<p>Hi everyone,</p>
<p>I know International Students can not work above 20 hours a week during studies.
However, is there anything stated regarding Students creating a company? OR, may a regular College association make money (that is, pay students a salary)? If not, is the money made considered a belonging of Associations/Association/College?</p>
<p>You need an investor's visa to start a company. (And you won't get that unless you invest at least half a million $$$ or open a big branch of a well-respected oversea company.)</p>
<p>If "your" business is run directly by your college, it is allowed to pay you. However, I doubt that your colleges would engage in an activity explicitly designed to bend immigration laws. (And if they would, they would probably pay you regular on-campus wages, i.e. $8-$9 per hour at many places.) </p>
<p>A company that is merely located on college premises can only pay you as long as the company provides direct student services (e.g. a Starbucks in the campus center). Not eligible would e.g. be a construction company that erects college buildings because construction work is not a direct service to students. If a company is located on college ground and does not mainly perform a service for the students of the college, it is NOT allowed to hire or pay you.</p>
<p>P.S. 'Association' is a generic term for anything from an informal cooperation between two people to a non-profit organization to a for-profit partnership. (Associations involve at least two people though.) That's why I chose to talk about 'companies' rather than 'associations' in my previous post. </p>
<p>Yes, associations can make money. No, you cannot start a formal association. Yes, you can work for an association if (but only if) the association meets the criteria outlined in my previous post or if you have a proper employment authorization. I assume you are familiar with OPT and CPT policies.</p>
<p>P.P.S. F-1 visa were consciously created to make it impossible for F-1 students to start or run a company.</p>
<p>you mean open a business?
i think anyone (student/legal immigrant) can open a business in US.
usually local banks hv some financial packages to open a business..
(in CT there're alot of vietnamese open nail salons,,one of my economics teachers said that they just need about $5000 for the first deposit and the process is so easy..)</p>
<p>i think thats what you mean,,i dont think a student is able to make a company in US...that needs alots of money..</p>
<p>Well, I am trading my money and friends' money on a trading platform, and it works out well (up 445% since inception Aug07).
I don't quite trade solely for the purpose of making money, but rather for the excitement of markets...
So my exact thought was to create an association (that is, a college group) gathering people from different Majors and with the help of profs (econ, maths, intl affairs), that would trade forex (opened 24h, as opposed to equities), and that would help fund a NGO or whatever caritative organisation.
Being French, I have no idea on how to concretely do that. It is just a thought I had, that it would be an interesting experience (helping people receiving the money, and make a terrific experience on a resume if it worked out well).</p>