07-10-2022
Owning a company and running it while being in the US will not be allowed without a business visa for the US. There are various types of US business visas depending on the purpose, duration, and other requirements. It's always better to get complete information about US business visa types if you are interested in running a business here by living in the US.
Certain conditions allow you to be a company manager without a visa. For instance, if you own and manage a company or business in the USA, without US immigration, living outside of the US, there is no need to get a visa. But if you want to manage, own or serve a US company, by physically being in the US without having a business visa, it will be considered illegal.
Strict actions can be taken in this case, including deportation without allowing the return along with a huge penalty to the company for hiring an illegal manager or worker (in case you don't own the company. However, you can be a director, shareholder, or owner of a US company if you are not performing these duties within the US. For this, you will have to go for a proper work/business visa.
There are different types of US business visas to run a business in the USA that are categorized and briefly explained here;
It's one of the most common business visas for the USA. The B1 visa is a temporary business visa issued to those who want to;
Note
This visa is valid for up to 6 months and doesn't allow a visa holder to perform hirings or sign a contract.
Another basic category of business visa for the USA is a B2 visa. It's a temporary visa and is used for visiting purposes. It's actually a tourist visa and a B2 visa holder can negotiate business contracts in us, but can't really sign a contract.
It's a temporary and renewable visa used for setting up a business that will trade with the US business visa holder’s home country. This visa is valid as long as the business is functional. Once the business ends, the E1 visa gets cancelled.
Note
E1 business visa for us is not valid for children under 21. Also, the home country of the visa holder must be a part of an appropriate treaty with us.
Investor E2 visa is a type of temporary business visa for us in which the visa holder belonging to a treaty country can start a business in the US. It's valid as long as the business is functional and isn't valid for children under 21.
This is an important business visa as it will allow permanent residence after the probation period. But, a huge investment - ranging from $500k to $1MM - is required. Also, the business must hire at least 10 US citizens within 2 years and must have a survival span of 5 years.
This visa allows a visa holder to transfer from a foreign company to a US company. Its duration is up to one year and can be extended thrice. The visa holder must have worked with that foreign company for at least one year during the last 3 years.
H-1B visa isn't allowed for self-employment and there is a limited annual quota for this visa. Its duration is 3 years and can be extended further.
This business visa for the US is for those who have some extraordinary ability in the fields of science, arts, education, athletics, or business. It has a validity of three years and can be extendable. The ability must be mentioned in documents.
TN visa is for Canadians and Mexican citizens to work as NAFTA professionals in the US. It's not applicable for self-employment and has a duration of three years. Visa can be extended further. For detailed US visa information, check VisaLobby.
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