Bringing a key employee to the United States, opening a U.S. office, or investing in a business here all start with choosing the right visa. Onal Gallant’s business immigration lawyers help employers, investors, and professionals pick that path and build petitions that hold up under review by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Immigration law is federal, so we work with companies and individuals across the United States and abroad.
Business immigration is the part of U.S. immigration law that ties legal status to work or investment. It includes temporary visas that let a company hire or transfer employees, visas for treaty traders and investors who run a U.S. business, and green cards based on a job offer, a qualifying investment, or a person's own record of achievement.
The right visa or green card depends mostly on who is sponsoring the case and on your background. Nationality matters too: E-1 and E-2 visas are available only to nationals of treaty countries.
A business immigration lawyer helps you choose the right category and present the business facts the way USCIS reviews them. Many delays and denials start with unclear or inconsistent evidence, not with a weak business.
The company letter, the job description, the ownership records, and the financial documents all have to tell the same story. When they do not, USCIS asks for more proof or denies the case.
Our business immigration lawyers can help with:
Discuss your company’s next hire or transfer.
Most problems come from proof that does not match the legal standard. USCIS reviews the whole record, and a gap in one document can hold up the entire case.
Common risk points include:
Premium processing can shorten the USCIS decision time for eligible filings, but it does not make a weak petition stronger. We look for these gaps before anything is filed.
Most cases, from an E-2 visa to an employer-sponsored green card, move through four stages.
We start with what you want to achieve and the business or employer behind the case, then recommend a category. If two options would work, we compare them on timing before you decide.
We build the evidence file and draft the petition and support letters. Filing goes to USCIS, the Department of Labor, or a U.S. consulate, depending on the category. If premium processing is available, we tell you whether it makes sense for your timeline.
If USCIS sends a Request for Evidence (RFE), we answer every point in it. For visas issued abroad, we prepare you for the consular interview.
After approval, we keep track of expiration dates and file extensions and changes of status on time, including for your spouse and children. If a green card is the next goal, we plan when to start.
Approved EB-1A, EB-2 NIW, E-2, and O-1A cases from our business immigration practice.
EB-1A Approved
He develops machine learning algorithms that reconstruct human motion from images and video. His research contributes to human-computer interaction, augmented and virtual reality, robotics, and biomechanics, and the petition documented its significance for intelligent systems.
EB-1A Approved
The antennas this engineer designs serve communication systems, radar, security imaging, and medical diagnostics, including breast and brain imaging systems that support earlier detection. The petition showed original contributions of major significance to the field.
EB-1A Approved
This entrepreneur runs companies in construction, healthcare, technology, and finance across several international markets. The petition documented sustained recognition and leadership in more than one industry. EB-1A is not limited to scientists and researchers.
EB-1A Approved
Her research covers educational technology, learning analytics, educational data science, and computer science education. The record included influential publications, editorial roles, curriculum development, and contributions to digital education at the national and international level.
EB-2 NIW Approved
The work centers on high-efficiency energy systems for industrial facilities. The petition documented measurable cost savings and environmental benefits in critical sectors and showed that the work has substantial merit and national importance.
EB-2 NIW Approved
The client builds software for public services, including health informatics and social welfare platforms. The petition explained how the work makes government systems more efficient, secure, and accessible, and why it matters to public infrastructure in the United States.
EB-2 NIW Approved
He holds a ship master’s license and has experience in vessel navigation, maritime safety, environmental compliance, and leadership in international shipping. The petition tied his work to U.S. interests in maritime security, workforce development, and sustainable shipping.
EB-2 NIW Approved
This engineer builds secure, scalable cloud infrastructure for intelligent mobility systems, financial technology platforms, and public-sector services. The petition connected his work in cloud computing and distributed systems to infrastructure resilience, transportation safety, and financial innovation.
E-2 Approved
An investor from Türkiye built a trucking company that hauls freight and vehicles across several U.S. regions with company-owned trucks. The record showed a substantial, at-risk investment and the investor’s active role in daily operations and fleet growth.
E-2 Approved
The investor bought into a nationally recognized handyman franchise and formed a company offering residential repair, maintenance, and remodeling. The investment of about $136,000 covered the franchise, equipment, marketing, office lease, and startup costs, and documented expenses showed the business was already operating.
E-2 Approved
The client’s freight brokerage arranges full truckload, less-than-truckload, refrigerated, and expedited shipments across the U.S. It is independently owned and runs under a franchise framework, and the investment covered franchise fees, office lease, equipment, and startup costs.
E-2 Approved
This company rents hybrid and fuel-efficient vehicles through peer-to-peer platforms and to corporate customers. The investment covered vehicles, commercial insurance, office lease, payroll, and professional services, and the first vehicles were in service with staff in place.
E-2 Approved
An investor with long experience in specialty coffee opened a U.S. company that roasts, packages, and sells coffee directly to consumers. The record showed an operating business that the investor develops and directs.
E-2 Approved
After years in baking and food production, the investor opened a business that combines a retail café with wholesale pastry production for commercial clients. The company operates from dedicated locations and was shown to be active and backed by a qualifying investment.
E-2 Approved
From a commercial office with fleet parking, the company rents vehicles short- and long-term to individuals and businesses. It was already earning revenue through online platforms and direct bookings when the change of status to E-2 was approved.
E-2 Approved
Services include deep cleaning, move-in and move-out cleaning, post-renovation cleaning, short-term rental turnovers, and office janitorial work. The investment covered vehicles, equipment, lease, payroll, insurance, and branding, and the change of status to E-2 was approved.
E-2 Approved
This retailer buys branded consumer goods through liquidation and wholesale channels and resells them in store and online. Soon after formation, the business had inventory turnover, customer sales, U.S. employees, and a five-year growth plan.
E-2 Approved
The business serves Mediterranean-inspired and American dishes from a fast-casual food trailer, on site, at community events, and through catering. The record showed a substantial, at-risk investment and the investor’s active role in daily operations.
E-2 Approved
The dealership sells pre-owned vehicles from an established physical location. The record showed ongoing sales and that the investor will develop and direct the business.
E-2 Approved
Ethnic and cultural apparel is sold through the store’s own website and online marketplaces, and the business handles its own inventory, marketing, and order fulfillment. The record showed a qualifying investment in an operating company.
E-2 Approved
This was an E-2 employee case: an executive approved to run the automotive services division of a company that also has a home furnishings line. The role covers daily operations, staff, vendor and customer relations, and the division’s financial results.
O-1A Approved
The O-1A petition was for a senior business analyst and SAP solution architect who has spent more than 12 years designing and implementing SAP Sales and Distribution (SD) systems for global companies.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.
Because we also handle corporate law and intellectual property, we review the business behind an E-2, L-1, or EB-5 case: formation documents, operating agreements, franchise and purchase agreements, and business plans.
Onal Gallant has served more than 20,000 clients over more than 20 years, supported by 65+ legal professionals.
Our team includes a former federal prosecutor who represented USCIS and the Department of Homeland Security in federal court. If USCIS leaves a case pending too long or denies it on a legal error, we can take it to federal court.
We look at the filing in front of us and the step after it, whether that is an extension, a new employer, or a green card for you and your family.
It depends on who owns the company and who will run the office. A foreign company can transfer an executive or manager on an L-1A to open a new office, with a first approval of up to one year, and nationals of treaty countries may qualify for an E-2. We compare both before you sign a lease or make a hire.
Sometimes, but timing matters. Once your green card application (Form I-485) has been pending for 180 days, a rule called job portability may let you move to a same or similar job, as long as the I-140 petition was approved or approvable. Talk with us before you accept a new offer.
No. USCIS decides petitions under the same federal rules wherever you live. We represent clients across the United States, and many start their case from abroad and finish it at a U.S. consulate.
Answers to the questions employers and investors ask most before a case begins.
A work visa, such as an H-1B or L-1, lets you work in the United States for a set period, usually for one employer. An employment-based green card makes you a permanent resident, so you can live and work anywhere in the country and later apply for citizenship. Many people start on a work visa and later get a green card through the same employer.
Yes. Nationals of treaty countries can qualify for an E-2 visa by making a substantial investment in a U.S. business that they will develop and direct. If a company abroad has employed you as a manager or executive for one continuous year in the past three years, the L-1A lets it send you to open or run its U.S. office. For a green card, the EB-5 program requires a larger investment that creates at least 10 full-time jobs.
No. The law does not set a dollar amount. The investment must be substantial in relation to the total cost of the business, and the money must be committed and at risk. The business must be a real, operating enterprise that does more than provide a living for you and your family.
Only countries that have a qualifying treaty with the United States. The U.S. Department of State keeps the current list. Türkiye qualifies for both. The list also includes many European, Latin American, and Asian countries.
Yes. E-2 spouses are authorized to work based on their status, and the I-94 record shows E-2S as proof. A separate work permit is not required. Children can live and study in the U.S. but cannot work on E-2 dependent status.
Each entry gives you up to two years of stay. Extensions are available in two-year periods with no overall limit, as long as the business keeps operating and qualifying. The visa stamp in your passport may be valid for a different length of time, which depends on your country.
Yes. EB-1A (extraordinary ability) and the EB-2 National Interest Waiver let you file your own petition, with no job offer or PERM labor certification. EB-5 investors also file on their own.
It depends on the category, the agency, and your country of birth. With premium processing, USCIS acts on most work visa petitions within 15 business days. Employment-based green cards take longer: most require PERM labor certification first, and applicants born in some countries wait years for a visa number. We give you an estimate for your case at the consultation.
If a petition has been pending far longer than normal processing times, a mandamus lawsuit asks a federal court to order USCIS to decide it. A denial based on a legal error can sometimes be challenged in federal court under the Administrative Procedure Act. Our federal immigration litigation practice handles both.
Have a question about your case?
Tell us about your plans and we will explain which options fit.
A petition is easier to get right before it is filed than to fix after an RFE. Tell us about the business, your role, and your timeline, and we will explain which options fit.
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Tell us about your case. A member of our team responds within one business day.
Submitting this form does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not include confidential details.
