Don't Let the Headlines Make Your Immigration Decision

A client in India was ready to open a U.S. office for his company. L visa paperwork was prepared. But he backed out. Because the headlines scared him.

We had been talking for a while about the process and what it would take to get him here.

Then he decided not to move forward.

He told me he just didn't think it was the right time. The current climate. The perceived difficulties. Everything he was reading about immigration to the U.S. made him feel like the door was closing.

I understood where he was coming from. The news makes it sound like nobody can get into the United States right now. Like everything is impossible. Like foreign nationals should just wait until things change.

But that's not the full picture.

Here's what I tell potential clients who ask me if it's even possible to get a visa right now: yes, you can still get visas to come to buy a U.S. company or open a U.S. company.

The L visa is still available for executives and managers transferring to a related U.S. entity. Other pathways exist depending on the situation.

Are things more complicated than they used to be? In some ways, yes. There's more scrutiny. More documentation requirements in some cases. The overall tone has shifted.

But "more complicated" is different from "impossible."

The clients who move forward, who prepare strong cases and go through the process, are still getting approved. Businesses are still being opened. Acquisitions are still happening. Foreign investors are still coming to the United States.

If you've been thinking about expanding to the U.S. or acquiring a U.S. business and you've been holding off because you assumed it wasn't possible right now, it might be worth having a real conversation about your specific situation.

The door isn't as closed as the headlines make it seem.