Web Designer in USA - need a visa to telecommute?

Oh yeah, I suppose I should point out the legal tax route, if you really, really like paperwork. You have to register as a non-resident self-employed person in the US, get an EIN, then you can pay yourself, you may have to do income tax withholding using form 1040-ES(NR) and declare your pay on Form 1042S. And then file a 1040NR return with Form 8840 to claim the tax treaty exemption if in fact you pay any tax. And use the Canada foreign tax credit to reduce the tax you pay in Canada.

The UK end is much simpler, you need to register as self-employed but if you use the tax treaty filing you are exempt from paying income tax in the UK, essentially. It's like two or three forms to fill in. Think of it as a love letter to HMRC.

Ok .. I'm following this thread with great interest. I'm thinking of starting a consulting business and providing written analysis on-line while visiting.

After reading this thread it just seems like a big can of worms waiting to happen. I would be likely working with Canadian and American clients so I'm not sure how that could happen without the IRS clipping my wings.

To further exacerbated the complexity I was thinking of sailing down to the states and living aboard the boat (which incidentally would also be my home).

I suppose I could access the internet and download files while not in port and then do analysis outside of US jurisdiction on the ocean. But I would need to be close to shore to access the internet to send pre-written emails, downloads etc.... And ocean-based satellite internet service is limited only to the ultra-ultra-rich outside US jurisdiction.

Oh .. and starting a business and applying for an E2 visa requires a large capital investment. My understanding is that the amount is not written in stone. I would be interested in such a process but how much money needs to be invested to start an on-line consulting company?

I can't see a really large investment.. a computer, files, printer, storage.... certainly much less than some figures tossed out like 50k or 100k etc.... used for traditional brick and mortar shops.

Has anyone got some experience with acquiring an E2 visa for consulting professionals?

Cheers,

E-2 does require a "substantial investment", but they usually base it around the context of how legitimate the business is, the key factor doesn't seem to be the amount of the investment, that's just one indication of whether it is a valid application. I know someone who got it recently with an investment of $150,000.