How to legally work in the US?

Hello, you have many options as a Canadian entrepreneur moving to the US. If you are the major investor in your own company and own at least 50% of the company, you are eligible for an E-2 visa. If you already own a Canadian company and are opening a branch or subsidiary in the US you are eligible for an L-1 visa. If you are currently in the US as a student you may consider an H-1B visa. Regardless, of what option you choose you cannot just move to the US and start working. That said, you can make short trips to the US to set up your company without a visa, such as setting up bank accounts, signing legal documents, and agreeing to a lease. Each of these visa options has its own timeline and various strengths and weaknesses. I am an immigration attorney in the US. I would be happy to discuss your options further with you on a call.

Hearty Congratulations on the Global Success of Your Worldwide (Social Networking) App. However : You Do Urgently Need to Get Yourself an American Immigration Attorney ; so that your F1 Visa Status in the USA will not Adversely Affect your Apparently (Rather) Successful Social Media Venture. Owning an American Company may not necessarily (or automatically) translate into getting a (Full-Fledged) American Investors Visa ; most especially if the USA Visa Officer did not see anything about a Profitable American Company on your F1 Visa Application Form. Find an Experienced USA Immigration Attorney (Quite Quickly). If you are able to get American (or International) Investors to Loan You about One Million Dollars (US$1,000,000), then perhaps the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Programme may (actually) be a Far Much Better Option for You ; most especially if you can employ at least Ten American Citizens in (certain) Economically Deprived Areas. (In Fact) As At Today : US$500,000 could possibly get you an EB-5 Investors Visa ; provided that you Employ about 10 (Ten) American Citizens from Targeted Employment Area (TEA) Zones. Good Luck.

I am from Toronto as well and you can receive money and work remotely for which you have to pay taxes. However in order to go and work there you need a work visa. H1B - H2B etc.

The answer will depend on various factors, including the structure of the company, your position/title/duties, your shares, remuneration you are receiving (salary by T-4, contractor (no T-4), dividends, etc.), does the company employee Canadians or permanent residents, profitability of the company, your English test results from a standardized testing organization, e.g. IELTS, CELPIP. A lot of changes have occurred to the management of most immigration applications (Express Entry introduced in January 2015), creating a more competitive and fast paced immigration process. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/express/express-entry.asp The Ontario Opportunities (Provincial Nominee Program) program remains a very good option for recent graduates of Ontario colleges/universities and if you hire an experienced immigration lawyer to strategize and plan the best pathway to immigration, using your company as a catalyst/springboard (applying for Employer Pre-Screen of a Job Offer), you have a high likelihood of success in gaining permanent residence status. http://www.ontarioimmigration.ca/en/pnp/OI_PNPSTUDENTS_JOB.html Keep in mind there are on-going changes and future changes that are to come with the management and processing of immigration applications and there is no 100% way to predict or guarantee how any immigration application will unfold. However, working with an experienced and savvy "think outside the box" immigration lawyer, before any application is submitted, who can prepare and present your application in the most favourable way (knowing how the immigration bureaucracy thinks and what factors will make an application look more promising) and navigate the web of immigration law and policy to avoid delays in processing or refusal, and manage your temporary status as a worker along the way, is key.

1) Get a job offer from a friend or connection who runs a US business... or... 2) Offer your services at a significant discount to a local worker. Work visa is the fastest, easiest way. Still not easy, but better than marrying someone for a visa.