Hi I am on a L2 visa . could you tell me if it is legal to generate revenue using yahoo or google adsense?
Question:
Answers:
If you have an L2 visa -- and you have EAD (employment authorization) and SSN -- then you can start a business in the US with Adsense or Yahoo.
But if you don't have an EAD, then you are in a precarious position. I suggest you consult your immigration lawyer as to the best possible course of action.
What you don't want down the road is to have any impediments when you start the process of getting your permanent residency or green card. Both Adsense and YPN gives out tax forms at the end of the year and reports to the IRS their publishers income.
If USCIS sees IRS record that you have an income from starting a business with your L2 visa (without EAD), then that may have adverse consequences on your green card application.
Otherwise, you can apply to Google Adsense (but not to YPN) giving your home country address and information, not as someone living here in the US. That way, Google Adsense will not send any tax information about your income from Adsense to the IRS.
Otherwise, you can have your spouse who is on L1 visa to apply for Adsense and use their account info instead of you
I am not sure what L2 means, but if you have no right to work in the US, then you have no right to earn money. It doesn't matter if you work or not, as long as you are in the US you have to claim your income on your tax return. So if you work or are given the money as a gift, you have to report it. When this is reported to IRS, they will find out that you are breaking the law.
Not reporting your correct income to the IRS (even earning it legally), you are breaking the law.
It's all a matter of risk and return. Can you get away with it? Will it help you more than you risk to lose? It's your decision, and your consequence.
If L2 allows you to work, then I don't see why not.
More Affiliate Questions and Answers...