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

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191–200 of 349 posts

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

#191
Which country's PR would you recommend for a looking-to-exit-Canadian looking to a) pay less tax (53% income rate is too high!) & b) face less investing regulation (e.g. Ontario banning access to certain crypto exchanges)?

Is there a popular one these days? e.g. paraguay

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

#193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There isn't a website but the E-2 visa is really a great option for those seeking to establish a business in and move to the US.

As I understand there’s no pathway from E2 to Green Card. E2 visa holder will need to get extensions every two years. It is a great option, but there are a few downsides.

Actually, that's not correct. There's no connection between underlying status and green card options. The connection is coincidental, not causal. An E-2 can apply for a green card. He or she just will be grounded for a period of time while the green card application is pending.

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

#194

Hi Peter, My father who is a naturalized US citizen since Oct 2018 (He got his GC in Oct 2013) filed for my GC. I am in F2B. I am born and raised in India, 32 yrs, unmarried, 5 years of exp in IT. Priority date → Nov 2017 Petition approved → Nov 2020 My file should be with NVC now, probably in cold storage. How severely has the pandemic slowed down application processing? I have been hearing there will be no change i…

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

#195
post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would heavily disagree on any benefits of being physically in the US. Working for US companies remotely while in a warm European place (Italy, Spain, Portugal) is the real deal.

The US is diverse in terms of both culture and climate :) Many people I know want to live in the US for various reasons. And I can't offer relocation to any European country without having operations in Europe, for the same reason that people outside of the US can't offer relocation to the US.

> And I can't offer relocation to any European country without having operations in Europe

That's not entirely true - several European countries offer "Digital Nomad" visas that are specifically aimed at attracting people who won't take jobs in their host country, but will instead receive income from elsewhere and spend it in their host country, thus boosting their host country's economy.

See: https://www.etiasvisa.com/etias-news/digital-nomad-visas-eu-...

If you partnered with the right European law firms, you could totally offer a nice package of US based salary + assistance with "Digital Nomad" visa application.

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

#197

My company has been struggling to process visas through their immigration vendor, based on my experience I don't trust the vendor they use, as they won't even check the spelling of your name. Am I overstepping if I hire an attorney to triple check the paperwork on my side and make me some recommendations?

Generally speaking, getting another attorney involved doesn't help because the company likely won't be open to outside advice/involvement.

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

#198
post #48

What are the legal risks for a US company to hire a foreign contractor in a model that is more like of a full time employee? I am the foreign contractor in this situation and I like it. I wish many more companies would hire this way, since a real FTE would require the company to establish a presence in my country (which will never happen). I understand the risks of hiring as contractor with an employee-like agreement…

It would ultimately be more of a question of the laws of your country. From the US's perspective, even if you were an employee, it would be foreign source income as long as you remain outside of the US so they aren't going to gain any taxes if you were considered an employee.

Thanks, makes sense. On my side is all good. I formed a company to export services. But that’s why I wonder why more companies don’t do this

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

#199

With the new ruling [0] on L2 visa holders no longer requiring work authorization, will spouses be able to work immediately upon landing in the United States? [0] - https://www.forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2021/11/11/uscis...

Eventually yes thankfully but USCIS needs to issue guidance first and amend the I-94.

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

#200
post #160
post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly as mettamage said, so yes, more of an employment/tax law question. Anyone on YC to do a AMA on that? :)

The way I've done this in the past is by registering a company in my home country and billing through that. For the company procuring your services, it's no different than paying for a service like AWS. The company you registered is responsible for paying applicable service taxes for rendered services as well as payroll taxes and other contributions as required by law on behalf of the employee, aka your physical pers…

Yep, that’s exactly what I am doing, for all the reasons you said.
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