US Immigration Podcast

Interviews with Leaders in Immigration

Part 1: How to Build a Better Business Plan to Support an Immigration Visa (Ep. 30)

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Mark Deal talks about the first part of crafting a business plan for immigration purposes such as the company summary, product/service descriptions, as well as marketing and sales strategies

 Listen to this show using the web player below or your podcasting app of choice.

 

 

Immigration Buiness PlansIn this episode you will hear:

  • A bit about my MBA background (and how MBAs are best suited to prepare business plans)
  • Why you should NOT HIRE ME
    • If you can only spend money on a business plan or an immigration attorney, use my free tools to write your own plan – invest in solid legal representation.
  • Don’t make declarations that you can’t back up with supporting documents (don’t ASK for the RFE).
  • How to use fluid strategy statements to support your case, but reduce your overall document requirements.
  • Although the Executive Summary usually appears first, work on it last (we will cover this next week)
  • Company Summary
    • Start-Up Summary and Funding Sources
    • Business Start-Up or Expansion Milestones
    • Operational overview (in comparison to an elevator pitch)
      • E-2 & EB-5 Bonus: Cover the background of the source and use of funds
      • L-1A Bonus: Offshore Business Description
      • L-1A Bonus: Executive Job Description(s) with offshore history
  • Products and Services
    • Products and Services Description
    • How many products or services should be presented
  • Marketing Analysis
    • Geographic Summary (i.e. local, Regional National, international)
    • Market Demographics vs Market Segmentation and how to use them both
    • Target Market Strategy
    • SWOT Analysis and how it relates to Competitor Analysis
      • EB-5 Bonus: Why a Competitor Analysis is expected as part of Matter of Ho precedence
  • Sales Strategy
    • Primary Marketing Campaign Strategy as it relates to your Sales Forecast
    • A 5-year sales forecast – your first business plan metric
  • Next week I’ll cover the second part of my general business plan strategies to support business immigration petitions

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Ugo Nwadike: Special Immigration Considerations for Internet Entrepreneurs (Ep. 29)

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In this episode we talk to immigration attorney Ugo Nwadike about the special immigration considerations for internet entrepreneurs

 Listen to this show using the web player below or your podcasting app of choice.

 

 

Ugo NwadikeUgo Nwadike of Amin & Nwadike, PLLC in Miami, Florida. His firm focuses on immigration with a particular leaning towards the Startup Community and Young Entrepreneurs. He is a Miami native having received his bachelor’s degree in Computer Science at the University of Miami and his law degree from St. Thomas University. Ugo has been practicing law for nearly 6 years practicing Real Estate and Commercial Litigation, but he is brand new to the immigration arena. As a newcomer, he’s excited to conquer the challenges ahead and is open to learning from seasoned practitioners that have overcome those same challenges.

In this episode you will hear:

  • What is an “Internet Entrepreneur”?
  • Special considerations for E-2 visa requirements.
  • Special considerations for L-1A and even L-1B visa requirements.

Parting thoughts:

  • Get started developing your idea and immigration case early.

Jacob Sapochnick: Immigration Marketing through Social Media (Ep. 28)

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In this episode we talk to immigration attorney Jacob Sapochnick about marketing an immigration law firm through social media and the impact of immigration on entrepreneurship

 Listen to this show using the web player below or your podcasting app of choice.

 

 


Jacob SapochnickJacob Sapochnick is recognized as one of the most innovative, up and coming Immigration Lawyers in the nation.  He was featured in Retuters, ESPN, NBC, FOX and many other news outlets. His firm has one of the largest Facebook communities in the World for Lawyers. He is very much active in Social Media, he has a weekly podcast, and he maintains one of the longest running immigration blogs online.

In this episode you will hear:

  • Creating free content and making information available  for possible clients
  • Using social media to give out immigration information to everyone
  • Current trends of foreign nationals moving to the US
    • Influx of asylum cases
    • Finding solutions for people who didn’t get their working visa approved
  • Investors find it risky to invest if the participants’ visa status is questionable
  • Jason talks about his book – Entrepreneur’s Guide to Immigration

Jacob’s parting thoughts:

  1. The new way of marketing is by education and giving.
  2. Immigration attorneys should be ready by educating their staff and themselves on how to deal with immigrants.
  3. Startup immigration and asylum cases are on the rise.

Jacob specializes in:

  • Obtain work authorization for foreign nationals seeking employment in the US
  • Assist in permanent residence (green cards) application
  • Provide legal counsel and representation in family sponsored immigration matters

 Links to resources discussed on today’s show:

Interact with us about this episode using the comments below!

Josh Brown: Franchising Insight for the Entrepreneurial Immigrant (Ep. 27)

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In this episode we talk to Franchise attorney Josh Brown about the entrepreneurial aspects of franchising, particularly for immigrants.

 Listen to this show using the web player below or your podcasting app of choice.

 

 

Josh BrownJosh Brown is a practicing franchise attorney who has built a legal practice around helping entrepreneurs build businesses that scale and grow.  He loves helping entrepreneurs, business owners, franchisees and franchisors build profitable businesses that reflect the owners vision and provides value to customers.  He speaks, blogs, write articles, and is the creator and host of Franchise Euphoria, a top-rated podcast on iTunes.  He has been recognized as a rising star in the Indiana legal community on two separate occasions, and most recently, a Franchise Legal Eagle by The Franchise Times.

 

In this episode you will hear:

  • Before making a decision to get a franchise, it is best to review if the franchise system or the business model works for you
  • Reasons why a franchisee needs an attorney
  • The average agreement of a franchise is between 5-10 years
  • How the franchise agreement affects the foreign national
  • Best practices for the franchisee
    • Learn about the history of franchise such as the corporate structure
    • Know about geographic locations or how the territory is defined
    • Check what the current franchisees are doing
  • What is the difference between:
    • The independent and dependent consultant who may or may not be connected to a franchise network
    • The franchise broker who helps a buyer/seller find people for that business

Josh Brown’s parting thoughts:

  • People who are considering going to the US and looking at purchasing a franchise should take the time to understand the franchise system.
  • Most people rush into something for fear that the opportunity will go away. A good opportunity will still be there even after you have taken the time to look at it.

Josh Brown specializes in:

  • Helping people buy franchises the right way
  • Helping businesses expand and grow through the franchise model
  • Assisting entrepreneurs who are looking to build something that will last and grow with a foundation

Links to resources discussed on today’s show:

 

Jason Feldman: E-2, L-1A, and EB-5 Business Immigration Visa Comparisons (Ep. 26)

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In this episode we talk to immigration attorney Jason Feldman on E-2, L-1A, and EB-5 business immigration visa comparisons

 

 

Jason FeldmanJason Feldman is an immigration attorney at Feldman Feldman & Associates. He concentrates his practice in helping foreign nationals obtain permanent residency and nonimmigrant visas through business investments or employment. Jason is also a World champion Bridge player and has represented the United States in international competitions on numerous occasions. When not playing bridge or practicing immigration law, Jason loves to travel, surf, ski, and spend time with his wife and daughter.

In this episode you will hear:

  • Foreign Nationals are as diverse as any group, so you can’t have one path for all
  • E-2 requirement discussion revolving around Marginally (i.e. how many jobs created)
  • L-1A Requirements and distinction between a Manager, Executive and a daily participant in the new US company
  • EB-5 is discussed again on this episode but in contrast to the other types
  • We also discussed multi-visa immigration paths leading to residency or citizenship such as:
    • E-2 to EB-5
    • L-1A to EB-1

Jason’s parting thoughts:

  • Best Business Advice: Do what you love and love what you do
  • Personal Success Habit: He takes every case personally 
  • Parting Thoughts: Every situation is different

Jason’s specializes in:

  • Derivative and Family based green cards
  • Employment visas for business seeking to hire foreign workers (H-1b, L-1, labor certification)
  • Investor Visas (EB-5 and E-2)
  • Extraordinary Ability Green Cards
  • Deportation Representation
  • I-9 Audits