Tell HN: Will design for food

I do have a business (not work) visa. Which allows me to make business in the US but not get hired. Which I'm not looking for first hand. Thanks!

https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/BusinessVisa%20Pu...

jedmeyers 3513 days ago

If this is B1 visa you are talking about, then it does not allow you to exchange your services for compensation. The only B1 traveling purpose that might fit you, in theory, is "training" where you are reimbursed for your living expenses, so you might look into that.

Inviz 3513 days ago

How about consultancy work? That's what I did in US with B-1, and specificially I talked to border officer about this being legal.

jedmeyers 3512 days ago

IANAL but I think that depends on whether or not a US entity pays for the actual consulting.

jackbquick 3513 days ago

Is a portfolio link too much to ask when an individual petitions others to accept their brilliance and provide room and board?

doozy 3513 days ago

If you are good at something never do it for free.

ajkjk 3513 days ago

That aphorism assumes some things about a person's goals in life that don't hold for everybody.

jackbquick 3513 days ago

I have 12+ years of engineering experience and would do it for free given it provided valuable experience or connections that I couldn't obtain otherwise

paulcole 3513 days ago

You should write Chicken Soup for the Designer's Soul-- just don't do it for free.

Seriously though, as easy as it is to post cliches, can't you imagine situations where you should work for free? Like in the situation OP is in, a foreign national who can't accept payment for work in the US?

Havoc 3513 days ago

Agreed, though this is perhaps an exception. Its obviously a lifestyle choice rather than a long-term strategy:

>I will work with each startup up to 1 week and then move to another city/startup.

Bladtman 3512 days ago

Unless you are batman.

coderholic 3513 days ago

Link from profile: http://lafolie.co/

dorianm 3513 days ago

If it's setup as a freelancer with a business visa (B1), you should be fine.

jedmeyers 3513 days ago

Are you flying from overseas on tourist visa?

You want to know what, I'm going to call you out for this. I don't like people who are politically correct, and if you work for the Government, and truly believe that someone can "work" in another country without actually really working (in my opinion) because they're not making any money, and then have that person be rejected at the border for life (yes this really happens), among other things, for planning to "work" (according to you), for no money, you're part of the problem. This person is not asking for money. Stop trying to loop them into getting themselves in trouble, by admitting anything like that on a public forum, because I see you as potentially a politically-correct government troll collecting intelligence for evil purposes.

jeremy_wiebe 3513 days ago

Are you aware that border officials don't care about whether you are receiving compensation? If you are doing work an American could have performed they'll care.

Note: I'm Canadian but live close to the border and cross occasionally.

Yes, that's why I was suggesting the guy say nothing about his citizenship/visa status if he was indeed planning to help people for free. I'm the type of guy, where even if I'm open-minded about the government (and might even help them with my startup), I'm sticking up the little guy.

I would personally never "work" in the US without the right visa, because I am well-aware of the laws and am a very knowledgable man. I'm also reasonable, and the US government is not reasonable sometimes. I see that changing under Donald Trump, because I firmly believe that he will change his mind and end up being socially liberal because of people like Peter Thiel. I'm just doing a public service for this innocent man.

jedmeyers 3513 days ago

He is not planning to help "for free", he is planning to help in return for compensation which in this case will be "room and board". And I was asking the original question because not everyone who comes to the US on a tourist visa understands that this is not allowed and if something goes wrong this situation might turn ugly for him. If your suggestion is "break the law just be quiet about it" then I will just say that I don't recommend doing that.

yarou 3513 days ago

What a bizarre rant.

I'm not sure what I find more absurd about your comment: it's either the fact that you think of yourself as some sort of self-appointed immigrant savior, or the cognitive dissonance you display when it comes to your political beliefs.

ryanx435 3513 days ago

what does this have to do with trump?

Previous presidents enabled laws around people being considered "working" when they're not making a dime and it's destroyed families because noones considered changing it yet. I'd like to see Trump change that.

Downvote the fuck out of me, do I care? Of course not. I will always stick up for the little guy even when it's unpopular.

ludamad 3513 days ago

Or this is an innocent question leading up a civil discussion of US law :)

I know a person who was helping his girlfriend in the US paint a house, for no money, who got deported for "working" even though there was no money involved, and it destroyed his relationship and now has him banned from the Republic. I have strong feelings about an overbearing government and was speaking my mind. It was also a warning to the person who posted the thread not to tell people anything like that on a public forum, as a public service.

irunbackwards 3513 days ago

Super cool! You should blog about your experience(s), at least the non-NDA ones!

Yeah. I'll be writting a blog post about this whole process, including this post on HN. How it all started, what we achieved, etc. Thanks!

deepnotderp 3513 days ago

Will you be coming to portland?

Never been to Portland! Happy to go there! Hit me up!

deepnotderp 3513 days ago

Any timeline? Also, what exactly are you doing? Seems like you have the money to go out and fly places, so why do you need a place to stay? Just asking.

The whole point is about visiting places I never been to before (or some that I loved and want to go back like DC, Miami, etc) and getting to know local entrepreneurs there.

This would be sometime next month. I'm scheduling my trip now because the amount of offers I've received it's pretty great. Drop me a line and let's chat.

kaa2102 3513 days ago

Let me know if you come to the Washington, DC area!

Happy to go there. DC is my favorite city in the US. Let's chat!

Anyone in Miami? Happy to go there too! :D

What you seek to do is illegal, and I'd consider any company who offers to take you up on it as suspect.

It would be illegal if I work AND get payed. The whole point is not really about this. I'm doing this just so I can get to know and work first hand with a bunch of awesome entrepreneurs and also visit places that I haven't been before!

  It would be illegal if I work AND get payed

No, minimum wage laws still apply; Federal law offers a baseline while many states have a higher threshold.

peller 3513 days ago

Can you explain how what OP's proposing is any different from bartering? What makes wage laws apply, other than OP's perhaps not their primary language word choice? I'm genuinely curious, because it sounds like an entirely reasonable request to me - but I'm no lawyer.

You can't "barter" labor, either. Allowing it would leave room for a return of a lot of abuse, especially in the hospitality industry (e.g. jobs that elicit substantial tips, like a cocktail waitress in a resort).

Whatever you think of their effect on what the OP wants to do, such laws are well-intended and are a response to a legacy of past such abuses.

coldtea 3513 days ago

You must be fun at parties.

I can't imagine going to a party where encouraging somebody to do something that could deprive him/her of future legal entry opportunities is preferred banter.

In my social circles, people tend to like truth and transparency. Maybe we're doing it rong.