Hobby activity on H1-B?

[happygolucky2011]

Hello,

I am currently a H1-B holder in the USA. I had a question about whether hobby activity is considered working for someone other than the employer.

Purely as a hobby, I want to create a website where craftsmen can sell their stuff online to buyers. This will be done as my time permits over several weekends. Once the website is done, I will have no role to play whatsoever (except for occasional website maintenance over weekends as time permits). Sellers can register themselves and list their products. I will have no connection to or even know the sellers or buyers. Buyers can buy directly from the sellers online and pay them directly (using Paypal, etc). I will not receive even a single cent either for the website or any of the sales. Also, I am not doing this for any company or business (either self owned or owned by anyone else). This is just my hobby and nothing else.

The expenses for this will be a hundred dollars or so every year (basically website hosting charges and some one-time software purchase), which I will pay out of my pocket. Because I pay for the website domain and hosting, the website domain will be registered under my name.

Is this ok to do on an H1-B? Thanks for the advice.

[R78]

In short, if you are creating a website for people to use and you are the moderator / person who pays a one time yearly fee to keep this going.
There are no financial transactions whatsoever (including receiving payments from companies that pay you to put their ads etc....)
You will continue to maintain and get paid by the H1 sponsor (the main reason you are in the US)

If the above is true, then you are good to go !

[Cassandra_Roberts_98]

As an H1-B holder in the USA, engaging in activities outside of your primary employment can sometimes raise questions about whether it constitutes unauthorized work. However, based on the details you provided, it seems that your proposed website project would likely be considered a permissible hobby activity rather than unauthorized employment.

[RonaldLGarrett]

I’m on an H1-B visa and I really enjoy painting and selling some artwork online. It’s just a hobby, not my main job. I’m careful not to break any rules. Can hobby income be okay if it’s not a full-time thing?

[edvardedvard2123]

Hello,

I am currently a H1-B holder in the USA. I had a question about whether hobby activity is considered working for someone other than the employer.

Purely as a hobby, I want to create a website where craftsmen can sell their stuff online to buyers. This will be done as my time permits over several weekends. Once the website is done, I will have no role to play whatsoever (except for occasional website maintenance over weekends as time permits). Sellers can register themselves and list their products. I will have no connection to or even know the sellers or buyers. Buyers can buy directly from the sellers online and pay them directly (using Paypal, etc). I will not receive even a single cent either for the website or any of the ai tools for sales. Also, I am not doing this for any company or business (either self owned or owned by anyone else). This is just my hobby and nothing else.

The expenses for this will be a hundred dollars or so every year (basically website hosting charges and some one-time software purchase), which I will pay out of my pocket. Because I pay for the website domain and hosting, the website domain will be registered under my name.

Is this ok to do on an H1-B? Thanks for the advice.

I’m on H1-B too, and a couple of years ago I was in a very similar situation. I wanted to build a small platform as a side project — nothing commercial, just something I was passionate about in my free time. Like in your case, there was no revenue involved, no company formed, and no services rendered to anyone — it was just a website I hosted and tinkered with on weekends.
From what I learned (and after checking with an immigration attorney, just to be safe), as long as you’re not earning money, not providing a service in exchange for compensation, and not engaging in any formal business activity, you’re in the clear. USCIS tends to care more about unauthorized employment — and a passive, non-monetized personal hobby project doesn’t fall into that category.

[EmmaLi]

Hello,

I am currently a H1-B holder in the USA. I had a question about whether hobby activity is considered working for someone other than the employer.

Purely as a hobby, I want to create a website where craftsmen can sell their stuff online to buyers. This will be done as my time permits over several weekends. Once the website is done, I will have no role to play whatsoever (except for occasional website maintenance over weekends as time permits). Sellers can register themselves and list their products. I will have no connection to or even know the sellers or buyers. Buyers can buy directly from the sellers online and pay them directly (using Paypal, etc). I will not receive even a single cent either for the website or any of the ai tools for sales. Also, I am not doing this for any company or business (either self owned or owned by anyone else). This is just my hobby and nothing else.

The expenses for this will be a hundred dollars or so every year (basically website hosting charges and some one-time software purchase), which I will pay out of my pocket. Because I pay for the website domain and hosting, the website domain will be registered under my name.

Is this ok to do on an H1-B? Thanks for the advice.

I’m on H1-B too, and a couple of years ago I was in a very similar situation. I wanted to build a small platform as a side project — nothing commercial, just something I was passionate about in my free time. Like in your case, there was no revenue involved, no company formed, and no services rendered to anyone — it was just a website I hosted and tinkered with on weekends.
From what I learned (and after checking with an immigration attorney, just to be safe), as long as you’re not earning money, not providing a service in exchange for compensation, and not engaging in any formal business activity, you’re in the clear. USCIS tends to care more about unauthorized employment — and a passive, non-monetized personal hobby project doesn’t fall into that category.