It can be a long and confusing road when starting a business in the USA as a foreign citizen. You have a lot of options for getting your business up and running.
Sorting through all those options is confusing. However, once you have an idea of what you want your business to be, and what all your options are, then you can get your business up and running. You won’t need to worry about the startup process once the wheels are in motion.
What You Can and Can’t Do
As a non-citizen, you can start a business without any green card. Additionally, you don’t need to be a resident of the United States. You just need to work with a registered agent service, and register your business with whatever state you are filing in. You do not even need a green card to get started, although owning a business does not change your citizenship status.
If you are a foreign citizen, then you can start a business of any kind whether you are currently living in the United States. a sole proprietorship, partnership, Limited Liability Company (LLC), S-Corporation, or C-Corporation. However, starting a business is different from being able to work and live in the US, as you won’t see any profits until you get a conditional visa or green card.
1. Starting a Business in the USA While Living Abroad
The conditions that you face vary from person to person and business to business. This is especially if you have a successful home business but want to expand to the United States market. If you have been trading with the US and want to open a shop there, then you need to go through a completely different set of steps than if you are simply moving your business to the US.
In the digital world there are a lot of ways to start a business in the USA and talking to a US based attorney can really help you out with the legal loopholes.
2. Invest in an EB-5 Project
Of course, if you have some money from previous business dealings, you can invest in an EB-5 project. Depending on where you want to put your money, you will either be investing around $1,800,000 while investing in a targeted employment area will cost you $900,000.
Once you make the investment into the business, then you need to create 10 full-time jobs for American citizens. If you have the cash to do so, then an EB-5 Project is a great way to start your own business.
Make sure to invest in a field that expects to see some growth and that will last for a long time. This is because you don’t just want to build the business to get a green card. You also want to have something that continues to bring money into your household for a long time.
If you need some help figuring out what to invest in, you can work with an EB-5 affiliate network to get some extra help and advice.
Other Options for Starting a Business
Of course, the two above options are not the only options for starting a business in the USA. It is best to do your research to ensure you know all your options when it comes to starting a business in the USA.
No matter what, you need to ensure that you know your situation and what advantages you have as a foreigner inside the US, because that shouldn’t stop your business dreams.
