YouTube Help Is there a process to get a new country added to the approved "Country of Origin" list for monetization?

[GrumpyChick]

I had started gathering videos to start the process of starting my own YouTube channel with the hopes of eventually being approved for monetization. But then yesterday I did a little check and it seems my country is not on the list (luckily I had not started the process of editing them yet).

Is it possible to "plead my case" for the country to be added to anyone at YouTube? We are a very benign country, so I'm not sure why there is the prejudice against us? I guess I'm hoping it was just an oversight.

Are there other options to still make money through the use of YouTube without being approved for monetization? Can I still point to a separate shop with merch? Is that still allowed if your country of origin is not approved for monetization? Any other options of using Youtube to my advantage without them "helping out" at all?

Thanks.

(if it helps, it would have been one of those "cat with an attitude" (note: my own cats) kind of channel. Humorous (hopefully to more than just me), nothing too over the top, and suitable for the whole family.)

Is it possible to "plead my case" for the country to be added to anyone at YouTube? We are a very benign country, so I'm not sure why there is the prejudice against us? I guess I'm hoping it was just an oversight.

Ummm... I had only stumbled on this forum and misunderstood itΓÇÖs real purpose. I thought it was a YouTube forum called TubeBuddy, but itΓÇÖs actually a forum for help with the software ΓÇ£TubeBuddyΓÇ¥. Is this kind of question still welcome here and if it is, is there a more appropriate group for it to be in other than ΓÇ£TubeBuddy questionsΓÇ¥?

 

[GrumpyChick]

Th

If a country is not on YouTube's countries of monetization list then that usually means one of two things:
1. USA law forbids or prevents YouTube from doing business with that country
or
2. There is something in the local laws of that country (eg tax) that prevents YouTube offering monetization there.

There is no mechanism to plead your case at YouTube.

Well... that sucks. Thanks for responding.

My country is The Bahamas and I canΓÇÖt think of why the US would have an issue with us as countries with similar laws and tax systems (eg: Jamaica) are allowed, and for similar reasons I canΓÇÖt see whyThe Bahamas would impose such a restriction either as it would be bringing money into the country.

Ah well, thanks again. Part of me still hopes that pointing to a shop would still work. I really just want to see if IΓÇÖm even capable of making something entertaining enough for people to actually follow, but find I need at least something beyond that motivating me... even if it doesnΓÇÖt work out. Plus, with all this Covid-19 thing, we all could use an alternative source of income.

 

[DamoΓÇÖs Paintings]

Ok so that brings this up, if a creator is in a country that isnΓÇÖt on the YouTube partnership program, are they able to choose a country that is, provided the creator has family there or knows someone in that country?

 

[GrumpyChick]

That is close to being fraud.
Adsnese earnings technicially have to be paid into a bank account in the "country of residence" or something like that. So you may get banned by adsense for not being total honest.
A lot of creators/adsense account holders do it. But cry and whine loudly when they get banned - they typically do get away with it for a while.

Yeah, I had considered the same as above as I have Family in Florida and could even set up a bank account there if need be, but the legalities and hoops to jump through and remaining possibilities of still being banned some day for it, makes it an option I wouldnΓÇÖt consider.

IΓÇÖd rather it if enough people petitioned to ΓÇ£make a changeΓÇ¥ to get a country added to make it legit (or at the very least a more specific explanation of why a country is deemed ΓÇ£inappropriateΓÇ¥ (which tax laws make it a bad fit?) would be sufficient. If our laws changed, would youtube then reconsider?).

 

[DamoΓÇÖs Paintings]

Oh I never intended on anything fraudulent, hell I wouldnΓÇÖt want to commit such a thing anyways, and I actually do have an active bank account and postal address back in my home country, but because of where I am, China, YouTube definitely wonΓÇÖt open up to China, hmmm IΓÇÖll have to cross this bridge when I get there.

 

[Beanie Draws]

Those are some interesting points. I do agree it's probably a taxation legality issue. In my Country, there's all differant forms I have to factor in (as well as any other creator outside of America) when doing my tax because the money comes from America (google) and I live in Australia... so America has it's on tax laws because they don't like their money going out to other countries (the creators who live outside of America) so those tax laws are complicated, and my country want's to know where that money is coming from, and factor BOTH tax laws in.

Often people don't even factor tax laws in, and that's when it gets into a very tricky situation legally. I'm not a lawyer or a financial person so this is all just grain of salt type of talk.

I know when I went to get a passport to visit America, I had to get a visa and there was talks of a "Treaty" that allows some countries easier entry than others, so my assumption would be, that the monetisation of countries, is directly tied in with those treaty laws. Far too complicated for me to wrap my mind around.

 

[DamoΓÇÖs Paintings]

Those are some interesting points. I do agree it's probably a taxation legality issue. In my Country, there's all differant forms I have to factor in (as well as any other creator outside of America) when doing my tax because the money comes from America (google) and I live in Australia... so America has it's on tax laws because they don't like their money going out to other countries (the creators who live outside of America) so those tax laws are complicated, and my country want's to know where that money is coming from, and factor BOTH tax laws in.

Often people don't even factor tax laws in, and that's when it gets into a very tricky situation legally. I'm not a lawyer or a financial person so this is all just grain of salt type of talk.

I know when I went to get a passport to visit America, I had to get a visa and there was talks of a "Treaty" that allows some countries easier entry than others, so my assumption would be, that the monetisation of countries, is directly tied in with those treaty laws. Far too complicated for me to wrap my mind around.

IΓÇÖm thinking the biggest problem for me is that YouTube is blocked where I am, a VPN is my only way to get on here and be a creator, and if you know China theyΓÇÖll block anything that they donΓÇÖt agree with, like I say, IΓÇÖm gonna have to cross that bridge when I get to it, IΓÇÖm sure thereΓÇÖs a way though, there are heaps of westerners in China that are big YouTubers.

 

[GrumpyChick]

I know when I went to get a passport to visit America, I had to get a visa and there was talks of a "Treaty" that allows some countries easier entry than others, so my assumption would be, that the monetisation of countries, is directly tied in with those treaty laws. Far too complicated for me to wrap my mind around.

WhatΓÇÖs funny for me is... my country even uses the American dollar one to one for our dollar. We can use American money the same way we use our own money, and the value of our dollar is directly tied to the American dollar.

IΓÇÖve looked into other online American companies and I can do business with them once I fill out a kind of W-8 form and prove who I am etc. but youtube doesnΓÇÖt have that option for us. Ah well.