Hoping someone can point me in the right direction with this one... I am a UK national living in California on an L2 visa. I have applied for a work permit, but this is going to take 3 months to come through. In the meantime, I am keen to start the ball rolling setting up a sole proprietorship. Does anyone know - do I have to have the work permit in place to start trading?
@pgawley : Work on a full-time basis in the U.S. with proper employment authorization from the USCIS. So I guess you need to consult your situation with USCIS.
@kenwhite : I believe you can run online business while in vacation most businessman do. But if it require you to get into deals (like agreement, contract , etc.) I think its a violation. On a plus side I think it would be hard to get caught but it is still a violation.
Not quite sure if I understand your question.
If someone is here on a B2 Visa (Visitor Visa) and they need to make sure that it doesn't violate the terms of the visa. Checking emails and returning phone calls probably doesn't classify as running a business.
For more information on Visa, you should contact the State Department or look at their Visa Section of their website
Sorry for cutting the thread but I think this might fit here.
Is is legal for a non US citizen who are on a long vacation in the USA to keep running his/ hers business online?
I guess it would be hard to get 'busted' but are there any regulations controlling such things?
nicoole raises a good point, a few phone calls should be enough to sort this out though. My guess would be that if you're legally entitled to work at the moment then you'll be entitled to strart a sole trader business but you'll want to check it out.
I am not certain on the specifications of an L2 visa, however,
as I understand it, some work visas only permit you to work exclusively for your employer. Starting your own business may violate the terms of your visa status.
This is a very delicate topic, and I recommend consulting with a lawyer or with your embassy to better understand your options.
gretcyshaw | Creator | 8/18/2010 - 5:38 am
kenwhite | Performer | 8/13/2010 - 9:42 am
JimD | Former Moderator | 8/13/2010 - 5:50 am
kenwhite | Performer | 8/12/2010 - 9:35 pm
jogjob | Window Shopper | 8/6/2010 - 8:08 pm
NicoleD | Former Moderator | 7/20/2010 - 7:34 am
Join The Discussion
You must be logged in to join the discussion. If you already have an SBA Community account, Log In to join the discussion.
New users, Register for a new account and join the conversation today!