Ayvid Innovations has added founding attorney Sophie Alcorn to its cadre of advisors. The Los Altos, Calif., based firm connects entrepreneurs and startups from around the world to Silicon Valley resources, advisors, and investors. Alcorn began practicing immigration law in 2008. Since then, she has successfully handled hundreds of immigration cases on behalf of entrepreneurs, companies,…
DetailsFounding attorney Sophie Alcorn reviewed the International Entrepreneur Rule—or “startup visa”—and provided the latest on its status at a recent webinar. Thanks to Early Growth Financial Services for hosting the event.
DetailsU.S. immigration laws and policies are not only complex and confusing, but they are constantly changing. Here are the Top 10 things every startup founder or prospective startup founder should know before creating or growing their company in the U.S. 10. Creative Immigration Strategies Exist Devising a strategy for international entrepreneurs to create or…
DetailsRelax. Every year the Alcorn Immigration Law team helps employers and foreign professionals devise immigration strategies that fit their needs. Those strategies may include a backup plan in the event that a job candidate fails to get an H-1B specialty occupation visa in the annual H-1B lottery in April. Several other visa options exist for…
DetailsThe Global Entrepreneur-In-Residence Coalition (Global EIR) has named Sophie Alcorn to its Legal Advisory Committee. Global EIR is a nonprofit network of entrepreneurs, investors, and universities. Established in 2015, the organization helps international entrepreneurs remain and build their companies in the U.S. Global EIR partners international founders with universities, mentors, investors, and cities. That partnership…
DetailsPresident Trump signed the nearly $1.2 trillion spending bill approved by Congress last week that keeps the federal government running for the remainder of the 2017 fiscal year, ending on Sept. 30. The new budget largely overlooks spending for most of Trump’s anti-immigration proposals and stepped-up enforcement measures. Still, the new federal budget contains both good…
DetailsWe are still helping companies and candidates obtain H-1B visas despite recent presidential administrative actions seeking H-1B reform. President Trump signed an executive order last week calling for H-1B visas to be awarded to “the most-skilled or highest-paid petition beneficiaries.” The “Buy American and Hire American” order directs the agencies involved with the H-1B visa…
DetailsU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy memo stating that computer programming is not considered an H-1B “specialty occupation.” The H-1B visa allows U.S employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations. A “specialty occupation” requires “theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge.” A specialty occupation also requires “a bachelor’s or…
DetailsU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced last week new efforts to crackdown on H-1B violations and abuse. The H-1B visa program allows U.S. employers to recruit highly-skilled foreign nationals when faced with a shortage of qualified workers in the U.S. In recent years, the H-1B visa program has come under fire for reducing wages…
DetailsI frequently get asked this question by aspiring entrepreneurs. The short answer is, yes. If the Alcorn Immigration Law team sets you up properly for success, you can get an H-1B as a startup founder. However, if you have an H-1B from a company other than your intended startup, you would face restrictions regarding your…
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