I honestly don't know. We wouldn't want to do anything that would get someone kicked out of the country. I know some visa problems can be fixed with varying amounts of hassle and money, whereas others are truly hard, and I don't know which category this falls into.

An H1-B doesn't prevent you from switching jobs, no?

it does for my potential co-founder. He's been working here for over 6 years with no GC. apparently you can't renew your H1B after X years, only stay with the same company.

Have you consulted a lawyer about this? Sometimes it can be quite surprising to see the solutions lawyers can cook up (with the appropriate fees of course).

who says you cant switch jobs on an h1b? maybe your startup can hire him on an L1 business visa. The H1 quota was filled in a single day as I hear.

that is correct

Yikes.