who say you should seek out legal advice. HEADS UP FOR ANYONE ELSE CONSIDERING THIS: If you are going to receive funds with PayPal and they are going to exceed the 'occasional sale' guidelines (which some people interpret to mean the same guidelines at the rule for sending an IRS 1099 form which is First establish your business presence in the US, that means creating an LLC, getting an E…

>It didn't help that the OP is a student from Venezuela which is not one of America's trading partners.

It very much is. That's one reason for most of the anti-Venezuelan/Chavez propaganda: to get a puppet government like before to cut US companies better deals.

Re: I made $200K and PayPal locked my account

#197

Post by wyuenho »

winter_blue wrote: post #191
wyuenho wrote: post #186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I used to be an international student in the US. So I feel OP's pain. I have an advice in addition to winter_blue's. However, I have been out of the US for 3 years and I don't know if any rules have changed since then. Besides applying for precompletion OPT which will take months and months, a much quicker route for me was to get a part-time job at school. I did this when I was working as a CS tutor in my CS departme…

This is a bad idea. Getting an SSN does not solve the bigger issue of work authorization. Having an SSN would make Paypal happy, but he could be deported by SEVIS/USCIS/ICE for earning an income without proper work authorization. F-1 OPT is the only status I know that allows you to earn an income while being self-employed. Even on an H-1B doing what the OP did would be a violation of status, and could lead to deporta…

    Getting an SSN does not solve the bigger issue of work authorization.
That's right, but I didn't say getting an SSN will get you a work authorization. As an international student, you are legally allowed to be employed on-campus[1] on a part-time basis provided that you maintain your student status, which basically means you have an above minimum GPA and not serving any academic disciplinary actions. In order to get a permission to work on-campus, you need to file an I-9 form, then get an SSN, then you can start working, but you can get a job on-campus before any of these happens, as long as you don't get paid before you have I-9 filled out, authorized by CEVIS and have an SSN.

    F-1 OPT is the only status I know that allows you to earn an income while being self-employed.
Generally, that's impossible, unless you incorporate a sole-proprietorship, which is generally not possible unless you change your VISA status to O-1 (alien with extraordinary abilities) or EB-5 (investor with 500K - 1 mil in the bank) or some other forms of partnerships with a citizen, and apply for an H-1 for yourself through the company. You are required to pay income taxes if you are "employed" or have any kind of income. You cannot show that information if you don't have the proper paperwork, and you can't have those paperwork unless you are employed under an organization that can issue you work-authorization.

[1]: http://www.bu.edu/isso/students/current/f1/employment/on-cam...

Re: I made $200K and PayPal locked my account

#200

Post by webjac »

Hey Emmanuel, long time no speak.

I would suggest you go to a lawyer as well, I know how hard it is for us Venezuelans out there. I had a PayPal block once as well and managed to solve, it takes time and a lot of documentation, however it was not even close to the ammount you're mentioning here.

There are alternatives like creating your own company and giving the info of your company to PayPal, that way everything will be as legal as they might need.

Let me know how it goes, best of luck bro

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