Consistent with university policy and applicable law, entrepreneurs in
the program will be free to work on their existing entrepreneurial ventures or
start a new company in one of the best entrepreneurial communities in the world.
Isn't the requirement for a H1B visa that the "non-immigrant alien" not work for any other company/institution other than the one that sponsored the visa? How does the program get around that?
IANAL but as long as money does not change hands they should be in the clear. There is nothing stopping someone on an H1B doing a "hobby" and then pitch that "hobby" to investors to get seed money to form a startup. The investors would then have to sponsor their new H1B.
Full-time employment is also a requirement (and I believe 20h per week is not considered full-time in the visa context) so either they've found a way around the law or the USCIS is going to bust them.
I don't think full-time employment is a strict requirement of the H1B visa. It's just that most companies wouldn't go through the hassle of H1B sponsorship (and it's a huuuuge hassle for both the employer and the employee) for a part time employee.
I stand corrected, it's not a requirement per se, it's just a part-time H1B still has to meet the prevailing wage requirement, which is established for the full-time job.
