Is it legal as an international student to work as an independent contractor?

Question

International students or students with F1 visas are not supposed to work outside campus. It is illegal. What about as an independent contractor? is it illegal too? To work outside the campus as an independent contractor or self employed

Answer 1

A foreign student, or a foreign tourist, can freely invest in business in America. But s/he cannot manage the business, nor work for it. Nor work for anyone else except, seemingly, in relation scholarly research, or employment under the auspices of the university, or as a writer. The only business-type thing s/he may do is monitor and protect personal investments and hire American citizens and others legally entitled to work to work for such a firm. That firm may be an independent contractor. (It may be hard to convince an USCIS inspector that there is, indeed, a Chinese wall and that the student isn not performing "work"; but I have known of student offpsring of wealthy foreigners who have kept a casual eye on real estate and other investments by their parents.)

Also, a foreign student, or a foreign tourist, or anyone else, can open a business in his or her home country, or anywhere else, and that business can contract to do work for American customers.

Work is deemed done and the money paid for it earned at the place where the worker actually performs the service.

It's an open question whether a foreign student or a foreign tourist can engage in creative and artistic work while in the United States. Web design and software engineering are two things that foreigners often do, and of course when they come to America to visit clients they are tweaking their work. That would seem to come within the bounds of "installation and repair" that foreigners can do with respect to their exports to the United States.

You may find some loopholes in those comments that you can use to your advantage. But if you thought you could set up a one-person cleaning contractor and clean toilets at night and avoid USCIS restrictions on working by students, you are incorrect.

Answer 2

A student visa prohibits the holder in any kind of work including independent contractor.

Answer 3

Hello,
I am asked to become an independent author for some academic institute in US. It has been just 2 months in US and I m a full time enrolled student and I dont know if I can earn this way or not. Can somebody please help?

Answer 4

no but DHS should revoke your visa and ship you back to your country you come from the USA gave you this privilege afforded to you in good conscience F1visa is just that student visa the next thing you want to is what run for political office

Answer 5

The answer is, no, it is not legal unless you have work authorization.