In Under Trump Immigration Policies, Elon Musk Might Have Faced a ‘Bad Situation’ the article says that Mr. Musk worked illegally in the United States for a time, obtaining a J-1 visa but launching a start-up instead of attending classes. Steve noted that in Musk’s time, enforcement of rules against foreign students failing to enroll in classes or otherwise violating their terms of admission was spotty. Schools would have notified the government by mail or fax and information may have fallen through the cracks, he said. Steve also noted that a 1996 law included penalties for those who had been in the United States unlawfully, including a requirement to leave the United States for three or 10 years before coming back, depending on how long they had been here.”
