Sophie Alcorn Podcast

In this week’s Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast, I’ll discuss how recent international graduates in the United States go through their immigration journey as well as what they are looking for when they’re trying to get a job at a company that can offer them immigration sponsorship. 

This episode is from the perspective of tech startup founders, recruiters, human resources, executives, people in global mobility, and anybody hiring at tech companies and startups. There’s also a shortage of highly qualified engineering talent in the United States. We're looking at all of the various talent pools that relate to people who were born in other countries and are living and working in the United States, and who need immigration support themselves and their families as they're on the path to visas and green cards, and ultimately, U.S. citizenship.

Please share this episode with companies, HR and recruiting professionals, startup founders, international talent, or anyone who can benefit from it. Sign up for the Alcorn monthly newsletter to receive the latest immigration news and issues. Reach out to us if we can help you determine the best immigration options for yourself, your company, your employees or prospective employees, or your family whether in the U.S. or abroad.

• Success in H-1B lottery in large vs. small companies
• How most students come to the United States
• Applying for the OPT process: requirements and filing guidelines
• Class action settlement and changes in the H-1B lottery
• Eligbility requirements for STEM OPT and timelines
• Other visa and green card options

Don’t miss my upcoming conversations with top Silicon Valley venture capitalists, startup founders, professors, futurists, and thought leaders on Immigration Law for Tech Startups. Subscribe to this podcast here or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or whatever your favorite platform is. As always, we welcome your rating and review of this podcast. We appreciate your feedback!

STEM OPT Extension for F-1 Students

Alcorn Immigration Law:

• Subscribe to the monthly Alcorn newsletter

• Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast:

• Episode 26: F-1 Students and Workyees

• Episode 66: Cap-Exempt H-1Bs with Danielle Goldman

• Episode 87: All the Ways to Get a Work Permit

• Immigration Options for Talent, Investors, and Founders
• Immigration Law for Tech Startups eBook
• Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp course for best practices for securing the O-1A visa, EB-1A green card, or the EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) green card—the top options for startup founders. Use promotion code ILTS for 20% off the enrollment fee.

In this week’s Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast, I’m joined by Melia Russell, a senior tech reporter at the financial and business news website, Business Insider. She particularly covers startups and venture capital focusing on growth-stage companies, tech investment details, and workplace issues, including immigration-related matters. Today, we're going to be talking about all things related to journalism, immigrants, and technology. Recently, Melia has been promoted to correspondent at Insider. 

Melia likes to cover emerging issues in law and policy related to immigrants and tech startups as well as reporting on immigrant-founded tech companies. These topics are somewhat a niche in the world, but are so important to the Silicon Valley ecosystem and innovation.

Please share this episode with companies, HR and recruiting professionals, startup founders, international talent, or anyone who can benefit from it. Sign up for the Alcorn monthly newsletter to receive the latest immigration news and issues. Reach out to us if we can help you determine the best immigration options for yourself, your company, your employees or prospective employees, or your family whether in the U.S. or abroad.

• Taking a service journalism approach when covering immigrants
• What’s going on in the economy in terms of talents in tech
• The longest running hiring spree in the startup ecosystem
• Breaking the story on the startup visa
• The benefits of the startup visa bill
• How to create compelling pitches

Don’t miss my upcoming conversations with top Silicon Valley venture capitalists, startup founders, professors, futurists, and thought leaders on Immigration Law for Tech Startups. Subscribe to this podcast here or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or whatever your favorite platform is. As always, we welcome your rating and review of this podcast. We appreciate your feedback!

https://www.businessinsider.com/immigration-attorneys-lawyers-helping-startups-founders-entrepreneurs-secure-work-visas-2021-8#suhi-koizumi-minami-tamaki-8

Email: [email protected] 

Alcorn Immigration Law:

• Subscribe to the monthly Alcorn newsletter

• Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast:

• Episode 089: Advocating for International Startup Founders with Jeff Farrah of National Venture Capital Association

• Episode 073: International Entrepreneur Parole is Back!

• Episode 078: Parole Entry Process

• Immigration Options for Talent, Investors, and Founders
• Immigration Law for Tech Startups eBook
• Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp course for best practices for securing the O-1A visa, EB-1A green card, or the EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) green card—the top options for startup founders. Use promotion code ILTS for 20% off the enrollment fee.

In this week’s Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast, Jeff Farrah joins me as we discuss the International Entrepreneur Parole, how Jeff's efforts directly supported this new immigration pathway to exist for all of you to apply for, as well as about the startup visa and other things that venture capitalists care about when it comes to immigrant startup founders.

Jeff is the General Counsel at the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA). A Southern Californian native, Jeff is an attorney who has worked in Washington for many years in the Department of Commerce, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and the Ways and Means Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives. Jeff continues to advocate for Congress and the White House and different agencies for pro-entrepreneurship policies.

Jeff believes immigrant entrepreneurs are part of the fabric of the American startup ecosystem and we would not be where we are as a country in terms of job creation and innovation. 

Please share this episode with companies, HR and recruiting professionals, startup founders, international talent, or anyone who can benefit from it. Sign up for the Alcorn monthly newsletter to receive the latest immigration news and issues. Reach out to us if we can help you determine the best immigration options for yourself, your company, your employees or prospective employees, or your family whether in the U.S. or abroad.

• Why the NVCA cares about immigration
• How the policy is a huge source of economic stimulation and job creation
• Recognizing the role of immigrant entrepreneurs in becoming the global powerhouse for startups
• The startup visa legislation
• Are folks in other countries allowed to write letters to Congress?
• The discussion on budget reconciliation and immigration measures

Don’t miss my upcoming conversations with top Silicon Valley venture capitalists, startup founders, professors, futurists, and thought leaders on Immigration Law for Tech Startups. Subscribe to this podcast here or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or whatever your favorite platform is. As always, we welcome your rating and review of this podcast. We appreciate your feedback!

National Venture Capital Association

https://nvca.org/ 

Alcorn Immigration Law:

• Subscribe to the monthly Alcorn newsletter

• Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast:

• Episode 73: International Entrepreneur Parole is Back!ees

• Episode 78: Parole Entry Process

• Episode 82: What Type of Investments Qualify Under IEP?

• Path to E-2 visa for citizens of non-treaty countries
• Immigration Options for Talent, Investors, and Founders
• Immigration Law for Tech Startups eBook
• Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp course for best practices for securing the O-1A visa, EB-1A green card, or the EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) green card—the top options for startup founders. Use promotion code ILTS for 20% off the enrollment fee.

In this week’s Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast, together with my law partner, Anita Koumriqian, we discuss what you should know about applying for U.S. citizenship if you already have a green card and you have some sort of record, whether in the form of an arrest, a DUI or drug possession.

Everybody should obviously be careful and try to not commit crimes. But when you're an immigrant, you have to be extra careful about what you do because there's a lot of stuff that you might encounter that could jeopardize your immigration status. One of the things also worth noting is that citizenship is very jurisdictional where it's unique to where you're living, specifically within the community in which the applicant resides. 

Please share this episode with companies, HR and recruiting professionals, startup founders, international talent, or anyone who can benefit from it. Sign up for the Alcorn monthly newsletter to receive the latest immigration news and issues. Reach out to us if we can help you determine the best immigration options for yourself, your company, your employees or prospective employees, or your family whether in the U.S. or abroad.

• Qualifications for U.S. citizenship and the five-year statutory period 
• Good moral character standards
• Things you need to disclose (expungement, citations, etc.)
• How the USCIS could find out you’ve committed a crime
• Types of minor level and major level convictions

Don’t miss my upcoming conversations with top Silicon Valley venture capitalists, startup founders, professors, futurists, and thought leaders on Immigration Law for Tech Startups. Subscribe to this podcast here or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or whatever your favorite platform is. As always, we welcome your rating and review of this podcast. We appreciate your feedback!

Alcorn Immigration Law:

• Subscribe to the monthly Alcorn newsletter

• Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast:

• Episode 14: Visas & Green Cards Based on Past Accomplishments

• Episode 29: Sponsoring Employees for PERM Green Cards

• Episode 81: The Engineers I’m Recruiting Want H-1B Transfers and Green Cards… What Do I Do?

• Immigration Options for Talent, Investors, and Founders
• Immigration Law for Tech Startups eBook
• Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp course for best practices for securing the O-1A visa, EB-1A green card, or the EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) green card—the top options for startup founders. Use promotion code ILTS for 20% off the enrollment fee.

In this week’s Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast, let's dive into the world of work permits – what they are and how they relate to other types of statuses that could allow you to work when you're physically in the United States. I also discuss all the ways to get work permits and at what points in your immigration journey are you eligible for them.

Just a brief overview, a work permit is formally and technically known as Employment Authorization Documents (EAD). A work permit is not a couple of things. It’s not a green card. It’s not a permanent residence. It is also not a visa. A work permit is a physical card that you apply for via the I-765 form. It's specifically issued by the government and it serves as evidence of your identity as well as your ability to work legally in the United States.

Please share this episode with companies, HR and recruiting professionals, startup founders, international talent, or anyone who can benefit from it. Sign up for the Alcorn monthly newsletter to receive the latest immigration news and issues. Reach out to us if we can help you determine the best immigration options for yourself, your company, your employees or prospective employees, or your family whether in the U.S. or abroad.

• Eligibility for a work permit 
• Validity, renewal, and processing times
• People who don’t need a work permit
• Categories that qualify for work permits
• Spouses who can work through work permits
• Different ways to get a work permit

Don’t miss my upcoming conversations with top Silicon Valley venture capitalists, startup founders, professors, futurists, and thought leaders on Immigration Law for Tech Startups. Subscribe to this podcast here or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or whatever your favorite platform is. As always, we welcome your rating and review of this podcast. We appreciate your feedback!

https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/information-for-employers-and-employees/employer-information/employment-authorization

Alcorn Immigration Law’s – STEM OPT FAQ’s

Alcorn Immigration Law:

• Subscribe to the monthly Alcorn newsletter

• Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast:

• Episode 18: Dependent Visas and Work Permits
• Episode 26: F-1 Students and Work
• Episode 73: International Entrepreneur Parole is Back!
• Episode 83: Understanding AC21 Portability – H-1B Extensions and the 180 Day Rule

• Immigration Options for Talent, Investors, and Founders
• Immigration Law for Tech Startups eBook
• Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp course for best practices for securing the O-1A visa, EB-1A green card, or the EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) green card—the top options for startup founders. Use promotion code ILTS for 20% off the enrollment fee.

In this week’s Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast, we give you a back-to-school review of the Extraordinary Ability visas and related green cards, and I’m joined by Nadia Zaidi, founding partner of Alcorn immigration law and a Forbes top-rated startup immigration attorney in the United States.

We built the Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp, which walks people through the process of gaining the qualifications for an O-1A visa, an EB-1 green card, and an EB-2 national interest waiver green card, so they can learn everything they need to know about strengthening their petition to reach their immigration goals. People who might be interested in this generally fall under four types of profile: founders of tech startups, researchers at early stage tech companies, UX/UI designers, and artists (O-1B category). 

Please share this episode with companies, HR and recruiting professionals, startup founders, international talent, or anyone who can benefit from it. Sign up for the Alcorn monthly newsletter to receive the latest immigration news and issues. Reach out to us if we can help you determine the best immigration options for yourself, your company, your employees or prospective employees, or your family whether in the U.S. or abroad.

• Tips for collecting portfolio of accomplishments
• Latest update on angel investment and venture capital
• Specific documentation for founders, researchers, UX/UI designers, and artists 
• Selecting experts for letters of recommendation
• Timeline for gathering evidence and the entire process

Don’t miss my upcoming conversations with top Silicon Valley venture capitalists, startup founders, professors, futurists, and thought leaders on Immigration Law for Tech Startups. Subscribe to this podcast here or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or whatever your favorite platform is. As always, we welcome your rating and review of this podcast. We appreciate your feedback!

Alcorn Immigration Law:

• Subscribe to the monthly Alcorn newsletter

• Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast:

• Episode 015: Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp
• Episode 038: Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp Course – Family
• Episode 084: Back to School: Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp Part 1

• Immigration Law for Tech Startups eBook
• Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp course for best practices for securing the O-1A visa, EB-1A green card, or the EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) green card—the top options for startup founders. Use promotion code ILTS for 20% off the enrollment fee.

In this week’s Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast, together with my law partner, Anita Koumriqian, we discuss the immigration process for married couples, specifically, the Petition to Remove the Conditions on Permanent Residence otherwise known as form I-751. We're sharing all of the details, the process, who needs to go through this, what it is, as well as some best practices. 

Just to give you a bit of context, for individuals who got their green card based on marriage, they can get a CR1 category green card, which means they're a conditional resident valid for a maximum period of two years. Somebody who files a green card application and gets it prior to their two-year wedding anniversary will fall under the CR1 category. And somebody that has their green card approved after their two-year wedding anniversary will receive the full 10-year green card. The purpose of the I-751 is to determine your intention of when you initially got married and when you initially got that green card. 

Please share this episode with companies, HR and recruiting professionals, startup founders, international talent, or anyone who can benefit from it. Sign up for the Alcorn monthly newsletter to receive the latest immigration news and issues. Reach out to us if we can help you determine the best immigration options for yourself, your company, your employees or prospective employees, or your family whether in the U.S. or abroad.

• The purpose of the I-751, filing and timeline
• How it’s based on the wedding anniversary
• Examples of “good faith”
• What happens when you get divorced
• Proof and documentation when filing the I-751 
• How the timeline overlaps with filing for U.S. citizenship

Don’t miss my upcoming conversations with top Silicon Valley venture capitalists, startup founders, professors, futurists, and thought leaders on Immigration Law for Tech Startups. Subscribe to this podcast here or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or whatever your favorite platform is. As always, we welcome your rating and review of this podcast. We appreciate your feedback!

Alcorn Immigration Law:

• Subscribe to the monthly Alcorn newsletter

• Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast:

• Episode 027: How to Prepare for Visa and Green Card Interview

• Episode 049: Never Do This in Immigration – Family

• Episode 064: Immigration, Prenups & Divorce with Lydia Hsu and Kara Foster

• Immigration Options for Talent, Investors, and Founders
• Immigration Law for Tech Startups eBook
• Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp course for best practices for securing the O-1A visa, EB-1A green card, or the EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) green card—the top options for startup founders. Use promotion code ILTS for 20% off the enrollment fee.

In this week’s Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast, I’ll dive back in and give you a refresher on extraordinary ability visas. We're talking about O-1A's for people who are coming temporarily to the U.S. as well as EB-1A green cards. These are the ones that you can self-petition by being a leader in your field in a country outside of the U.S. 

I also talk briefly about the LIKE Act, a bill for a startup visa, which is a very exciting program I’m grateful to be a part of. It's not a law yet. But this is a major real step forward. And I contributed some of the changes to its passage such as the removal of the numerical limitations. So if you're going to get a green card through this new program, you do not have to wait in any sort of line based on your country of birth. You just immediately apply for the phase two adjustment of status or an immigrant visa. There's no additional backlog and you will not have to look at the visa bulletin. 

Please share this episode with companies, HR and recruiting professionals, startup founders, international talent, or anyone who can benefit from it. Sign up for the Alcorn monthly newsletter to receive the latest immigration news and issues. Reach out to us if we can help you determine the best immigration options for yourself, your company, your employees or prospective employees, or your family whether in the U.S. or abroad.

• The LIKE Act for startup visas
• The increase in demand for tech talent in the U.S.
• No quota and lottery for the O-1A visa
• What you get from the Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp
• Things to take note of regarding O-1 visas and EB-1A green card

Don’t miss my upcoming conversations with top Silicon Valley venture capitalists, startup founders, professors, futurists, and thought leaders on Immigration Law for Tech Startups. Subscribe to this podcast here or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or whatever your favorite platform is. As always, we welcome your rating and review of this podcast. We appreciate your feedback!

Alcorn Immigration Law:

• Subscribe to the monthly Alcorn newsletter

• Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast:

• Episode 066: Cap-Exempt H-1Bs with Danielle Goldman

• Episode 081: The Engineers I’m Recruiting Want H-1B Transfers and Green Cards… What Do I Do?

• Episode 69: How to Have 2 Jobs When You’re on an H-1B

• Immigration Options for Talent, Investors, and Founders
• Immigration Law for Tech Startups eBook
• Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp course for best practices for securing the O-1A visa, EB-1A green card, or the EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) green card—the top options for startup founders. Use promotion code ILTS for 20% off the enrollment fee.

In this week’s Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast, I’m joined by my colleague and business immigration attorney, Gilberto Orozco, Jr. as we talk about dive into a very technical area of U.S. immigration law, which is the world of AC21 Portability which has something to do with H-1B'sand green cards. 

We tackle questions we get all the time from people who are looking at transferring jobs in the United States or maybe starting tech companies and wanting to understand the H-1B and green card process.

AC21 stands for the American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act. It was enacted by Congress in 2000 to stay competitive with H-1Bs. 

Please share this episode with companies, HR and recruiting professionals, startup founders, international talent, or anyone who can benefit from it. Sign up for the Alcorn monthly newsletter to receive the latest immigration news and issues. Reach out to us if we can help you determine the best immigration options for yourself, your company, your employees or prospective employees, or your family whether in the U.S. or abroad.

• The purpose of AC21
• 3 basic things that AC21 allows for people
• 2 types of H-1B extensions
• The 365 day rule for one-year extensions
• Requirements for getting a 3-year AC21 extension
• The 180-day portability rule

Don’t miss my upcoming conversations with top Silicon Valley venture capitalists, startup founders, professors, futurists, and thought leaders on Immigration Law for Tech Startups. Subscribe to this podcast here or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or whatever your favorite platform is. As always, we welcome your rating and review of this podcast. We appreciate your feedback!

U.S. Visa Bulletin

Alcorn Immigration Law:

• Subscribe to the monthly Alcorn newsletter

• Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast:

• Episode 030: H-1B Nitty Gritty #1: Transfer, Extensions, Amendments in Tech

• Episode 031: H-1B Nitty Gritty #2: H-1B Transfer for Startup Founders

• Episode 011: Your Startup’s First H-1B

• Immigration Options for Talent, Investors, and Founders
• Immigration Law for Tech Startups eBook
• Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp course for best practices for securing the O-1A visa, EB-1A green card, or the EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) green card—the top options for startup founders. Use promotion code ILTS for 20% off the enrollment fee.

***

EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.

He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.

Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

In this week’s Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast, I’m taking a deep dive into the International Entrepreneur Parole, specifically, its regulations, what makes a qualified investor and a qualified investment, as well as the criteria for government awards or grants. 

IEP is a two and a half-year program with a two and a half-year renewal that allows you to come to the U.S. for up to five years total. Your spouse can get a work permit and you can apply for some other type of visa or green card in the U.S. before, during or after you have an IEP. There are a few basic requirements. You must have a U.S. startup or a business entity, own at least 10% of it, and play a role in your business, and be able to present evidence that your startup has the potential for growth.

If you need more context, be sure to listen to Episode 73 and a better understanding of what it is and its history, as this episode is going to be more of a nuanced, deep-dive into IEP.

Please share this episode with companies, HR and recruiting professionals, startup founders, international talent, or anyone who can benefit from it. Sign up for the Alcorn monthly newsletter to receive the latest immigration news and issues. Reach out to us if we can help you determine the best immigration options for yourself, your company, your employees or prospective employees, or your family whether in the U.S. or abroad.

• Definition of a qualified investor
• Two basic requirements they must have done in the past 5 years
• Employee requirements
• What makes a qualified investment and what doesn’t count
• Criteria for government awards and grants

Don’t miss my upcoming conversations with top Silicon Valley venture capitalists, startup founders, professors, futurists, and thought leaders on Immigration Law for Tech Startups. Subscribe to this podcast here or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or whatever your favorite platform is. As always, we welcome your rating and review of this podcast. We appreciate your feedback!

Alcorn Immigration Law:

• Subscribe to the monthly Alcorn newsletter

• Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast:

• Episode 73: International Entrepreneur Parole is Back! 

• Episode 78: Parole Entry Process

• Episode 41: Investing in Immigrant Entrepreneurs with VC Carmen Pallafox

• Immigration Options for Talent, Investors, and Founders
• Immigration Law for Tech Startups eBook
• Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp course for best practices for securing the O-1A visa, EB-1A green card, or the EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) green card—the top options for startup founders. Use promotion code ILTS for 20% off the enrollment fee.

***

EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.

He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.

Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com