The US has a thriving startup community and there are many benefits to living in this environment. However, it can be challenging to get a job at a startup if you don’t live in the city where the company is based. Fortunately, there is an answer for any aspiring techies.
The Startup Visa Program allows foreign entrepreneurs who plan to start or run a business in the United States under the supervision of a qualified agent (i.e., “strategic advisor”) to obtain a temporary work visa that will last for up to three years. If you are interested in joining a startup but don’t want to relocate just yet, read this article and learn about how this program can help you get your dream job sooner than later!
What is the Startup Visa Program?
The Startup visa program is a special immigration program for entrepreneurs in the United States. This program allows foreign entrepreneurs to obtain a visa to live and work in the United States as long as they have a strategic advisor, also known as an immigration attorney or an immigration consultant, who can partner with them to manage and guide their immigration application process. The program is intended to help foreign entrepreneurs who want to start and expand a business in the United States while creating jobs and economic growth.
Almost any foreign entrepreneur can apply for the program and even though the application process is long and complicated (which is why many companies don’t participate), the program allows foreign entrepreneurs to seek employment in the United States while collaborating with a qualified agent (i.e., “strategic advisor”) who will be responsible for guiding the entrepreneur throughout the immigration process.
How to Apply for a Startup Visa
There are five main steps in the startup visa application process:
– Obtain a strategic advisor. A strategic advisor is an immigration attorney or immigration consultant who can apply for the entrepreneur’s visa for them. If you want to start your own business in the United States, you must have an immigration attorney or consultant who can apply for a visa for you. While there are many immigration attorneys or consultants who can apply for visas for a fee, you can’t simply choose the first one you meet.
You must find an immigration attorney or consultant who is a member of the American Immigration Lawyer’s Association (IALA), the American Immigration Council (AIC), or the International Association of Immigration Attorneys (IAILA). To find a member in your area, you can search IALA’s directory.
– Apply for a business visa. Once you have a strategic advisor, you will apply for an immigrant visa (or “business visa”) at an American consulate outside of your home country. – Apply for a visitor visa. Once you receive your immigrant visa, you will apply for a non-immigrant visa at an American consulate in your home country.
– Apply for a work visa. Once you receive your non-immigrant visa, you will then apply for a work visa at an American consulate in your home country.
