Articles Posted in Start-Up Immigration

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In this post, we discuss how you can get a green card through your employer.

Overview:

What does it take to get a green card through a job offer?

There are many ways a foreign national can obtain a green card for example by starting a company in the United States, as an entrepreneur, or demonstrating that they are a person of exceptional ability. However, the most common way to obtain a green card is to obtain a green card through a job offer. Essentially being sponsored by the employer that they are currently working for in the United States or their future employer. This process involves several steps:

  1. The Employer Must Commit to Green Card Sponsorship

The employer must commit to giving you a permanent job offer and be willing to support you in the green card process from start to finish. This is because the employer must not only sign the forms required to petition for the worker’s green card but must also foot the bill including the immigration fees and attorney’s fees. If an employer does not understand his responsibilities in filing for the worker’s green card, delays can result, and in some cases an employer may abandon the green card process altogether. It is very important for an employer to be aware of their obligations at the outset of the application process.

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In this video we discuss how you can get an E-1 treaty trader visa without trading actual goods.

Overview:

  • To qualify for an E-1 Treaty Trader Visa you must be a citizen of a treaty trader country involved in international trade
  • You must be coming to the U.S. to carry on substantial trade or to develop and direct the operations of an enterprise that is a commercial trader with your country of nationality
  • The trade must be conducted principally between the U.S. and the treaty country
  • The U.S. enterprise must conduct more than 50% of its total trade volume with the treaty country
  • The trade may be of a good, commodity, services, or technology

If you are the owner of patented technology in your treaty trader country for example you may qualify for the E-1 treaty trader visa. To qualify for the E-1 visa, you do not need to have actual goods coming from the treaty country to the U.S., in this case the E-1 treaty trader visa can be obtained by showing that a form of technology along with the rights will be developed in the U.S.

This was the exact situation of our client, an Israeli national who owned patented technology for physical exercise equipment, designed and licensed in Israel, but produced in China. To overcome the fact that the equipment was produced in China using Israeli technology, our office made sure to establish that the rights to build the products in China had to be approved and signed off by the company in Israel which owned the patent. In addition, our office strengthened the case by furnishing the agreements between the Israeli company and the manufacturing facility in China, to show that although the product was being manufactured in China, the Chinese facility was in fact controlled by an Israeli designer to ensure quality control and compliance with the Israeli technology owned by our client. Finally, we showed that the majority of the funds to finance the operation was coming from Israel, the treaty trader country, and documented how the product would be coming to the United States.

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What are some alternatives to the H-1B visa?

By now you know that the H-1B cap has been reached for Fiscal Year 2019. But what happens if you were not selected in the H-1B visa lottery?

In this post, we will discuss some alternatives to the H-1B visa that will allow you to stay and work in the United States.

  1. The O-1 “Extraordinary Ability” Visa:

This visa type is for aliens of extraordinary ability in the sciences, education, business, athletics, motion picture, television, or arts industries who have received national and/or international acclaim in their field. An alien on an O-1 visa may live and work in the United States for a period of up to three years.

An O-1 visa is a great visa for people in the start-up world and technology sector. This visa is for people holding an advanced degree (at least a master’s degree) who have either started their own business, have patented inventions, are leading experts in their fields, and/or have gained notoriety in their fields as evidenced by awards and other national recognitions.

  1. TN Visa for Mexican and Canadian Nationals

The TN visa allows nationals of Mexico and Canada to work in the United States, provided their profession is on the NAFTA list. The maximum period of initial admission to the US is three years, but visa holders may apply for extensions in amounts of one year.

  1. E-3 Visa for Australian Nationals

Similar to the H-1B visa, the E-3 classification allows Australian nationals to travel to the United States to work in a specialty occupation. Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent to qualify and must work in a specialty occupation often associated with the STEM occupational fields. The E-3 visa is issued for an initial period of no more than 2 years, with extensions granted in 2-year increments.

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0:18 – Tip number 1: Make sure make sure that your education matches the job that you’re applying for.

1:08 – Tip number 2: Make sure that the job itself requires a degree.

1:50 – Tip number 3: Understand what is the salary that is required to be paid for this position.

2:38 – Tip number 4: Make sure that the application that is filed is highly organized.

3:55 – Tip number 5: Send the application to the correct address.

In this video attorney Jacob Sapochnick discusses his top tips for filing a successful H-1B visa this H-1B season.

Remember that USCIS will begin accepting H-1B petitions subject to the FY 2019 cap on April 2, 2018.  The filing period is expected to end on April 6, 2018.

Step One: Make sure your education matches the job duties required by the employer who will be sponsoring your H-1B petition. If your degree is unrelated to the position, you will not qualify for the H-1B visa, unless you have extensive work experience directly related to the position. It is very difficult to gain approval if your degree is not related to the position you will be filling.

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We would like to wish you and your families happy holidays and all the best in the new year. What are your new years resolutions? We would love to hear them. Thank you for trusting our office to handle your immigration needs. If you would like to learn more about the services we offer please visit our website. To schedule a first time consultation, please contact our office.

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In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick speaks with personal injury attorney Mitch Jackson and gives viewers insights on how to secure a job in the United States as a foreign worker, how to penetrate the market, and stand out from the crowd.

Overview: 

  • Begin researching the different employment visa types to determine which visa is right for you depending on your level of education, skill, and the field that you want to work in. For example if you are a software engineer the H-1B visa will be a good option for you, if you want to start your own business an E-2 visa may be right for you. Once you have done some preliminary research, reach out to an immigration attorney to discuss the pros and cons of different visas that may be available to you
  • Understand the requirements for the visa you would like to obtain so that you can explain the process to a potential employer
  • Attend as many networking events as possible in your particular industry, if possible in the United States
  • Use social media to reach out to potential employers
  • Show employers how you can build value for their business
  • Carefully tailor your resume/build a website to show employers your credentials

For more tips please keep watching.

To purchase Jacob’s book My American Job please click here.

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Breaking news, a federal judge for the District of Columbia, issued a ruling in the lawsuit, National Venture Capital Association, et.al. v. Duke, et. al, overturning the government’s delay of the International Entrepreneur Rule. This means that international entrepreneurs may now apply for parole under the rule as of Friday, December 1, 2017. The caveat, however, is that since the ruling was just handed down on Friday, no application has yet been released to apply under the rule, and the current parole application is not suited for the rule. It is expected that the government will soon issue a statement regarding the court’s decision and provide further guidance on what form to use.

In its decision, the judge ruled that the Department of Homeland Security unlawfully delayed enforcement of the rule, when it postponed the rule from going into effect just days before the rule was set to go into effect on July 17, 2017, without following the appropriate notice-and-comment procedure required by the Administrative Procedure Act.

Entrepreneurs must keep in mind that the the Trump administration may appeal the federal judge’s decision, or continue with their plans to rescind the rule, but as it now stands the government must accept applications for the international entrepreneur rule, even if the administration continues with their plans to rescind the rule.

What is the IER?

The rule makes it easier for eligible start-up entrepreneurs to obtain temporary permission to enter the United States for a period of 30 months, or 2.5 years, through a process known as “parole,” for the purpose of starting or scaling their start-up business enterprise in the United States. The decision about whether to “parole” a foreign entrepreneur under this rule will be a discretionary determination made by the Secretary of Homeland Security on a case-by-case basis (INA Section 212(d)(5), 8 U.S.C. 1182(d)(5)).

“Parole” will be granted to eligible entrepreneurs who can demonstrate that their company’s business operations are of significant public benefit to the United States by providing evidence of substantial and demonstrated potential for rapid business growth and job creation. Such demonstrated potential for rapid growth and job creation may be evidenced by: (1) significant capital investment from U.S. investors with established records of successful investments or (2) attainment of significant awards or grants from certain Federal, State, or local government entities.

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In this video, attorney Jacob J. Sapochnick sits down with international business students studying at INSEAD, a graduate business school in France. Jacob asks them a burning question: Despite all of the obstacles foreign workers face in immigrating to the United States, and the President’s hard-line stance on immigration, are foreign workers still interested in living and working in the United States? Click here to join the conversation.

To learn more about the different visa services we offer please visit our website.

For a first time consultation please contact our office.

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In this segment, attorney Jacob J. Sapochnick, discusses what an L-1A visa is, the requirements, and eligibility.

Overview: 

The L-1A visa classification allows a foreign company to transfer an executive or manager to the U.S. subsidiary or parent company. If an affiliated U.S. subsidiary or parent company does not yet exist, the L-1A classification allows the foreign company to send the executive or manager to the United States for the purpose of establishing the affiliated subsidiary or parent company. The L-1A requires the beneficiary to have worked abroad for the foreign employer for at least one year within the proceeding three years. The great thing about the L-1A visa is that there is no annual limit on the number of L-1A visas issued, and the L-1A visa is a “dual intent” visa meaning that the applicant may apply for a green card and become a permanent resident without jeopardizing his or her L-1 status.

To read more about the L-1A visa please click here.

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In this video, our clients speak about their unique experience with the Law Offices of Jacob J. Sapochnick. Our law office specializes exclusively in immigration and nationality law. We work with a broad range of clientele including entrepreneurs, investors, business visitors, foreign workers, U.S. employers, asylees, students, athletes, performers, families seeking to immigrate their family members and much more. Throughout the years, we have established a proven track record of success and a high level of customer service that is unparalleled in the legal industry. Contact our office today to schedule your first time consultation.

For more information please visit our website.

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