For federal requirements, please visit the USA Team Member Nationality Requirements page.

Foreigners wanting to start a business of any type in the U.S. follow the same procedure required for the US resident. US residency (or citizenship) are not necessary to incorporate in the US. However, there are some small specific differences. Please see this guide for an overview and a non-exhaustive list of the differences.

In order to work in New Jersey (or any state in the United States) foreigners need to obtain a US work permit. There is no such thing as a “New Jersey visa” - the system is centralized and US visa types are set by teh federal government. The US Citizens and Immigration Services provides resources and information on visa requirements and processes for working in the United States. The USA has roughly six different types of visas:

• Immigrant (permanent, employer-sponsored workers)
• Family (fiancés, family of current U.S. citizens and green card-holders, family of refugees)
• Humanitarian (refugees and asylum seekers, victims of trafficking, battered spouses and children, etc.)
• Adoption (children adopted overseas and brought into the US)
• Military (citizenship for military members and their dependents)
• Temporary workers (specialized, time-limited professions, athletes, actors, etc.)

Sources

• Bizfilings Incorporating in the US - factors to consider
• US Visa and US Work Permit Guide
• United States Citizenship and Immigration Services