It is a rare occurrence to hear Elon Musk openly discuss the intricate details of his own immigration journey. Musk kickstarted his career by working illegally in the US while establishing a Silicon Valley startup in the 1990s. According to court records, company documents, and former business associates, including a previous CEO of the company, investors were concerned about the possibility of Musk being deported.
Born in South Africa, Musk obtained Canadian citizenship through his mother before coming to the US to pursue studies at the University of Pennsylvania in 1992. Despite initially planning to continue his education at Stanford, Musk decided to drop out and focus on founding his first company.
Experts highlight the significance of Musk’s actions, as there are strict regulations regarding the type of work permitted for individuals on student visas. Work authorizations linked to student visas typically require active enrollment in studies or approval from the sponsoring institution for post-graduation training. Although Stanford has no record of Musk enrolling, he was accepted into the Materials Science and Engineering graduate program.
Musk’s admission of holding a J-1 visa indicates that he worked illegally, as the restrictions only permitted work related to his academic program. It is evident that Musk did not adhere to the rules at that time.
Blue Press Journal 
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