moto1.jpg

Martensen Wright PC

Establishing Scandinavian businesses in the U.S. every day.

New USCIS Tools to Help Foreign Entrepreneurs Create and Grow Businesses in the United States

In November this year the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has launched a new “Entrepreneur Pathways” resource center for foreign entrepreneurs who seek to start a business in the United States. This new online resource offers useful tools designed to help entrepreneurs understand what visa or green card options are available to them depending on their particular circumstance. If you are an entrepreneur who is considering opening your own business in the United States, it is a great tool to explore and a good place to start before you contact an immigration lawyer.

The resource center can be assessed through the following link:
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/eir

The resource center has two main tools: a “Getting Started” page, which includes a detailed overview of the immigration process and a “Visa Guide” to the nonimmigrant visa categories available to entrepreneurs.

“Getting Started” page can be accessed here:

http://www.uscis.gov/USCIS/About%20Us/EIR/EIR-SlideShow/OverviewNew.html

makes a very important distinction between a nonimmigrant and an immigrant. It also provides a very detailed description of the US visa application process.

“Visa Guide” page can be accessed here:

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.749cabd81f5ffc8fba713d10526e0aa0/?vgnextoid=ef26d8f4a80a8310VgnVCM100000b92ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=ef26d8f4a80a8310VgnVCM100000b92ca60aRCRD

offers information regarding several nonimmigrant visa options that allow foreign entrepreneurs to explore or start a new business in the United States. In addition to the general information, Visa Guide resource has specific questions related to the requirements for each visa type. These questions can be very helpful in evaluating what kind of visa would be suitable in a particular situation. Another great feature of this web resource is the description of the types of documents that may be submitted to the US immigration authorities in order to satisfy specific visa requirements.