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How I got an O-1 visa as a software engineer

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Re: How I got an O-1 visa as a software engineer

#31

Post by beaeglebeached »

ceejayoz wrote: post #24
101008 wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can imagine this being true but at the same time it's so weird. I tried to open an account with Chase and Bank of America and they ask me for SSN, and I can't get one because I am from outside the US (I just want to get one to have my freelance money in an actual bank and not Paypal/Payoneer/an app). There are companies that provide a LLC with a SSN for just a fix payment of $400, but I am sure it comes with a lot…

They won't use a Chase account. They'll get paid cash or a physical check they can take to a check cashing place.

Why wouldn't they? They'd probably just use the business tin as the taxable account owner and then their real foreign passport as the UBO for KYC. If they can't do that it would surely break the wheels of industry as foreign owned US businesses need US bank accounts.

IIRC banks need a ITIN or SSN + passport or ID of the UBO

Re: How I got an O-1 visa as a software engineer

#32

Post by returningfory2 »

x86x87 wrote: post #25
neuralengine wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s false. You can apply for EB visas from outside the US. After the approval of the I-140 (application for employment-based visa), instead of “adjustment” of your visa status in the US, you perform immigrant visa processing at your local consulate to get your green card. You can still travel after filing the I-140 but not after filing the I-485 (adjustment) without advance parole.

There is no such thing as EB visas. While your greencard is processed you can indefinitely renew your current visa (eg HB1 you get it for 3 years and can renew only once, with application pending you can keep renewing it). Also, Green Card has different stages with their own limitations PERM -> I140 -> I485 -> green card.

The US Department of State has a webpage literally called "Employment-Based Immigrant Visas": https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrat...

It's not common for people with no prior connection to the US get one of these, but it is 100% possible. You can look up statistics on the number of employment green card visas issued here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/v... In the PDF you need to search for E1, E2, etc.

Re: How I got an O-1 visa as a software engineer

#33

Post by paxys »

beaeglebeached wrote: post #9

I have a dumb question but how often do tourist visa overstayers get deported while running their own business under an incorporated ITIN? There's not even an I-9 check for non-employee income. There's got to be millions of people doing something like this or as 'independent contractors' considering how trivial it is and the obvious completely broken immigration system that demands these kinds of hacks.

There may be "millions of people" doing this, but they are running street carts and house cleaning services, not tech companies.

Re: How I got an O-1 visa as a software engineer

#34

Post by smeej »

101008 wrote: post #28
ceejayoz wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They won't use a Chase account. They'll get paid cash or a physical check they can take to a check cashing place.

Yes but my question was not about how they open a Chase account, but why Chase requires a SSN if SSN are sold in a black market (according to the previous comment)

Chase requires more than just the SSN. Chase requires you to prove your identity matches the person whose SSN you submit. They require it as part of a larger picture, not in isolation.

(Employers are supposed to verify ID too, but they're not scrutinized as heavily as a major bank like Chase.)

Re: How I got an O-1 visa as a software engineer

#36

Post by tossedacct »

101008 wrote: post #28
ceejayoz wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They won't use a Chase account. They'll get paid cash or a physical check they can take to a check cashing place.

Yes but my question was not about how they open a Chase account, but why Chase requires a SSN if SSN are sold in a black market (according to the previous comment)

Chase uses the SSN to look for a bad banking history.

Re: How I got an O-1 visa as a software engineer

#39

Post by neuralengine »

Agingcoder wrote: post #35

Unless I’ve misunderstood something, a phd holder who has published papers and worked in tech/banking/etc with a high salary can get that kind of visa ?

Either conditions are typically sufficient, not necessarily both. Still, O-1s still have significant limitations.

You can only work for the employer who sponsored you, for example. That means no additional freelancing.

Re: How I got an O-1 visa as a software engineer

#40

Post by paxys »

js2 wrote: post #27
x86x87 wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

EB-1 is not a visa. It's a category for permanent residence application. It's not an Einstein "visa" by any means. https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-eligibility/gree... You can have extraordinary abilities or you can be a manager at bigcorp. Yes, being a manager will most times qualify you for an EB-1 bracket.

USCIS calls it a visa in the first sentence: https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/permanent... You may be eligible for an employment-based, first-preference visa if you are a noncitizen of extraordinary ability, are an outstanding professor or researcher, or are a certain multinational executive or manager.

It wouldn't be the first government website with confusing wording. They call it visa, but practically "EB-1 visa" = green card. There's no intermediate stage between the two. There's no sticker on your passport that says EB-1. You can't use your EB-1 status to enter the country or work or anything else.

EB-1 simply means that you jump to the front of the line to get a green card.

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