Friends helping out in H4 and F1 visas

[kevinimf]

Hello,
I have a company and its growing. Can you let me know the following:

a) Couple of my friends are on H4 and F1 status. Can they do any voluntary help in day-to-day tasks of running the company. They won't be paid.
b) Can they hold any Official title at the company? Again, they won't be paid.

Thanks,
Kevin

[hazelickes]

For H4 visa holders: There is a difference between volunteer work for a charity or non-profit organization, on the one hand, and simply working without pay for a for-profit company. Most state labor codes prohibit for-profit companies from accepting "volunteer" labor. Even where this is not prohibited by state law, I very strongly suspect that ICE would regard the employer as being in violation of law and seek to fine them if they become aware of this situation.
http://www.endlesswait.com/h1b/what-...-on-h4-status/

For F1 visa holders: On an F-1, if you do it through the school, you can work 20 hours per week in a related field. And yes, you can volunteer. But you can volunteer as long as what you are volunteering as isnt something that an American could be paid for EG, volunteering serving in a soup kitchen = acceptable
volunteering in an office sorting out files/internship activities = not acceptable (it can reasonably be assumed that an American could be paid to sort files, whereas an American would not be paid to serve food to the homeless) Hope that makes sense.

Am not very sure about the above said even though.