Ask HN: Can/do US startups hire non-American citizens?

You don't have to get an H1B visa right out of university to start working. You can use your OPT (Optional Practical Training). That will allow you to stay and work in the US for 12 months in your field of study, and it's possible to apply for a STEM extension (17 months).

Even if a startup was willing to sponsor you, having your immigration status contingent on the continued existence of a company that could go bankrupt with little notice doesn't seem like a good idea.

To work at a tech startup, why do you need to be physically located in the US? There is no particular complication for a startup to pay you as a contractor working from a foreign country, except that you are responsible for paying your government the taxes they want.

You're basically SOL. Work visas nearly always only go to well established companies or body shops (who've learnt how to game the system). Plus, in this recession, it would be hard to prove there is a lack of Americans willing or able to do your job.<p>Even the startup visa being debated now, is only meant for "founders" and not for folks who just want to work in a startup.<p>If you really want to stay in the US without worrying about being kicked out of the country the moment you lose a job, you need to do the time to get a GC (either do a PhD and get the GC faster or get in the queue with the normal folks and wait 10-15 years)

I'm a grad student currently working for a startup in the bay area and let me say you need to be QUITE lucky to get sponsored. Most startups don't have the time or experience to drive the h1b process and, on the other hand, somebody mentioned it is a pain to have your work stability depending on a young firm that cab easily and quickly go underwater. If the company tanks, you need to get responsored immediately or leave. I love what I'm doing, but it IS quite stressing...particularly if you have a loan to repay.