The short answer: your status decides, not the program
SourceX accepts partners from any supported country, but joining does not settle whether your US immigration status lets you earn a referral reward. Some visa categories tie permission to work to a specific employer, school program or authorization document, and an introduction made for a contingent reward could be viewed as work rather than passive income. That judgment belongs to an immigration attorney who has seen your file.
The safe order is advice first, registration second. Registering as a partner is not an opinion from SourceX that your status allows it.
What do the rules actually cover?
Immigration conditions are set status by status, and the terms of each category come from the agency that issued your status, so read them rather than a forum summary. Your own documents define where you stand: the approval notice for an employer-sponsored petition, the I-20 for students, or an Employment Authorization Document if you hold one. Bring those to the consultation rather than a summary from a forum thread.
Tax runs on a separate track with its own rules:
- Referral payments are generally taxable income to the person who receives them; the IRS explains what counts as income in Publication 525.
- Tax status is not the same thing as visa status. US persons, including resident aliens, give a payer Form W-9, while foreign individuals give Form W-8BEN (IRS, About Form W-8 BEN). A tax adviser can tell you which one fits.
- A US payer may report payments to a US taxpayer paid as an independent contractor on Form 1099-NEC. The reporting threshold depends on the year of payment, so read the current IRS instructions rather than a number you remember.
Tax reporting and work authorization are separate questions. Getting the tax form right does not answer the immigration one, so ask both.
How the question looks in common situations
| Situation | What to check | Outcome to confirm with your attorney |
|---|---|---|
| H-1B employee who knows a business owner socially | Whether a contingent referral reward counts as work outside your petition | Whether you can register now or should wait |
| H-1B employee whose day job serves the company, as a banker, consultant or auditor | Your employer's outside-activity and conflict policies, plus client confidentiality | Employer clearance is likely needed whatever your visa allows |
| F-1 student, including OPT or STEM OPT | What your authorization covers; speak to your school's designated school official as well | Whether any introduction fits the terms of your program |
| H-4 or L-2 dependent spouse | Whether you hold an EAD and what it permits | Whether the EAD covers this kind of income |
| Status change pending, such as student to H-1B or H-1B to permanent residence | The introduction may happen under one status and payment under another | Whether to wait until the change is final |
| Living outside the US with no US visa | Your home country's tax and employment rules | Usually a local tax question rather than a US immigration one |
The timing row matters more than most people expect. Rewards are paid only after the buyer pays and SourceX receives its fee, which can be many months after the introduction, so your status on payment day may differ from your status on introduction day. If you live abroad, whether non-US residents can join a US referral program covers the practical side.
Your employer's rules sit on top of immigration rules
Even where immigration law is not the obstacle, your employer's policy may be. Many employers in finance, consulting and technology require approval for paid outside activities, and most forbid using client information gathered at work for personal benefit. Check the policy before you register; outside business activity rules at global firms explains what to look for. Licensed professionals carry a third layer, as the page on referral rewards for retired CPAs shows.
Never introduce your employer's clients on the strength of information you learned on the job unless your employer has cleared it in writing.
Disclosure and consent good practice
- Tell the company you introduce that you may receive a referral reward from SourceX.
- Keep a dated note of your attorney's advice and of any employer approval.
- Share basic fit information only; partners never export, upload or describe a company's confidential records.
- If payment would go to a company you own, ask whether that changes the analysis; see receiving referral rewards through an LLC.
Questions to ask your immigration attorney
- Does making an introduction for a reward paid only if a deal closes count as work under my current status?
- Does it matter how many introductions I make, or whether I make just one?
- Could receiving the payment affect a pending extension, change of status or green card application?
- If my status changes before payment, which status governs?
- Would routing payment through an entity I own change the answer?
- Should I wait until I hold permanent residence or an EAD that covers this activity?
How rewards work once you are cleared
Partners earn 25% of the eligible platform fees SourceX actually collects from the referred company's licensing deals, capped at $100,000 per referred company. A reward becomes payable only after the buyer pays and SourceX receives its fee, and no reward is guaranteed. Credit goes to the first valid referrer whose introduction leads to a verified company application within the attribution window; the program terms set the remaining details, and who earns from SourceX referrals explains the roles.
This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm with your own immigration attorney and tax adviser before acting.
Next step
Get your attorney's answer in writing first. Separately, you can see whether the company you have in mind would fit at all with the company fit checker, a preliminary screen that needs no contact details. Once you are cleared, register as a partner and make the introduction.