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

news.ycombinator.com

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

#1

Post by proberts »

I'll be here for the next 6 hours. As usual, there are lots of possible topics and I'll be guided by whatever you're interested in. Please remember that I can't provide legal advice on specific cases because I won't have access to all the facts. Please try to stick to a factual discussion in your questions and comments and I'll try to do the same in my answers!

Previous threads we've done: https://news.ycombinator.com/submitted?id=proberts.

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

#3

Post by proberts »

darshanmakwana wrote: post #2

What's the typical timeline and cost for sponsoring an H-1B vs. EB-3 vs. other visa categories?

Just to be clear, the H-1B is a nonimmigrant visa and the EB-3 is a green card category so they're no comparable. The costs will depend on the legal fees (which run anywhere from $2,500 to $5,000 with most lawyers charging something in between), the size of the company, and whether premium processing is used. For an H-1B, expect total costs of anywhere from about $5,000 to $10,000.

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

#4

Post by xqb64 »

What's the best path from zero to a fully legal status (visa first I imagine, but eventually citizenship) in the US for someone coming over from the Western Balkans (non-EU), with a bachelors degree in EE or CS and no prior work experience? Thanks for doing this.

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

#5

Post by proberts »

xqb64 wrote: post #4

What's the best path from zero to a fully legal status (visa first I imagine, but eventually citizenship) in the US for someone coming over from the Western Balkans (non-EU), with a bachelors degree in EE or CS and no prior work experience? Thanks for doing this.

The options are limited: an H-1B for employment (which involves an annual lottery), an F-1 for schooling, or a J-1 for internship/training (which requires a "host" company/employer).

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

#8

Post by pain_perdu »

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: years ago, Peter helped me secure authorization to become employee #1 at one of the most successful AI companies to come out of YC. Without his advice, I honestly don’t think I’d have the career I have today.

Since then, he has guided me and many friends through complex immigration processes, always flawlessly and on time. I’d strongly recommend listening to his advice and considering his services.

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

#9

Post by proberts »

BiteCode_dev wrote: post #7

Do you see a changing trend in number applications, accepted ones or visa cancellations ?

USCIS is reporting - and we're seeing - much higher RFE and denial rates for EB1A, EB1B, and NIW green card applications and O-1 applications.

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

#10

Post by sammyspizza »

The current administration has made it very hard for tech workers to get perm status. Many larger companies are no longer sponsoring perm applications for workers on h1-bs because it is so difficult to meet the new requirements. Which of the new requirements is the most difficult for companies to meet and have you seen any creative solutions, especially for smaller companies and startups trying to get their H1-B folks on greencard track.
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