Foreign entrepreneurs seeking to establish or expand businesses in the United States face unique immigration challenges. Panelists will explore key visa options for entrepreneurs, including L-1 new office petitions, E-1/E-2 treaty trader and investor visas, and alternative strategies including EB-1 Extraordinary Ability and National Interest Waivers (NIWs). Our experts will provide practical guidance on eligibility, documentation, and key considerations for advising entrepreneurial clients, including pitfalls to avoid and long-term planning for permanent residence.

Featured Topics

• Identifying eligibility requirements and evidentiary standards for L-1 new office petitions, including the business plan and staffing considerations
• Understanding the nuances of E-1/E-2 visas, including treaty country requirements, substantial investment, and marginality issues
• Developing strategies for transitioning entrepreneurial clients from nonimmigrant status to permanent residence—e.g., EB-1A for extraordinary individuals and EB-2 NIW for founders
• Beneficiaries as owners: H-1Bs, O-1s, and International Entrepreneur Parole

Faculty

Rinku Ray (DL), Sugar Land, TX

*Henry J. Chang, Toronto, ON

Jioselin A. Juarez Contreras, Cerritos, CA

Jason Susser, Memphis, TN

CLE Credit

Eligible participants can receive up to 1.8 CLE credit hours. AILA will administer CLE credit only to individuals who register and log into the web seminar. AILA cannot verify your attendance and participation in this program unless you register directly for the web seminar and use your name to log in to participate in the program. Therefore, persons who log in or listen in on the web seminar as part of a group will not be able to obtain CLE credit.

Please note that your jurisdiction may limit the amount of distance learning credit you can earn. To view details on your jurisdiction's credit restrictions and CLE requirements, visit the CLE Center.

AILA has filed for CLE and specialized credit in all jurisdictions with mandatory CLE requirements. For details about specific approvals, contact us at cle@aila.org.

• AILA applies for accreditation upon attorneys’ request after participation for the following states: AR, DE, IA, ID, KS, KY, LA, ME, MN, MS, OR, TN and WY. Programs are typically approved.
• Florida and Rhode Island - Attorneys must apply on their own for approval of seminars in FL and RI. Programs are typically approved.
• The OnDemand Recording format does not qualify for CLE credit in the following jurisdictions: MO and PR. Please note that your jurisdiction may limit OnDemand credit based on the date of the original presentation. View the OnDemand Downloadable Expiration Chart for more details.

To receive CLE credit for the live event, attorneys must record web seminar attendance and the CLE code provided by December 22, 2026 via My CLE. CLE certificates will be available for download the day after the deadline reporting date.

AILA Membership Benefit

AILA Membership Benefit – Access to Free Seminar Recordings (CLE Credit Available for $35)
Enjoy access to free seminar recordings as an AILA Member. AILA encourages live attendance for those wishing to ask the speaker questions. CLE credit is included with purchase for live participants.

Recordings will be available approximately two weeks after the live event date. AILA members can access these seminars, with no CLE credit, for free. Recordings are CLE eligible in most jurisdictions and a $35 administration fee is required to obtain CLE credit.

Contact us at cle@aila.org or visit AILA’s Web Seminar Recordings page for more information about receiving CLE credit for a web seminar recording.