You can have unofficial United States Digital citizenship for about USD$1500. This will give you access to 100s of online services, tax exemptions, and incredible income earning potential
Growing up in Jamaica, migrating to the US was considered one of the best ways to find success in life. Just north of Jamaica lay the land of opportunity. I had family members who took advantage of it and have benefitted greatly. I also enjoy visiting the US, but I will paraphrase Ernie from Sesame Street, “I would like to visit the U.S. but I don’t think I’d like to live there”
I’ll never say never but there are things about life in the Caribbean that are difficult trades for me: culture, climate & beach. The primary motive for moving to the US for many was the income-earning opportunities. My untrained aunt earned more money looking after the elderly at home than my mom who was a lecturer at the University of the West Indies. I considered this opportunity often until I found out that I could earn income as a software developer in the U.S. WITHOUT going there.
So I have worked the past 8-9 years as a remote software developer, at comparable hourly rates to my US counterparts, while in the Caribbean. With a U.S. bank account, I can keep my income in USD. I have ATM access whenever I need cash, I also was able to get multiple credit cards and build a credit score IN THE US!
All you need is a deposit, passport and driver’s licence. You have to walk into a branch to open an account, so you also need a visa and plane ticket…$500. I’ll share an exception later. You should also be earning income because the fees are high for inactive or empty accounts
US-issued credit and debit cards give you access to many US-only online services such as buying cryptocurrency and certain big-box stores. I have access to apps like Privacy that allow you to generate one-time use, U.S. Bank, VISA debit cards.
Start a US-based, single-person LLC. A company gives non-Americans access to 2 important numbers. An EIN & ITIN. Those two numbers are your access to pseudo citizenship. Many online apps that ask for Social Security numbers for access, often give you the option of EIN or ITIN
To get a company registered online, it may cost you about $500. Most of the online company registration websites overcharge you for things that you can do by yourself so be careful of their upsells. ITIN is about $500 and the EIN application is free after you registered your LLC.
Yes, $1500 can buy you pseudo digital citizenship in the US. You will have access to a majority of the online tools.
Use Apple Pay & Cash App to send money, use US Apple Store and US Paypal, sell on Etsy and Amazon, use Stripe for e-commerce & buy Bitcoin with Swanbitcoin or Binance.
If you are not lucky enough to have a US visa, you can get a US bank account through your LLC with supporting banks. I haven’t personally tried this method but I’ve seen companies offering this service online.
You can repurpose the $500 plane ticket to open your account remotely
The best part is that you get 90% of US digital citizenship advantages without the US income tax. Since you are doing your work outside of the borders of the US, you become tax-exempt. There are still fees to keep your LLC active.
There are a lot more finer details than can be covered in a thread but this is the general gist. You will be well on your way to becoming a borderless, sovereign individual, in the digital age.
The internet has created a great opportunity to be self-sufficient from anywhere!
About the Author
Rohan Smith is a Jamaican-born tech entrepreneur who has been working as a remote software developer in the United States since 2013. He is also a serial micro internet business founder, operating 6 profitable web-based businesses that generate recurring income. He is a big supporter of investing in digital real estate in the form of web-based businesses and Bitcoin. Follow him on Twitter @frazras where he shares information on how to be a successful internet entrepreneur.
Photo – Deposit Photos
