World’s wealthiest man and one of the most influential tech entrepreneurs Elon Musk is under fresh scrutiny and it is not for his innovations this time but for his immigration history. A recent Washington Post report alleges that Musk started with his first startup named Zip2 while on a student visa.
The story of Musk adds another layer to his enigmatic public persona. The South African-born Canadian citizen moved to the U.S. on a student visa to attend Stanford University in 1995. He dropped soon from the university to start his first startup named Zip2. The venture later was sold for nearly $300 million and this launched him into the tech world as well as paved his way for high-profile achievements with Tesla, SpaceX and more. Immigration attorneys pointed out that student visas such as the F-1 or J-1 usually prohibit work outside of university authorization and especially for those who leave their academic programs. Students may legally invest in businesses, but they cannot actively participate in running them without additional work authorization.
The past of Musk presents an uncomfortable contradiction and he has aligned himself with former President Donald Trump’s hardline stance. Critics argue that the potential visa violations of Musk make him an unlikely champion for restrictive immigration policy.
The incident highlights convoluted landscape international students must navigate to stay compliant. Pursuing work while on a student visa for many means adhering to strict pathways like Optional Practical Training (OPT) or Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and it is often tethered to academic programs. Missing classes or working without authorization can have severe consequences and even deportation or a ban on future U.S. entry.
