Ask HN: How can I leverage a profitable Internet startup to get a US/EU visa?

[rayalez]

Hi! Suppose I have built a cool and profitable website that has a lot of traffic and makes a lot of money. I live in a 3rd world country and the dream of my life is to move to US.

Is there any way I can leverage a successfull online business to have a possibility to live in US?

[kjksf]

If "lot's of money" means "$1 million or more" you can look into US investor visa (http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/eb-5-investor-who-qua..., http://www.h1base.com/visa/work/compare%20work%20visas/ref/1...).

But if you want to explore that further, better contact an immigration attorney (which I'm sure you can find on-line) for more specific advice.

That being said, US is not all roses (I live here) and most other countries have much more sensible immigration policy e.g. Canada, Australia, New Zealand all have easier and more rational paths for getting citizenship.

Also most countries won't kick you out so as long as you can easily get a traveller's visa to a given country, you can live there pretty much indefinitely by renewing the visa (which usually lasts for at least 3 months) when it expires.

The biggest question is where are you from - the exact details on visas depend on country you're from and some unlucky countries have it much worse than others.

Also some asian countries (Thailand, Singapore) are welcoming to (rich) people.

[siscia]

Probably move to Europe will be simpler.

The tax are a higher, the wage lower, but if you will have a better social net if things go south.

Also I guess will be simpler to move from Europe to US.

A lot depends also from your background ?

Where you from ? What languages you know ? Do you have relatives/friend anywhere in the world ?

[rayalez]

Thank you for your reply!

Can you give me some advice on moving to Europe? Which country is easier to immigrate to? What are the conditions that I have to fulfill?

My situation:

I'm 24 year old single male, my English is not perfect but I have no problem speaking and understanding people. I don't have relatives anywhere outside of my home country. I have a bachelor's degree in a field that has nothing to do with CS or entrepreneurship(I'm mostly self-taught). I'm not sure what else is relevant.

[adventured]

Yes, you can buy your way into the US in several ways:

http://cis.org/north/aliens-guide-buying-american-visa-three...

Or you can pursue a green card on the basis of extraordinary ability:

http://www.bbcamerica.com/mind-the-gap/2012/09/13/how-to-get...

Alternatively, there's the slow, gradual process. If you were making decent money, you can also hire professionals to attempt to expedite your process as much as possible.

[smartician]

In addition to the other options, if your country has an investor visa treaty with the US, you can qualify for an E-2 visa: http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/fees/treaty.ht...

There is no explicit minimum investment required, I've heard of people getting in with five figure sums.

[sidarok]

This Wikipedia article gives a good overview of the Startup visas countries have to offer : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Startup_Visa

[pcunite]

Awesome, good for you. Others will be able to answer this question. I don't know.