Lots of people. From the perspective of a founder, the US doesn't have a startup-founder-visa program (there is a recently approved parole program if you have >10% stake). There's two broad classes of visa for founders, EB5 investor green card ($500,000-$1,000,000) and E-2 treaty investor visa ($15,000-$100,000) but of course E-2's are non-intent (no route to green card), only valid for 2 years and only available to nationals of a handful of countries and require the foreign national to retain majority control of the business.
As an early employee you've got 3 options:
TN (Canada and Mexico only -- for as long as there's a NAFTA) - dead easy, $50 fee (+ $2000 in legal fees), 3 year status, no caps, no path to green card. Cannot have majority interest in the company. Need to prove intent to return to Canada once your temporary employment is complete, to the satisfaction of a border guard.
O-1A alien of extraordinary abilities visa, very challenging to get, requires meeting very significant criteria that is hard to do unless you've already started a business abroad. 3 years, no cap, $10,000 in legal fees, good way to test the waters on an EB1A petition without declaring immigration intent [declaring intent precludes you from future non-intent visas like a TN and happens when you file I-485].
H-1B expensive, slow (6 months processing window right now with premium processing suspended), 33% chance to obtain once every year in April and you can't start until October. $6,000 in total fees give or take. Dual-intent so there is a path to naturalization.
Unless they're a Canadian, I'm not sure how a foreigner can possibly join a startup as an early employee, except as an F-1 OPT student.
As an early employee you've got 3 options:
TN (Canada and Mexico only -- for as long as there's a NAFTA) - dead easy, $50 fee (+ $2000 in legal fees), 3 year status, no caps, no path to green card. Cannot have majority interest in the company. Need to prove intent to return to Canada once your temporary employment is complete, to the satisfaction of a border guard.
O-1A alien of extraordinary abilities visa, very challenging to get, requires meeting very significant criteria that is hard to do unless you've already started a business abroad. 3 years, no cap, $10,000 in legal fees, good way to test the waters on an EB1A petition without declaring immigration intent [declaring intent precludes you from future non-intent visas like a TN and happens when you file I-485].
H-1B expensive, slow (6 months processing window right now with premium processing suspended), 33% chance to obtain once every year in April and you can't start until October. $6,000 in total fees give or take. Dual-intent so there is a path to naturalization.
Unless they're a Canadian, I'm not sure how a foreigner can possibly join a startup as an early employee, except as an F-1 OPT student.