INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Sophie Alcorn
Contributor
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Sophie Alcorn is the founder of Alcorn
Immigration Law in Silicon Valley and 2019 Global Law Experts Awards& &Law Firm of the Year in California for Entrepreneur Immigration
Services.& She connects people with the businesses and opportunities that expand their lives.
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Minimum investment for EB-5 investor green card expected to more than double
What everyone at a startup needs to know
about immigration
Securing a green card can feel overwhelming for people in Silicon Valley who were born in India and China
But with the right help and guidance from a skilled immigration attorney, the process can be simpler, smoother and more successful.
Limits
written into existing immigration laws on both the number of green cards issued each year, as well as the number of green cards available
based on country of origin, leave some waiting half a century or more for a green card, with people from India and China facing the longest
wait times for employment-based green cards.
In this fiscal year, which ended on October 31, 226,000 family-sponsored green cards and
141,918 employment-based green cards were available
And the per-country cap, which is the maximum number of green cards available to individuals born in a particular country, was
25,754.
Although these U.S
laws pose an extra challenge for people born in countries with the highest demand for green cards, if you were born in India or China, there
are some things you can do to mitigate this wait.
Differentiate yourself
The EB-1 green card is considered the &first preference& for those
who&ll receive offers for employment-based green cards
It offers three unique and accelerated sub-paths:
EB-1A green card for individuals of extraordinary ability
EB-1B green card for outstanding
researchers and professors
EB-1C green card for multinational managers and executives
The EB-1A green card for extraordinary ability does
not require an employer sponsor or even a job offer, which means it one of the few self-petition green cards
To demonstrate eligibility,you must be able to show you have extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics
and that you and your work have received national or international acclaim.
Individuals who apply for the EB-1A do not need to obtain labor
certification (as required of employers)
That means the process is simpler and can be much faster than typical employment-based green cards
Also, an individual applicant may have more flexibility to change jobs than if an employer applied on their behalf.
The EB-1B green card for
outstanding researchers and professors requires an employer to sponsor you
Candidates for the EB-1B green card must demonstrate great achievements in their academic field.
And finally, the EB-1C green card for
multinational managers and executives enables an employer to bring an executive or manager who has been working abroad over to the U.S
The EB-1C candidate must have worked outside the U.S
for the employer for at least one year.
This Cato Institute analysis estimates individuals born in China and India face waiting eight and
nine years, respectively, for an EB-1 green card.Despite the small and growing backlog for EB-1 green cards for individuals born in China
and India, it still remains one of the quicker options.
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