
Startups & Small Business
E-2 Visas, L Visas, H-1B Visas, O-1 Visas and Green Cards
Start-up companies and small businesses are the very lifeblood of the U.S. economy. They are the primary engine of commercial creativity, sales, innovation, and job creation. The financial press and the American public laud them.
However, there is one contrary voice to this concert of praise: the U.S. Immigration Authorities, comprised of the USCIS, the Department of Labor, and the U.S. embassies and consulates around the globe. These Immigration Authorities, in a variety of ways and in a variety of contexts, have a deep suspicion of start-up companies and small businesses when they sponsor Visas and Green Cards. Immigration Authorities tend to:
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Have an institutional preference for large, established companies.
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Suspect that the employee/beneficiary might have too much control over the employer in immigration matters.
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Doubt small businesses’ commercial viability or ability to pay a prevailing wage.
The Immigration Authorities’ attitude is a major obstacle in the Visa and Green Card processes for start-ups and small businesses, but it is not insurmountable with appropriate counsel.
You need a lawyer who is experienced in advocating for small business with Immigration Authorities. You need a lawyer who can tell the story of your business – its past, its present, and its short- and long-term future. This is not just number crunching – it requires the presentation of a coherent, compelling narrative of your start-up or small business.
It is the kind of task we undertake every day. Let us help you tell the compelling story of your business, its achievements, and its prospects.