Immigration Visa Solutions for Non-Resident Entrepreneurs

Often, entrepreneurs who want to start a business in the USA endure frustrations when it comes to obtaining a migration visa. Some go to the extent of getting professional help from migration lawyers before making a visa application. They want to know the different visa options available to them. Experts at Mount Bonnell Advisors have continually been helping such entrepreneurs with the most viable visa solutions. This article reviews four of the most popular visas available for entrepreneurs. There is also a brief explanation of the advantages and disadvantages of each.

E-2 Investor Visa

An E-2 Visa is an excellent option for entrepreneurs who want to start and develop a company in the US. The visa allows the entrepreneur to stay and direct the operations of a company for an indefinite period. Even though a person could live in the US indefinitely, this does not imply that the visa is a green card. For a person to qualify for this visa, he or she must either start or buy a business in the US. Notably, the investment amount depends on the type of business one may be willing to operate.

For instance, if you start a consulting firm, the amount of investment may be as low as $50,000.  However, starting a manufacturing plant may require an investment amount that would be much higher. The main advantages of the E-2 Visa are unlimited stay duration and the potentially small investment amount. In addition, the Visa allows an Investor to invite his or her spouse and children to join them in the U.S. The spouse can subsequently get authorization to work in any field.  To get more information about the E-2 Visa, get in touch with us.

EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa

The EB-5 Visa is a great visa option for entrepreneurs who want to invest a large amount of capital. In fact, it is often referred to as the million-dollar Green Card. The primary advantage of this Visa is that you and your immediate family get green cards. Nevertheless, this Visa requires a substantial investment of about $1,000,000 in cities or $500,000 in rural areas. Additionally, EB-5 law is a very complex and expensive legal area and the Visa petition requires extensive documentation.

Here are five main criteria to get an EB-5 Visa:

1. One should invest or be actively in the process investing either $1,000,000 in a city setting or $500,000 in rural settings

2. One must prove that the investment funds come from a legitimate source

3. The entire investment funds must be active or at risk. This implies that you cannot just be thinking about buying a business and you have to put capital up that could be lost.

4. The entrepreneur must make the investment in a new or existing business enterprise.

5. You must prove that your investment directly or indirectly results in the creation and preservation of ten full-time jobs.

 H-1B Visa

H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows a US company to hire workers in specialty occupations.  This visa category requires that the foreign worker have a Bachelor’s degree. Besides, the Petitioner, usually the U.S. Company, should employ the worker for up to six years.  In the case of an Investor, Business Owner, or Entrepreneur, the petitioner and the beneficiary are often the same person.  Therefore, a business owner can use this Visa to sponsor his employees.  Sometimes, an H-1B Visa can be a tricky visa for a Business Owner if the owner is also the beneficiary. There are strict laws that govern whether or not people who have an ownership interest in a company can sponsor themselves for an H-1B Visa.  Even though it may be difficult, it is not impossible to acquire an H-1B Visa. It can be done with the help of a qualified immigration specialist.

L-Visa

With an L-Visa, a company may transfer an executive or manager from an affiliate foreign office to their office in the US. This Visa also enables a company without an affiliate office in the US to send an executive to the US. Nonetheless, there should be no doubt that the company plans to establish an affiliate company in the US sooner than later. As such, foreign entrepreneurs who want to relocate to themselves or their employees to the US can use this Visa.

To qualify for L-1 classification Visa, the entrepreneur must fulfill the following.

1. Be in a qualifying relationship with a foreign company.

2. Currently be, or planning to be doing business as an employer in the U.S. and in at least one other country. This requirement is applied directly for the duration of the beneficiary’s stay in the United States.

For more information concerning immigration visas, get in touch with us. We shall be glad to help.