Sophie Alcorn
Ask Sophie: I work at OpenAI on an H-1B. How can I explore immigration independence?
Sophie Alcorn, attorney, author and founder of Alcorn Immigration Law in Silicon Valley, California, is an award-winning Certified Specialist Attorney in Immigration and Nationality Law by the State Bar Board…
Ask Sophie: Is it now easier for founders to get H-1B visas?
I heard that the USCIS released proposed H-1B regulations that make it easier for founders to get H-1Bs. What are the details?
Ask Sophie: Can you explain the H-1B visa, EB-2 green card transfer and Visa Bulletin?
Here’s another edition of “Ask Sophie,” the advice column that answers immigration-related questions about working at technology companies.
Ask Sophie: Can I get an O-1A visa to bypass the H-1B process?
Here’s another edition of “Ask Sophie,” the advice column that answers immigration-related questions about working at technology companies.
Ask Sophie: How do I move my startup to the US while my co-founders remain in India?
Here’s another edition of “Ask Sophie,” the advice column that answers immigration-related questions about working at technology companies. “Your questions are vital to the spread of knowledge that allows people…
‘Ask Sophie’ book excerpt: A startup founder’s guide to O-1A visas
‘Extraordinary ability or achievement’ may sound lofty, but you don’t have to have a Nobel Prize to qualify for this visa!
Ask Sophie: What’s the wait time for EB-2 and EB-1 green card categories for those born in India?
Back in 2018, the Cato Institute estimated it would take 151 years for a person born in India to get a green card in the EB-2 category.
Featured Article
Ask Sophie: What are the visa options for a startup founder with family?
Here’s another edition of “Ask Sophie,” the advice column that answers immigration-related questions about working at technology companies. “Your questions are vital to the spread of knowledge that allows people all over the world to rise above borders and pursue their dreams,” says Sophie Alcorn, a Silicon Valley immigration attorney. “Whether you’re in people ops,…
Ask Sophie: As an immigrant to the US, how can I create and work for my own startup?
I’ve decided to move forward and found my own startup in the U.S. What’s the best way for me to be able to stay in the U.S. and work legally?
Ask Sophie: Any tips for F-1 student visa approval amid the rising denial rate?
I was accepted into a prestigious robotics engineering master’s program in the U.S. but the denial rate for F-1 student visas is increasing. Why?
Ask Sophie: Which US visas are best for international founders?
I have a business plan and a market plan, but no immigration plan. What’s your advice? Which visa should I apply for?
Ask Sophie: How realistic are my chances of hiring H-1B candidates at my startup?
With more than 750,000 H-1B registrations this year, is it realistic for my startup to consider hiring candidates who are seeking them?
Here’s another edition of “Ask Sophie,” the advice column that answers immigration-related questions about working at technology companies. “Your questions are vital to the spread of knowledge that allows people…
Ask Sophie: What do I need to know about getting a J-1 exchange visa?
Is there anything I should know about the J-1, particularly if I later decide to stay in the U.S. once the J-1 program ends?
Ask Sophie: How do we relocate Ukrainian and Russian team members to the US?
Over the last year and a half or so, we helped several team members relocate from Ukraine and Russia. How do we bring them here?
Ask Sophie: Do I need 2 visas to work at 2 different startups?
Do I need to get two separate visas to work at two companies at the same time? Can I transfer my H-1B to one or both companies?
Ask Sophie: How much time and money will we need for an H-1B transfer?
Approximately how much time and money will we need to set aside for the H1-B transfer process? Are there alternatives?
Ask Sophie: Why is there no movement in the June Visa Bulletin for India EB-3?
Can’t the Department of State/USCIS track the interfiled applications between EB-2 and EB-3 and move the dates accordingly?
Ask Sophie: How long until I can travel while waiting for my green card?
To qualify for a EB-1A green card, I’ll need to travel internationally frequently for business. Once I apply, will I be stuck in the U.S.?
Ask Sophie: What are my options if a company rescinds my OPT job offer?
I’m an international student graduating this month, but the company I was supposed to start working for on OPT has rescinded my job offer.
What type of visa can we get to come to the U.S. that allows us to stay there so we can grow our startup after the accelerator ends?
Ask Sophie: How do we transfer H-1Bs and green cards to our startup?
Two of my colleagues and I were laid off, and we’re founding a company together. What do we need to do to transfer their H-1Bs and green cards to our…
Ask Sophie: Which visas will allow us to expand our startup in the US?
We really need to be on the ground to interview our ideal users in the U.S. What visas will allow us to do that?
Dear Sophie: How can I return to the United States as a founder?
I worked in the U.S. on an L-1B for a year, and then changed to an H-1B before I moved back to India. What are my options for returning?
Dear Sophie: Last-minute H-1Bs, O-1A & EB-1A extraordinary credential prep
How many people are employers going to register in the H-1B lottery this year? Will there be fewer because of all of the layoffs?
Dear Sophie: What are my options for changing my status from an L-1 visa?
What are my options for changing my immigration status so I can work at a startup in the U.S. within a year or two?
Dear Sophie: Is there a domestic pilot program for H-1B and L visa stamping?
How long will it take to get an interview for an H-1B visa stamp? Am I eligible for a visa interview waiver? How do I get one? Can I do…
Dear Sophie: Do I qualify for an E-1 trader visa?
I’m from New Zealand and have a B2B SaaS company with many clients in the U.S. We don’t currently have a U.S. office, but we pay our taxes there. Do…
Dear Sophie: Will published articles better my odds of getting an O-1A or H-1B visa?
I’ve heard that articles in publications about an entrepreneur or a startup can be a big plus when applying for an O-1A or H-1B visa. Is that true?
Dear Sophie: What H-1B and other immigration changes can we expect this year?
When will the visa application fee hikes come into effect? Are there any other immigration-related changes coming this year?