Sophie Alcorn Podcast

In this episode of Immigration Law for Tech Startups, I’m absolutely thrilled to be joined by

Navroop Sahdev, a pioneering economist and blockchain expert, who has already achieved so much early in her career: She’s the founder and CEO of The Digital Economist, a Connection Science Fellow at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a partner at NextGen Venture Partners, an early-stage venture capital firm.

Navroop shares her immigration journey. “I never imagined I would ever be out of India—even for a visit,” she says, describing her upbringing in Punjab. Then “I remember how frustrated I was in India. When I was 19 years old, I started looking into going overseas.”

Navroop also shares her thoughts on U.S. immigration policy and what entrepreneurs need to do. “Talent is equally distributed in the world, but opportunity is not. That’s where the reform needs to happen,” she says. “I’m optimistic with a new administration reforming a 200-year-old system.”

To immigrate to the U.S., she needed to figure out what extraordinary skills she possessed and could contribute, first on an O-1 extraordinary ability visa and then for an EB-1A extraordinary ability green card. “[W]hat was missing [in the blockchain space] was an economist bringing insights or building the next economic systems of the future,” she says. “That became my differentiating value proposition and that’s the type of thing you need for O-1 or EB-1.”

Please share this episode with aspiring entrepreneurs, startup founders, or anyone who can benefit from it. Reach out to us if we can help you determine your immigration options whether you’re in the U.S. or abroad.

• Navroop shares the push and pull factors that led her to leave her native India and go first to Canada, then to Italy, and eventually to the U.S.
• She shares her immigration experience in the U.S. and the following: B-1/B-2 visitor visa, J-1 exchange visa, H-1B specialty occupation visa, O-1 visa, and EB-1A green card
• Why Navroop says it matters what organization or company sponsors your work visa
• What mindset shift needs to happen when you’re getting sponsored by a company for an O-1 visa or self-petitioning for an EB-1A green card
• What The Digital Economist does
• Why the future is fintech, blockchain, and cryptocurrency
• What type of jobs will disappear
• Why finding a differentiated valued proposition is important in immigration
• Why Navroop recommends an O-1 visa over the H-1B visa
• Navroop’s advice for other entrepreneurs

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

The Digital Economist’s Entrepreneur in Training program; sign up to The Digital Economist’s mailing list for the latest info on this program and others

Alcorn Immigration Law publications and courses:

• Subscribe to the Alcorn Immigration Law Newsletter
• Immigration Options Chart
• 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.

TechCrunch column:

What everyone at a startup needs to know about immigration

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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

This episode of Immigration Law for Tech Startups is the second in a two-part series on how to plan for this year’s upcoming H-1B lottery in March.

Late-breaking news: I recorded this episode before the State Department announced that international students who are currently abroad and holding or applying for new F-1 or M-1 visas will be granted national interest exemptions to the suspension of travel from Europe, the UK, Brazil, and South Africa due to the COVID-19 variant strains, according to Law360. The announcement also stated that business travelers, investors, academics, and journalists traveling on a visa to the U.S. can apply for a national interest exemption. That means H-1B candidates who are abroad will be able to come to the U.S. if they are selected in the March lottery and their H-1B petition is approved.

If you missed Part 1, click on Episode 55: H-1B Lottery Planning Part 1 to listen. Please note that Part 1 was recorded before the Biden administration decided to stick with the random H-1B lottery this year and delay the implementation of a wage-based H-1B lottery until next year. In this episode, I discuss what employers and H-1B candidates should do before the lottery, dates to remember, the H-1B filing process, and backup options in the event an H-1B candidate is not selected in the lottery.

Don’t miss our upcoming free webinar, “Get Ready for the H-1B FY2022 Lottery - Part 2,” on Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021, at 11 am PST. Join me and the Alcorn team as we cover up-to-date info about this year’s random lottery and answer your H-1B questions.

Please reach out to us ASAP if we can help you navigate the H-1B lottery and filing process this year. Share this episode with investors, companies, startup founders, or anyone who can benefit from it. We can help you determine your best immigration options whether you’re in the U.S. or abroad.

• The latest on this year’s H-1B lottery process and what’s likely to happen next year
• Dates to remember for this year’s H-1B lottery and filing process
• The benefits of a random lottery and a wage-based lottery
• What employers and H-1B candidates should do before the lottery
• Why there were two lotteries last year
• Why there’s renewed interest in moving to the U.S.
• Wage levels
• Status of work permits for H-4 visa holders and the public charge rule
• Why startups who are new to the process need to find their tax ID number
• What is a Labor Condition Application
• Consular processing vs. change of status
• Premium processing and processing times
• Backup 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 Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or whatever your favorite platform is. As always, we welcome your rating and review of this podcast. We appreciate your feedback!

Alcorn Immigration Law publications, blog posts, and courses

• All About H-1Bs
• Immigration Options Chart
• Immigration Law for Tech Startups eBook
• Didn’t Win in the H-1B Lottery? Now What?
• 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.

Immigration Law for Tech Startups

• Episode 9: What Makes a Strong H-1B Petition
• Episode 11: Your Startup’s First H-1
• Episode 46: Get Ready for H-1B FY2022 Lottery
• Episode 44: 7 of the Most Startup-Friendly Visas Explained

TechCrunch columns

• What everyone at a startup needs to know about immigration

***

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 episode of Immigration Law for Tech Startups, I’ll be discussing every startup’s dream problem: Figuring out how to quickly and strategically scale up after raising $5 million to $20 million in a Series A round!

Before I delve in, I want to solicit your suggestions for harnessing the power of Clubhouse, an invitation-only audio-chat social networking app, which I recently joined. I’m @Sophie-Alcorn. I’m considering offering drop-in immigration office hours or panels on immigration topics, such as the H-1B lottery or how a founder can move to the U.S. Please send me your suggestions on Clubhouse or by using the email or social media contacts above or below.

Now, let’s get back to that $20 million dollars! We’ve been contacted by several clients lately whose startups have completed a Series A round and find themselves with an 18-month runway and the need to hire 20 to 100 engineers ASAP or within a certain time frame to achieve hockey-stick growth. And if you aspire to be in this position, know that it’s possible! Listen in for more details and examples of the work visa categories that offer the quickest options for attracting international talent to help you grow your startup. And be sure to check out the resources below.

Anything we can do to help individuals make a better life here in the U.S. and follow their passion will benefit all of us. Please share this episode with recruiters, HR and people ops personnel, investors, companies, startup founders, or anyone who can benefit from it. Reach out to us if we can help you determine your company’s best immigration strategy or your best immigration options whether you’re in the U.S. or abroad.

• Why immigration is a secret weapon for winning top talent
• Work authorization, immigration status, and internal I-9 audits
• Topics the management team and investors should discuss
• Using immigration as a benefit
• Creating an immigration policy
• Jobs easily filled by American workers and those that are not
• The type of visa holders currently in the U.S. that can start working with a new employer in three to six weeks
• The unique benefits of sponsoring an H-1B transfer
• The visa categories that are difficult to transfer to a new employer
• Which visa categories are relatively quick and easy to obtain for individuals living outside the U.S.
• Hiring F-1 students on OPT or STEM OPT and sponsoring them in the H-1B lottery in March

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 the podcast here or whatever your favorite platform is. As always, we welcome your rating and review. We appreciate your feedback!

Alcorn Immigration Law publications and courses

• "What everyone at a startup needs to know about immigration”
• Immigration Cheat Sheet for Recruiters
• Immigration Options Chart
• All About H-1Bs
• 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.

Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast

• Episode 39: Startup Law with Attorney Lindsey Mignano
• Episode XX: 11 Tips for Companies to Support Valued Humans
• Episode 12: The Visa Options All Recruiters Should Know
• Episode 31: H-1B Nitty Gritty #2: H-1B Transfer for Startup Founders
• Episode 46: Get Ready for H-1B FY2022 Lottery
• Episode 11: Your Startup’s First H-1
• Episode 9: What Makes a Strong H-1B Petition

TechCrunch columns

"Dear Sophie: How can we sponsor H-1B transfers and extensions?"

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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 episode of Immigration Law for Tech Startups, I’m thrilled to be joined by my amazing law partner, Anita Koumriqian, who is an expert in family immigration law and coincidentally, just got engaged! Congrats, Anita, we’re so happy for you!

Anita and I will discuss how individuals can go through the immigration process based on love and marriage: We talk about how green card holders and U.S. citizens can sponsor their spouses for a green card, as well as how U.S. citizens can sponsor their fiancé for a visa to get married in the United States.

“Wedding planning is already stressful,” says Anita. “I really feel for people, who on top of wedding planning have to do immigration planning and figure out timing, like postponing their honeymoon until they have a travel document.”

Get our new infographic handout on the Path to a Green Card, which puts everything in perspective and offers a timeline for Bay Area immigration offices. Be sure to check out our other immigration resources below.

Anything we can do to help individuals make a better life here in the U.S. and follow their passion will benefit all of us. Please share this episode with investors, companies, startup founders, or anyone who can benefit from it. Reach out to us if you have any questions. We can help you determine your best immigration options whether you’re in the U.S. or abroad.

• Why we ask all employment-based green card candidates if they’re in a relationship
• Which process is quicker: a marriage-based green card or an employment-based green card
• The benefits of a marriage-based green card
• The K-1 visa, who qualifies, and when it makes sense to pursue
• Why it’s important to talk to an experienced immigration attorney
• Why it matters if the person needing a green card is inside or outside of the U.S.
• What you should keep in mind if you’re in the U.S. on a B-1 or B-2 visitor visa and you marry a U.S. citizen or green card holder
• What to do if a married couple wants to move to the U.S. from abroad
• Immigrant intent
• The financial requirements for sponsoring a spouse for a green card
• The process for applying for a marriage-based green card
• What to expect during a marriage-based green card interview and what U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officers think about people who bring an attorney with them to their interview
• The latest on processing delays due to COVID-19 and new and potential changes to the green card process under the Biden administration

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 your favorite platform. As always, we welcome your rating and review of this podcast. We appreciate your feedback!

Alcorn Immigration Law publications and courses:

• Path to a Green Card
• Subscribe to the Alcorn Newsletter
• 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.

Immigration Law for Tech Startups Podcasts

• Episode 13: Show the Love: Family-based Alternatives for Technology Professionals
• Episode 49: Never Do This in Immigration – Family

***

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 episode of Immigration Law for Tech Startups, I’ll be discussing 10 tips plus one bonus tip for how companies can support not only their international team members but all their team members to improve their company culture, help everyone stay focused, and avoid burning out.

The immigration process and immigration security are big issues for international team members. Companies that support individuals who have the courage to relocate their lives to come to the U.S. and also demonstrate their ongoing commitment will help attract and retain talent. Companies should:

1. Foster a company culture that embraces and supports diversity
2. Deliberately develop a company immigration policy—even if the best policy is no policy 
3. Offer settling-in services
4. Create company programs to help acclimate and support new international hires
5. Resources for the dependent spouses of new international hires
6. Connect with local immigration organizations
7. Provide advancement programs and opportunities that foster commitments
8. Proactively engage new international hires
9. Support the ongoing immigration needs of international talent
10.  Offer global rotation programs for all workers if you’re a multinational company and/or cover costs for international hires to travel to their home country to renew work visas
11. Consider raising the wages for H-1B candidates that will be registered in this year’s H-1B lottery, which begins on March 1

Listen in for more details and examples for each of these tips. And be sure to check out the resources below.

Anything we can do to help individuals make a better life here in the U.S. and follow their passion will benefit all of us. Please share this episode with investors, companies, startup founders, or anyone who can benefit from it. Reach out to us if we can help you determine your best immigration options whether you’re in the U.S. or abroad.

• A detailed discussion and examples of the 11 tips
• Why diversity matters, including its impact on a company’s bottom line
• Richard Graf’s K-i-E decision-making process and the impact it has on diversity
• Why it’s important for companies to take into account both current circumstances and future growth when developing a company immigration policy
• What to consider when developing company immigration policies based on your company’s unique circumstances and future growth
• How to use immigration as a benefit and a recruiting and retention tool
• Various types of settling-in services companies can offer new international hires
• Offerings that your company could implement to acclimate new international hires as well as support their dependent spouses
• The type of services some local immigrant organizations can provide
• Examples of advancement programs that foster loyalty 
• The benefits of asking for input from international hires
• Other proactive strategies to optimize your team and help retain team members
• What you should consider for this year’s H-1B lottery registration 

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 Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or whatever your favorite platform is. As always, we welcome your rating and review of this podcast. We appreciate your feedback!

Alcorn Immigration Law publications and courses:

• Immigration Cheat Sheet for Recruiters
• Immigration Options Chart
• All About H-1Bs
• 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.

Immigration Law for Tech Startups

• Episode 9: What Makes a Strong H-1B Petition
• Episode 11: Your Startup’s First H-1
• Episode 46: Get Ready for H-1B FY2022 Lottery

Tech Crunch: Dear Sophie columns

Dear Sophie: What’s the new minimum salary required for H-1B visa applicants?

***

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 episode of Immigration Law for Tech Startups, I’m thrilled to be joined by Tim Draper, a third-generation VC and the founder of Draper University, a top Silicon Valley pre-accelerator and incubator for entrepreneurs. He was an early investor in and is a big proponent of Bitcoin. And he seeded most of the nearly 40 unicorns in which he has invested.

Tim shared his thoughts on a wide range of topics, from Bitcoin to mindfulness, from how to solve global warming to universal earned income, from creating and inspiring entrepreneurs to what he looks for when investing in a startup.

“When I’m looking at a company,” he says, “I look for two things: How big can this get, so is it worth your time to do it? And what does the world look like when you’re done?”

Don’t miss my inspiring conversation with Tim. Please share this episode with aspiring  entrepreneurs, startup founders, or anyone who can benefit from it. Reach out to us if we can help you determine your immigration options whether you’re in the U.S. or abroad.

• Tim’s views on the future of Bitcoin and its equalizing power
• Draper University’s Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship and Hero Training programs
• What it takes to create and inspire entrepreneurs
• How to structure the free market to save the planet and create the most promising future for the U.S.
• How remote work due to COVID-19 has impacted his work
• The concept of universal earned income
• What Tim looks for when investing in a company
• Tim’s advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and how to get through the dark days

Stay tuned for my conversations with other top technology thought leaders, venture capitalists, startup founders, professors, and futurists on Immigration Law for Tech Startups. Subscribe to this podcast here or on whatever your favorite platform is. We welcome your rating and review of this podcast. Thanks!

Brock Pierce and Universal Earned Income

Alcorn Immigration Law publications and courses:

• Subscribe to the Alcorn Immigration Law Newsletter
• Immigration Options Chart
• 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

This episode of Immigration Law for Tech Startups is the first in a two-part series on how to plan for this year’s H-1B lottery in March given the recent changes to the process.

Whether you’re a large corporation or an early-stage startup, I recommend hiring an experienced immigration attorney to help you navigate the complex H-1B lottery and filing process. Getting legal guidance is particularly important given the vast array of new rules and procedures that have been put in place under the Trump administration, particularly in recent months, and because it remains uncertain what will change—or whether anything will change—under the Biden administration. The Alcorn team is keeping close tabs on the latest developments and will keep you posted.

The biggest change the Trump administration made prior to leaving office was replacing the random H-1B lottery with an H-1B allocation process based on the highest wages paid to H-1B candidates given the position and work location. I’m calling it the new play-to-play rule for H-1Bs. Although it will pressure employers to raise salaries, the new wage-based H-1B lottery will add substantial predictability to the process.

Make sure to tune in to part 2 of H-1B Lottery Planning. I will provide more specifics and any updates on the new H-1B pay-to-play process and what actions and documents H-1B employer sponsors and H-1B candidates should start assembling to prepare.

I am excited by the upcoming possibilities for immigration. Anything we can do to help an individual make a better life in the U.S. and follow her or his passion will be to the benefit of all of us. Please share this episode with investors, companies, startup founders, or anyone who can benefit from it. Reach out to us if we can help you determine your best immigration options whether you’re in the U.S. or abroad.

• Details about the new pay-to-play H-1B lottery
• Why the new process will make the H-1B lottery more predictable for employers—and possibly more expensive, too
• My thoughts on whether the new H-1B lottery process will remain under the Biden administration
• The general requirements for an H-1B visa
• How many H-1B visas are available in the annual lottery
• Who will benefit the most from the new pay-to-play H-1B allocation process
• How to electronically register H-1B candidates
• How the lottery process has changed in the past few years
• Strategies and tips for the electronic H-1B registration process, particularly for early-stage startups and recent grads on F-1 OPT or STEM OPT
• H-1B dates to remember
• What’s up with premium processing for H-1Bs

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 on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or whatever your favorite platform is. As always, we welcome your rating and review of this podcast. We appreciate your feedback!

Alcorn Immigration Law publications and courses:

• All About H-1Bs
• Immigration Options Chart
• 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.

Immigration Law for Tech Startups

• Episode 9: What Makes a Strong H-1B Petition
• Episode 11: Your Startup’s First H-1
• Episode 46: Get Ready for H-1B FY2022 Lottery

***

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

I’m pleased to welcome back to Immigration Law for Tech Startups my law partner, Anita Koumriqian, who is an expert in individual and family immigration law. Today we’ll discuss how to bring your parents or siblings to the U.S.

“I enjoy the family reunification green cards, especially when kids are petitioning for their parents,” says Anita. “People immigrate to the U.S., become successful, and then they are able to say to their parents, ‘Come to the U.S., let me take care of you when you retire.’ For me, that’s the dream.”

Most U.S. consulates remain closed due to COVID-19. The few consular offices that are open are only operating at 20 to 30 percent capacity. Moreover, a moratorium on green cards issued abroad remains in place until the end of the year.

Still, this should not stop you from starting the process of sponsoring your parents or siblings for a green card, particularly since it may take time to obtain the evidence and documents for your petition and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) can take more than a year to adjudicate a case.

Immigration is never easy, but it’s always possible!

Please share this episode with anyone who can benefit from it. Reach out to us if we can help you determine your immigration options whether you’re in the U.S. or abroad.

• Requirements and documentation needed for sponsoring a biological parent, an adoptive parent, and a stepparent
• Requirements and documentation needed if you were born out of wedlock
• Requirements and documentation needed for sponsoring a sibling, half-sibling, adoptive sibling and step-sibling
• The U.S. Department of State reciprocity table and what it does
• Some of the unique ways to document the birth of your parents or siblings when a birth certificate cannot be found
• When you should consult an immigration lawyer
• Instances in which USCIS may request a DNA test
• The three-part process of sponsoring a parent or sibling for a green card
• Processing times and expected wait times
• Why it typically takes much longer for siblings to get a green card than parents
• What parents that get green cards need to know about long trips to their home country

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 on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or whatever your favorite platform is. As always, we welcome your rating and review of this podcast.

U.S. Department of State’s Reciprocity Table

Immigration Law for Tech Startups:

• Episode 35: Becoming a U.S. Citizen: Naturalization and Citizenship
• Episode 28: All About Priority Dates
• Episode 22: Navigating the NVC

Alcorn Immigration Law’s services page on:

• Family Green Cards
• Citizenship Through Naturalization

Register for Alcorn’s Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp to learn the 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.

Get Alcorn’s Immigration Law for Tech Startups eBook

***

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

Before I dive into this episode, I have exciting news to share: The Community for Global Innovation (CFGI), the nonprofit I co-founded with David Valverde Vargas has received 501(c)(3) status!

David, the founder of PRANOS.ai, and I formed CFGI last summer when the Trump administration was threatening to deport international students for taking online—rather than in-person—classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through CFGI, we sought to connect international students with innovative tech companies willing to sponsor talent for a visa or green card. Thank you to all who believe in our mission and support international students!

Now, on the eve of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ inauguration, I want to discuss what immigration changes we might expect for immigration under this new administration in this episode of Immigration Law for Tech Startups.

In a new conference a few weeks ago, Biden stated he will introduce immigration legislation “immediately” after taking office, and that his Department of Justice will investigate the Trump administration’s family separation program at the southern border. Biden, however, did not offer up any details about his immigration legislation.

In his campaign platform, Biden promised to undo Trump’s damage and reclaim American values. I am so thankful that he will overturn the inhumane and horrifying Trump policy of separating families at the border and detaining children. I include legal resources for children below.

A lot has happened during the past few weeks that will impact immigration and the Biden administration’s immigration plan:

• Trump extended the ban on H-1B, J-1, and L-1 visas through March 31.
• Democrats took narrow control of the U.S. Senate with the election of two Democrat Senators from Georgia.
• The Department of Homeland Security finalized a rule that will shift from a random H-1B lottery to a new wage-based H-1B allocation system from highest to lowest relative wage.

I am excited by the upcoming possibilities for immigration. Anything we can do to help an individual make a better life in the U.S. and follow her or his passion will be to the benefit of all of us.

Please share this episode with investors, companies, startup founders, or anyone who can benefit from it. Reach out to us. We can help you determine your best immigration options whether you’re in the U.S. or abroad.

• President-elect Biden’s six-point immigration program
• What the Georgia Senate wins for Democrats means for Biden’s legislative agenda for immigration
• What the Biden administration is planning within the first 100 days in office
• What the Biden administration’s silence on the new wage-based H-1B allocation may mean
• How the Biden administration might improve the green card process
• The new administration’s possible policy and legislative plans that will affect entrepreneurs and more broadly the tech industry
• The Biden administration’s plans for asylum policy and plans for the 11 million individuals in the U.S. who are undocumented

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 on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or whatever your favorite platform is. As always, we welcome your rating and review of this podcast. We appreciate your feedback!

Alcorn Immigration Law publications and courses:

64 Questions to Ask Your Immigration Attorney

All About H-1Bs

Immigration Options Chart

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.

Legal representation for children detained at the border:

Centro Legal de la Raza

Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto

Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project

Immigration and Deportation Defense Clinic

Legal Services for Children

Immigration Law for Tech Startups

Episode 43: What a Biden Victory Means for Immigration

Tech Crunch

“A pledge to unite international students and tech”

“Dear Sophie: What Does Biden’s Win Mean for Tech Immigration”

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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

We’ve covered a lot of ground since this podcast debuted in early 2020. Many thanks to all of you for joining me on this journey to demystify the U.S. immigration process and empower you. Thanks to all of you who have shared your feedback. I really appreciate it!

Today’s episode is a follow-up to podcast episode 49. In that episode, attorney Anita Koumriqian, my law partner, and I discussed what we called the commandments of an immigration attorney for family immigration cases. In this episode, I’ll be using the same lens to view the world of business immigration.

Violating any of these commandments could negatively impact an individual’s immediate petition or entry into the U.S. or an employer’s ability to fill a position, but also could jeopardize the rest of an individual’s immigration journey or an employer’s future ability to hire international talent. Here are the five commandments for business immigration:

• Thou shalt not do-it-yourself (DIY)
• Thou shalt tell the truth: Do the right thing and do it with integrity
• Thou shalt be prepared
• Thou shalt do everything thoroughly
• Thou shalt not make any filing mistakes

We’ve been able to successfully navigate the immigration landscape during the last four years. We are looking forward to seeing more people being able to live their dreams of living, creating, and innovating in the U.S. under the Biden administration.

Please share this episode with friends, family members, investors, companies, startup founders, or anyone who can benefit from it. Reach out to us. We can help you determine your best immigration options whether you’re in the U.S. or abroad.

• The five commandments drawn from real experiences and more info and detail about what they mean
• The difference between a nonimmigrant work visa and an employment-based green card
• The approval rates for H-1B during the Obama and Trump administrations
• Why employers should avoid the temptation to let employees from Canada apply or renew a TN at a U.S. port of entry
• How employers can use immigration as a benefit to attract and retain employees
• What to do if an employer’s interests are not aligned with the visa or green card candidate’s interest
• The types of immigration cases that are often investigated by the government and why
• Why employers should decide what their immigration policy is

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 on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or whatever your favorite platform is. As always, we welcome your rating and review of this podcast. Stay up to date with each episode by subscribing here. We appreciate your feedback!

Tech Crunch Dear Sophie columns

What Everyone at a Startup Needs to Know About Immigration

Path to Green Card

Immigration Options Chart

Immigration Law for Tech Startups

Episode 46: Get Ready for H-1B FY2022 Lottery

Episode 44: 7 of the Most Startup-Friendly Visas Explained

Episode 27: How to Prepare for Visa and Green Card Interview

Episode 20: TN Visas and Status for Canadian and Mexican Citizens

Episode 19: Australian Visas Including E-3

Episode 15: Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp

Register for Alcorn’s Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp to learn the 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.

Get Alcorn’s Immigration Law for Tech Startups eBook

***

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