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I'm Peter Roberts, immigration attorney, who does work for YC and startups. AMA

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Re: I'm Peter Roberts, immigration attorney, who does work for YC and startups. AMA

#52
post #7

As an EU citizen, what are my chances of being able to get a visa if hired by an American company?

What industry, size of company, and role(s) are you targeting?

I’m a senior SWE in big tech. Targeting big to mid tech and financial companies or startups. I’m weighing my options in case of layoffs and whatnot.

Re: I'm Peter Roberts, immigration attorney, who does work for YC and startups. AMA

#53
post #7

As an EU citizen, what are my chances of being able to get a visa if hired by an American company?

If you are currently employed abroad by a related company, then the L-1 visa might be an option. If you are not, then - assuming that you are not from a country with its own visa, such as Australia, Canada, Chile, Mexico, and Singapore - the potential options are the E-1/E-2, H-1B, and O-1.

L-1 is primarily for intracompany transfers, right?

O-1 would require demonstrating acclaim - not sure how that is done.

E1/2 - the significant trade part isn’t that clear to me. Not sure who qualifies.

H1B is a lottery.

I can’t quite gauge my chances to be honest.

Re: I'm Peter Roberts, immigration attorney, who does work for YC and startups. AMA

#56

I received notice of a successful i140 application (for eb1a) in September 2022 and have been waiting for the past 2.5 years for the dates to become current. The dates haven't moved past Feb 22 for the past 6 months or so. Any speculation on how these dates may move under the new administration?

That's a complete unknown, unfortunately, but to be clear, short of changing the green card law, there's little that an administration can do to impact the movement of the cutoff dates.

Re: I'm Peter Roberts, immigration attorney, who does work for YC and startups. AMA

#58
post #27

My friend is on h1b. Can he join me as a co founder? He has done zero work/contribution so far because he is tied to his sponsor. I would like to have him as a co founder and would like any advice you can offer. Thanks!

It's possible but there are a lot of factors to consider/issues at play which are impossible to go through in this forum so you and he should consult an immigration attorney.

Re: I'm Peter Roberts, immigration attorney, who does work for YC and startups. AMA

#59
post #18

Can you describe the changes that we are anticipated to see as a result of the change in the administration?

He's promised to make a lot of changes immediately, the majority concerning illegal immigration and border security. I'd recommend going to npr.org. There are good summaries there.

Re: I'm Peter Roberts, immigration attorney, who does work for YC and startups. AMA

#60

did a startup -- had wrong visa class -- angry employee called CBP -- got picked up passing through JFK -- 10 year ban -- is permission to reapply actually a thing or a dead-end process? -- thanks --

It is an option but it's complicated and not easy so consult an immigration attorney.
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