21–30 of 44 posts
A good time to remind Americans how insanely difficult it is to get into the U.S. legally: http://reason.com/assets/db/07cf533ddb1d06350cf1ddb5942ef5ad...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Half-measures avail us nothing. :-) You are right to reject the tourist visa option: it might work for a few quick visits to network and meet people, but it is not the best way to go if you are serious. And I have seen that when I behave in a serious and business-like way, I get serious and business-like results. (Off-topic: when I started being rigorous about claiming business expenses only for real business expense…
Follow-up. Think about the category "L" visa. Executive of foreign corporation transferred to work at the U.S. branch. Set up a Swedish corporation. Create a U.S. subsidiary corporation. Decide to assign yourself to the USA to work. Devil. Details. Etc. These visa applications can be completed in 6 weeks or so -- this is what my immigration lawyer friends tell me.
Of course i had an experienced lawyer that took my hand throughout all the process... And we also examined all available options...
L type visas are not as simple as you describe. The criteria that have to be met are not suitable for a startup company. The killing requirement is that you (the employee that will be assigned in the US subsidiary) has to work in the mother company for at least a year.
... And let's not get into what the requirements for the mother company are...
The OP claims to be an entrepreneur . And then I read this in the blog: I had such a long waiting period, that all my energy and momentum was drained. A man with no face, trapped, with no freedom to move or express, waiting for a (seemingly at the time) life-scale type of decision to be made for him. Really? As an entrepreneur, one shouldn't be so disheartened by the outcome of a process that is totally outside your…
While internet means international network, the internet industry isn't really international. The sooner one realizes that the sooner he/she can get in the right path to success. While there are always exceptions that prove the rule, there is the rule. And the rule says that the internet industry lies in the SF Bay area. Examine it under any metric you wish, quantitative or qualitative and you will end up in the same…
I suppose that the things that matters are mostly monetary and boil down to "how much money do I need to pony up in the beginning stages?". On the other hand, if I had to move, I'd move only to a country where I know that I will not refused medical care for any reason and it is unlikely that I can end up in jail or being detained for wearing the wrong t-shirt. Oz?
PS: the website has a .com domain. Ah, irony of being refused a visa from the US while still being somehow under their legal reach.
The OP claims to be an entrepreneur . And then I read this in the blog: I had such a long waiting period, that all my energy and momentum was drained. A man with no face, trapped, with no freedom to move or express, waiting for a (seemingly at the time) life-scale type of decision to be made for him. Really? As an entrepreneur, one shouldn't be so disheartened by the outcome of a process that is totally outside your…
While internet means international network, the internet industry isn't really international. The sooner one realizes that the sooner he/she can get in the right path to success. While there are always exceptions that prove the rule, there is the rule. And the rule says that the internet industry lies in the SF Bay area. Examine it under any metric you wish, quantitative or qualitative and you will end up in the same…
And the way the USA is acting right now trying to pass draconian laws and police the internet for everyone, every sane company will/should be moving their operations to a progressive thinking nation.
I also don't understand why you are so upset. Just because someone else got the visa is no guarantee you would. You know that saying, "don't count your chickens before they've hatched"...
As an european I sadly see everyone from this side of the world trying desperately be part of the new startup gold rush in the US. Fund startup, get VC money, sell it, ???, profit.
Not very long time ago, I was like you too. I wanted so much to move to SF and build my startup or be part of one. But now, I don't care. Why ?
1 - I can incorporate my company in Delaware right from my living room.
2 - I can have hire good professionals from around the world to work with me (looking at 37signals as a role model)
3 - And quite frankly, the position of the US regarding european citizens that want to live and work in the US is too restrictive and amazingly elitist. Not even Mordor is that hard travel to. I just wished other countries had the same mesures/restrictions as they do for US citizens that want to live and work abroad. Europe (although lots of americans couldn't even put it on the map) isn't made of third world countries.
4 - Also, lots of good startups are operating in this side of the world.
So, why are you giving the US all the credits for your work ? If they don't want you, screw it. It's not the end of the world, and your can pretty much do the same thing here as you would over there.
As a developer and founder of a new born company, I feel like we need to show the world that europe is a good place to fund a startup, we might not have the YC or other popular investors, but if more and more startups got created here, maybe they would start looking for us.
From the regs: (12) Investment . An investment is the treaty investor's placing of capital, including funds and other assets (which have not been obtained, directly or indirectly, through criminal activity), at risk in the commercial sense with the objective of generating a profit. The treaty investor must be in possession of and have control over the capital invested or being invested. The capital must be subject to…
Actually, this is a box-checking exercise, and doesn't stand in the way of setting up a startup. I went through the same process in 1999, and have renewed ever since - and I did all my own paperwork (which is a huge pain), so I'm pretty familiar with how it works. Initially, I talked to a lawyer about 'doing it right' - but concluded that I would have spent as much time describing it to the lawyer as writing the appl…
They don't want someone coming in to go to San Francisco and network, pitch to investors, rapidly iterate till you find market fit, etc.
I think they should allow educated, motivated people to come into the country and give it a shot, but that's just not how the law is right now.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Follow-up. Think about the category "L" visa. Executive of foreign corporation transferred to work at the U.S. branch. Set up a Swedish corporation. Create a U.S. subsidiary corporation. Decide to assign yourself to the USA to work. Devil. Details. Etc. These visa applications can be completed in 6 weeks or so -- this is what my immigration lawyer friends tell me.
Thank you for the tips philip! Of course i had an experienced lawyer that took my hand throughout all the process... And we also examined all available options... L type visas are not as simple as you describe. The criteria that have to be met are not suitable for a startup company. The killing requirement is that you (the employee that will be assigned in the US subsidiary) has to work in the mother company for at l…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Actually, this is a box-checking exercise, and doesn't stand in the way of setting up a startup. I went through the same process in 1999, and have renewed ever since - and I did all my own paperwork (which is a huge pain), so I'm pretty familiar with how it works. Initially, I talked to a lawyer about 'doing it right' - but concluded that I would have spent as much time describing it to the lawyer as writing the appl…
It makes plenty of sense and it matches my experience. The UCSIS wants people that are going to come with substantial amount of money and set up a business. They don't want someone coming in to go to San Francisco and network, pitch to investors, rapidly iterate till you find market fit, etc. I think they should allow educated, motivated people to come into the country and give it a shot, but that's just not how the…
Further to the idea of coming over to SF and couch-surfing while iterating : The UCSIS wants to see 'CEOs' coming over. So that's what you need to give them. Your friends/fellow hackers may be surprised at the suit and distinguished haircut : But the picture you have to present at the Embassy (and through the documents) is one of business success being a forgone conclusion.
It goes beyond what you might do to impress a VC-like investor (who may also take a casual approach as some kind of signalling too). The UCSIS person is also getting 'invested' in your company. And they want to know that they're going to get their money back for sure. There's no equity upside for the UCSIS : They're much more like a debt investor/bank manager.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Follow-up. Think about the category "L" visa. Executive of foreign corporation transferred to work at the U.S. branch. Set up a Swedish corporation. Create a U.S. subsidiary corporation. Decide to assign yourself to the USA to work. Devil. Details. Etc. These visa applications can be completed in 6 weeks or so -- this is what my immigration lawyer friends tell me.
Thank you for the tips philip! Of course i had an experienced lawyer that took my hand throughout all the process... And we also examined all available options... L type visas are not as simple as you describe. The criteria that have to be met are not suitable for a startup company. The killing requirement is that you (the employee that will be assigned in the US subsidiary) has to work in the mother company for at l…
But if your lawyer was so experienced, shouldn't you have been forwarned that you had a marginal case?
Did the UCSIS outright deny the application (which is a problem for the future too) or just ask for further documentation (which could be death by a thousand cuts too)?