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I'm not a US Citizen and I live in Canada. I'm not a Canadian Citizen either. I'm in Canada on a Study Permit. I believe I have some ideas that can be turned into Startups and eventually into successful products. If I plan to move ahead with Y Combinator as my VC/Investor and if i need to move to Silicon Valley (which is a pre-requisite if you work with Y Combinator). How can I do so?

What minimum Visa/Immigration status would I need to enter US and run a business?

Thanks

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I believe that you will have a difficult time. In my experience, the two most likely visas for foreign entrepreneurs coming to the U.S. are E-2 (requires investment of a lot of money) and L-1 (intracompany transferee), and you probably qualify for neither. Please see Visa Basics for Foreign Entrepreneurs Coming to the U.S.

Disclaimer: This post does not constitute legal advice and does not establish an attorney-client relationship.

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Thanks, your post was really helpful. Can you please shed some light on the fact that in actual how much investment would be needed to apply for a E-2 Visa. For Canada, a similar visa would attract an investment of around $200,000 (Canadian Dollars) – Jasdeep Singh Nov 8 '10 at 16:48
My understanding is at least US$100,000, but you should consult with an immigration lawyer to obtain details. – Dana Shultz Nov 11 '10 at 20:48
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If you are only coming for 3 months, and will not draw a salary, then you can come as a visitor, or apply for a B-1 visa, which is fairly easy to get (depending on your country of citizenship).

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