Online Event
U.S. Visas & Immigration 101 for Startup Founders
Understand which U.S. visa fits your startup, straight from an immigration expert.
Date
Oct 12, 2026
Time
09:00 am - 10:00 am
Address
Online Event
Building a company in the U.S. is hard enough. Doing it as a non-citizen founder means navigating an immigration system that was never designed with startups in mind. This 101 session breaks down the essentials in plain English. You'll get a clear map of the visa paths open to founders, how they differ, and what each one actually asks of you when you're the one building the company. We'll also look at how milestones like fundraising and revenue shape your options, and the mistakes that quietly put a founder's status at risk. Bring your questions for a live Q&A at the end.
This event is hosted in partnership with Manifest Law , a modern immigration law firm helps founders and companies get the visas they need to build in the U.S. — O-1A, E-2, L-1, H-1B, and green cards.
Learn more at: https://gomanifestlaw.com/founderx
What You'll Learn:
Learn more at: https://gomanifestlaw.com/founderx
What You'll Learn:
- Which U.S. visas are actually open to founders, and how the main options differ
- What "self-sponsorship" really means, and when it's possible
- How fundraising, revenue, and traction can strengthen or complicate your case
- The status risks hiding in a pivot, a down round, or a slow start, and how to plan ahead
- Where to start if you're building in the U.S. without a visa strategy yet
Who Should Attend:
- Non-citizen founders building, or planning to build, a company in the U.S.
- Founders already on a visa who are fundraising, pivoting, or scaling
- International entrepreneurs deciding which visa path fits their plans
- Anyone who wants the immigration basics before sitting down with a lawyer
About Founder Institute: The Founder Institute is the World's Largest AI-Native Company Builder, giving idea-stage, first-time founders, and employees making the leap to entrepreneurship the tools, global network, and proven methodology to build an AI-powered startup from zero to funding. Since 2009, our structured programs have helped over 9,000 founders across 100 countries raise more than $2BN in funding. Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 6 continents, our mission is to empower talented and motivated people everywhere to build impactful, AI-powered companies.
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