Foreign individual iOS developer legal issue?

[ALTN 1]

I've a question that's been intriguing me for a while, and I thought maybe this forum can help with some guidance.

In fact I worked in the US for 18 months under a J-1 visa as a trainee in the past, and I used to pay taxes during my stay. Last February 2014, I had to leave the US due to visa expiration, but a couple months prior to my departure I created an iOS developer account using my US bank account and my old contact details in the US, in addition to my SSN which I'm assuming might have expired after I left.

Now I'm back to my country Tunisia, and I'm worried if I contact Apple to update my contact details they might shutdown my account due to legal issues since I'm probably no longer considered a US person. My US bank account is still operational though, but I haven't updated my contact details there neither.

My question is: what would be the best option for me:

- Keep my contact details as is, stay out of trouble and just submit my new app to the app store which might generate some revenue. But in this case do I run any legal risks? Given that I have paid for my developer account and registered when I was still in the US.

- Update my contact details with both my US bank (Wells Fargo) and Apple? And if so what are the chances to lose my account(s).

I am attaching a screen shot for my tax agreement with Apple, in which I confirmed that I'm a US person with the contact details and the SSN that used to be valid when I was in the US.

Any guidance would be most appreciated!

[Girl from Celebes 588]

I've a question that's been intriguing me for a while, and I thought maybe this forum can help with some guidance.

In fact I worked in the US for 18 months under a J-1 visa as a trainee in the past, and I used to pay taxes during my stay. Last February 2014, I had to leave the US due to visa expiration, but a couple months prior to my departure I created an iOS developer account using my US bank account and my old contact details in the US, in addition to my SSN which I'm assuming might have expired after I left.

Now I'm back to my country Tunisia, and I'm worried if I contact Apple to update my contact details they might shutdown my account due to legal issues since I'm probably no longer considered a US person. My US bank account is still operational though, but I haven't updated my contact details there nYeither.

My question is: what would be the best option for me:

- Keep my contact details as is, stay out of trouble and just submit my new app to the app store which might generate some revenue. But in this case do I run any legal risks? Given that I have paid for my developer account and registered when I was still in the US.

- Update my contact details with both my US bank (Wells Fargo) and Apple? And if so what are the chances to lose my account(s).

I am attaching a screen shot for my tax agreement with Apple, in which I confirmed that I'm a US person with the contact details and the SSN that used to be valid when I was in the US.

Any guidance would be most appreciated!

Your SSN would never expired. That's your identification forever whenever you have a chance back to the U.S.

[ALTN 1]

Thanks Girl from Celebes, good to know!

Further guidance would be appreciated

[Kajikit 65]

I know nothing about the finer points of law in terms of your question - but once you have a social security number it's yours for life. They do not 'expire' and they are not conditional on US residence once you have one... if you ever have dealings with the US again, you have a valid SSN to give them. Bank accounts don't expire either, unless you decide to tell the bank to close them. So both of those things are still perfectly valid, the only thing that's changed is your address...

Edited September 28, 2014 by Kajikit

[ALTN 1]

Thank you for the info Kajikit, that is reassuring

However what is intriguing me the most is that I've been told if I'm operating from outside the US but basically doing business in the US I might run into import/export legal issues.

Moreover when I created my iOS developer account, I confirmed the following statement in my agreement with Apple (again, I was in the US by then):

Under penalties of perjury, I certify that: I am a US citizen, or other US person (defined within the instructions available above)

As for now I'm not a US person anymore which is another concern.

I realize contacting Apple support on the subject would get me the correct answer, but I'm essentially trying to be careful as they might shutdown my account due to reasons related to the above. At the same time I don't wanna break the law, tough equation which I'm trying to approach using this forum (among others).