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

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

#121

Post by sadlion » Fri, Dec 07, 2018, 6:49 PM UTC

Hi Peter, I completed my OPT and just received an H1b. I have applied for the i-140(premium processing). I am from an undersubscribed country and all my priority dates are current. I'm thinking about changing my employer and wanted to know the optimum time in the process I should do that while minimally affecting my GC process.

Thanks

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

#122

Post by proberts » Fri, Dec 07, 2018, 6:51 PM UTC

jppope wrote: post #116

What is the process for getting rid of American Citizenship? Expatriating, specifically for tax purposes. (should be useful to anyone that expects a windfall)

The typical process is though a US Embassy but if it's determined to be for tax reasons, there potentially are negative tax and immigration consequences. While this touches on immigration, speak with an accountant before going down this path.

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

#123

Post by proberts » Fri, Dec 07, 2018, 6:52 PM UTC

sadlion wrote: post #121

Hi Peter, I completed my OPT and just received an H1b. I have applied for the i-140(premium processing). I am from an undersubscribed country and all my priority dates are current. I'm thinking about changing my employer and wanted to know the optimum time in the process I should do that while minimally affecting my GC process. Thanks

Was this a self-sponsored I-140 petition or company-sponsored?

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

#124

Post by proberts » Fri, Dec 07, 2018, 6:53 PM UTC

xoraes wrote: post #118

proberts wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Note that you can work part-time in H-1B status for a for-profit company while on a cap-exempt H-1B. But beyond this, without knowing your qualifications, I would look at the O-1 .

Thanks for the prompt response! To shed some more light on qualifications, I've BS+MS in ECE with ~3 years of experience in the security field. I'm a member of a well recognized standards committee defining security standards. I've given conference talks, and published articles in industry trade journals. Does that make my odds of getting O1 visa (or EB1 green card) higher in any way?

Yes, definitely, it sounds like an O-1 would be a strong option.

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

#125

Post by proberts » Fri, Dec 07, 2018, 6:54 PM UTC

I will be taking a 20-minute break and then returning for another couple of hours.

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

#126

Post by AnimalMuppet » Fri, Dec 07, 2018, 6:55 PM UTC

sctb wrote: post #83

gist wrote: post #24

Question for the admins (dang and sctb). This seems like an attorney trolling for work a few times per year. https://news.ycombinator.com/submitted?id=proberts Note other AMA's which are typically different: https://hn.algolia.com/?query=%22AMA%20%22&sort=byPopularity... Is this allowed because the poster 'does work for YC' meaning if another attorney did the same thing on a regular basis it would get flagged?

No, no! Peter has been kind enough to lend his time (again and again) to the Hacker News community at our request. We appreciate you looking out for good behavior around here and I can tell you that this is extra-good.

This is very good. Someone who really knows taking a chunk of time to give authoritative answers to questions on a topic that a bunch of people really need answers to? This is HN at its best.

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

#127

Post by smkellat » Fri, Dec 07, 2018, 6:58 PM UTC

Are there any benefits for a US citizen to locate a startup in either Puerto Rico or USVI for bringing in non-US talent? That is to say, beyond the climate and possibly relaxed tax positions are there benefits?

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

#128

Post by e1g » Fri, Dec 07, 2018, 6:58 PM UTC

pain_perdu wrote: post #40

Just wanted to say that my company has used Peter's firm three times with great results. Peter is the best, listen to his advice!

+1. Peter's firm organized my E3 with minimal effort on my side. They walked me through the process with much support and resolved any obstacles with unusual speed and clarity.

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

#129

Post by anocendi » Fri, Dec 07, 2018, 6:58 PM UTC

Hello Peter,

Thank you for keep on doing this on periodic basis.

Two questions:

1. Any likely / impending changes (more demanding requirements, etc.) in law affecting the process from H1B to GC under current administration?

2. Any likely / impending changes (tighter restrictions, etc.) in the law affecting the process from GC to citizenship under current administration?

Thank you.

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

#130

Post by gonehome » Fri, Dec 07, 2018, 7:00 PM UTC

If I were to leave tech and go to law school with an interest in getting involved and helping with the legal issues immigrants are currently facing at the border and elsewhere is there something that would be useful to know?

Some particular law school that has a better focus or things you wish you had known when starting out? I figured out how to navigate the tech interview/application process, but don't know a lot of lawyers to understand the legal one.

Thanks!