Legal Question in Immigration Law in Massachusetts

Is it possible to sell new and/or used items online when F1-visa student?

Hi,

I am--name removed--foreign citizen who is applying to US universities. As I am not sure to get--name removed--stipend, I would like to know if it is legal to sell new and used items online (on EBAY) to make--name removed--little bit of money.

As F1-visa holders are not allowed to work in the USA, I would like to know if doing business online is legal, providing that I pay taxes on my revenue.

Thanks in advance for your help.


Asked on 10/22/04, 9:58 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Ronald Sokol Sokol Law Offices

Re: Is it possible to sell new and/or used items online when F1-visa student?

It is an interesting question, and I am unable to give you an answer without doing some research. Moreover, it is quite possible that there is no clear answer. My initial reaction is that if you were to sell an item on Ebay it would probably not be a violation of your F-1 status but that if you were to do it on a regular basis operating as a business, then the answer as to whether it would violate F-1 status becomes less clear. If you want me to give you an opinion letter on it based on further research, I would be happy to do so, but I would have to charge you for it.

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Answered on 10/23/04, 4:21 am


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