Onal Gallant represents employers, investors, entrepreneurs, and professionals in U.S. work visas, investor visas, and employment-based green cards. Immigration law is federal, so we handle business immigration cases for clients in every state 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.
A selection of approved EB-1A, EB-2 NIW, E-2, and O-1A cases handled by our team.
EB-1A Approved
Our client develops machine learning algorithms that reconstruct human motion from images and video. His research is used in human-computer interaction, augmented and virtual reality, robotics, and biomechanics. USCIS recognized the significance of his work and its impact on intelligent systems.
EB-1A Approved
Our client designs advanced antennas for communication systems, radar, security imaging, and medical diagnostics. These antenna structures are used in breast and brain imaging systems that support earlier detection. The petition showed original contributions of major significance to the field.
EB-1A Approved
Our client is an entrepreneur whose companies operate in construction, healthcare, technology, and finance across several international markets. The petition documented sustained recognition and leadership in more than one industry, showing that EB-1A is not limited to scientists and researchers.
EB-1A Approved
Our client researches 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. USCIS found that her work has had a lasting, original impact on STEM education.
EB-2 NIW Approved
Our client designs and implements high-efficiency energy systems for industrial facilities. The petition showed measurable cost savings and environmental benefits in critical sectors, and USCIS found that the work has substantial merit and national importance.
EB-2 NIW Approved
Our client builds software systems for public services, including health informatics and social welfare platforms. The work makes government systems more efficient, secure, and accessible, and USCIS recognized its importance to public infrastructure in the United States.
EB-2 NIW Approved
Our client is a licensed ship master with experience in vessel navigation, maritime safety, environmental compliance, and leadership in international shipping. USCIS found that his work supports national interests in maritime security, workforce development, and sustainable shipping.
EB-2 NIW Approved
Our client builds secure, scalable cloud infrastructure for intelligent mobility systems, financial technology platforms, and public-sector services. USCIS found that his work in cloud computing and distributed systems supports infrastructure resilience, transportation safety, and financial innovation.
E-2 Approved
A Turkish investor 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
Our client bought into a national handyman franchise and formed a Florida 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
Our client formed a Houston freight brokerage that arranges full truckload, less-than-truckload, refrigerated, and expedited shipments across the U.S. The company is independently owned and runs under a franchise framework. The investment covered franchise fees, office lease, equipment, and startup costs.
E-2 Approved
Our client formed a Texas company that 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 a real, operating business that the investor develops and directs.
E-2 Approved
An investor with long experience in baking and food production 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
Our client formed a New Jersey company offering short- and long-term vehicle rentals to individuals and businesses from a commercial office with fleet parking. The business was already earning revenue through online platforms and direct bookings, and the change of status to E-2 was approved.
E-2 Approved
Our client formed a cleaning company in the Atlanta area offering deep cleaning, move-in and move-out service, 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
Our client formed a Houston company that 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
Our client runs a fast-casual food trailer in Orlando, Florida, serving Mediterranean-inspired and American dishes 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
Our client opened a used car dealership that 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
Our client started an online store selling ethnic and cultural apparel through its own website and major marketplaces. The business manages its own inventory, marketing, and order fulfillment, and the record showed a qualifying investment in an operating company.
E-2 Approved
An E-2 executive employee was approved to run the automotive services division of a Houston 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
Our client is a senior business analyst and SAP solution architect with more than 12 years of international consulting experience. The petition focused on the client’s work designing and implementing SAP Sales and Distribution (SD) solutions for global companies.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Most cases follow the same four stages, from E-2 and L-1 visas to employment-based green cards.
We look at your background, the business or employer behind the case, and your timeline, then recommend the visa or green card category that fits. If more than one option works, we compare cost, processing time, and risk so you can choose.
We collect the evidence, prepare the petition and support letters, and file with USCIS, the Department of Labor, or the U.S. consulate. We request premium processing when it is available and worth the extra fee.
If USCIS issues a Request for Evidence (RFE), we answer each point the officer raises. For cases processed abroad, we prepare you for the consular interview before your appointment.
After approval, we track expiration dates and extensions, handle changes of status, and file for your spouse and children. If you want a green card later, we plan the timing with you.
Every immigration case carries real consequences for your career, your family, and your future in America. Our attorneys have guided more than 20,000 clients through the U.S. immigration process, and we are ready to put that experience behind your case. Book a consultation today to take the next step.
Short answers to the questions employers, investors, and professionals ask us most often.
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 clients start on a work visa and move to a green card through the same employer.
Yes. Citizens of treaty countries can qualify for an E-2 visa by investing in a U.S. business they will run. If you have worked for at least one year as a manager or executive of a company abroad, the L-1A lets that company send you to open or run a 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 has to be substantial compared with the total cost of the business, the funds have to be committed and at risk, and the business has to be real and operating. It also has to do more than provide a living for you and your family.
Only countries that have a qualifying trade or investment treaty with the United States. The U.S. Department of State keeps the current list. Türkiye is an E-2 treaty country, as are many countries in Europe, Latin America, and Asia.
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.
No. Many clients start their case from abroad and finish it through a U.S. consulate. Immigration law is federal, so we represent clients in every state and in other countries, and consultations can be held by phone or video.
It depends on the category, the agency, and your country of birth. With premium processing, USCIS must act on most work visa petitions within 15 business days. Employment-based green cards take longer, because most require PERM labor certification and applicants from some countries wait years for a green card 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 team handles both.
Have a question about your case?
Tell us about your plans and we will explain which options fit.
