US tax return 2025 Free potential analysis

146 articles

Your path to a US visa runs through your company.

L-1, E-2, E-1, EB-5, EB-1 or O-1: almost every visa for entrepreneurs depends on a company. That is exactly where Mount Bonnell Advisors comes in. We form the US company your application is built on, and the immigration attorney on the firm's team files the petitions if you engage them. The decision on the visa rests solely with the US authorities.

Here you will find our guides to every visa for investors, entrepreneurs and executives: requirements, process, fees, family and the path to a green card, each with its date and sources.

All articles on US visas

ESTA & B-1 visa: Visa Waiver and the US visitor visa ESTA or B-1 for business trips: length of stay, permitted activities and when the visa is worth it despite ESTA. Read more → Guide to the E-2 investor visa for the USA Countries, companies, investment, family, application, timing, denials and the path to a green card, across all our guides. Read more → US EB-5 visa: the green card for investors Investment amounts, regional centers and direct investment, requirements, process, family, citizenship and costs of the EB-5. Read more → The ultimate guide to the L-1 visa Intracompany transfer, new office, L-1A and L-1B, fees, family and the route to a green card. Read more → Guide to the E-1 treaty trader visa for the USA Who can come to the USA on the E-1, which trade counts, process, documents, fees and renewal. Read more → The US EB-1A visa Guide to the green card for people of extraordinary ability: criteria, petition, deadlines and denials. Read more → The US O-1 visa Guide to the US visa for people of extraordinary ability: requirements, sponsor, costs, extension. Read more → EB-1C green card: for managers moving to America with their company Requirements, roles, the route via the L-1A, process, timing, costs and reasons for denial of the green card for managers, in eight guides. Read more → EB-2 NIW: the green card where your skills are the sponsor A green card without a job offer or investment: requirements, the Dhanasar test, fees, wait times and the EB-2 NIW process. Read more → Green cards for entrepreneurs: five ways to stay and which one fits EB-1A, EB-1C, EB-2 NIW, PERM and EB-5 compared: requirements, wait times, fees and the path from E-2 or L-1 to a green card. Read more → Extending or renewing a US visa: two agencies and one deadline Visa or status, consulate or USCIS, forms, fees, interview, deadlines and what happens if you miss one. Read more → Which US visa is right for you? Nine routes for entrepreneurs compared L-1, E-2, E-1, EB-5, EB-1C, EB-1A, NIW, O-1 and B-1 in one table, with timing, family, green card and fees. Read more → Why Europeans get turned away at the US border and how to get it right Why travelers get turned away at the US border, three rules for entry and what to do if you are pulled aside. Read more → The US Green Card Lottery (“Diversity Visa Lottery”) How the Diversity Visa Lottery works: costs, timeline, requirements, entry and selection. Read more → US Visa Options for Freelancers, the Self-Employed & Influencers O-1, H-1B, E-3, B-1, E-2 and more: which US visas work for freelancers, the self-employed and influencers. Read more → Becoming a US citizen Requirements, process and fees for naturalization, the benefits of a US passport and what to consider first. Read more → Visa questions: the never-ending topic ESTA, B-1, E-1, E-2, L-1A, EB-5 and IEP for entrepreneurs at a glance, and why you need a US attorney. Read more → International Entrepreneur Parole (IEP): The Right to Stay for Founders Who qualifies for International Entrepreneur Parole: ownership stake, capital from US investors, extension, family and income. Read more → The 5 key points for your US business plan for the E-2 visa Investor, investment, business, jobs and financials: the five chapters every E-2 business plan needs. Read more → Insider tip: the E-2 visa from a €30,000 investment Why the E-2 has no fixed investment amount, and how the process, validity and renewal work. Read more → My Day in Fortress America A morning at the US Embassy in London: three stations, one interview and five tips for your appointment. Read more → Applying for the E-1: First Your Company Introduces Itself to the Consulate, Then You Do Consulate or change of status, company registration, DS-160 and DS-156E, document binder and interview. Read more → E-1 for Services: When Consulting and Software Count as Trade Goods, services and technology as E-1 trade, with tests, examples and evidence. Read more → From E-1 to Green Card: Three Paths and the Trip That Can Cost You the Application EB-1C, EB-2 NIW, PERM, EB-1A and EB-5 for E-1 holders, with fees, adjustment of status and the travel trap. Read more → E-1 Costs: What Washington Charges and What Bern Adds Every government fee for the E-1 at the consulate and with USCIS, with worked examples for families. Read more → E-1 for Employees: Who Your Company Can Bring to America Who qualifies as an E-1 employee, what the employer must meet, executives, specialists, family and how it compares with the L-1. Read more → Extending Your E-1 Visa: As Long as Your Trade Flows, You Can Stay Visa, status, extension with USCIS or at the consulate, and what applies to spouses and children. Read more → E-1 Visa Requirements: Lots of Trade, Over Half of It with the US Treaty country, trade, substantial volume and the 50 percent rule, with a worked example and an evidence checklist. Read more → E-2 visa refused: what the consul was missing and how to come back stronger 214(b), 221(g) or 212(a): what lies behind the refusal, which options are open and what the second application looks like. Read more → E-2 processing time: from the first dollar to the visa in your passport Formation, investment, file, consulate or USCIS: how long each stage takes and which deadlines are fixed. Read more → How to switch from the E-2 visa to a green card Five routes from the E-2 visa to a green card: EB-5, employer sponsorship, EB-1A, National Interest Waiver and marriage. Read more → The E-2 investor visa Who the E-2 suits, how much your business really needs, the three ways to apply and how long the visa lasts. Read more → E-2 visa or EB-5 green card: which is better? The seven differences between the E-2 visa and the EB-5 green card: status, nationality, investment, jobs, source of funds, duration and work. Read more → Start, buy or franchise: which business carries your E-2 New business, acquisition or franchise: what counts as investment, how escrow helps and which documents a franchisor must provide. Read more → L-1 visa vs. E-2 visa: the key differences L-1 and E-2 compared: position or investment, nationality, work, spouses, duration, green card and new businesses. Read more → E-2 interview: the consul's questions and the answers in your file When an interview is required, which forms you need, how the appointment goes and which questions sit behind the nine criteria. Read more → US E-2 investor visa: requirements for the US business Control, a real operating business and no marginality: what your US business must meet for the E-2. Read more → L-1 visa vs. E-2 visa: which visa is right for you? Four questions for choosing between the L-1 and the E-2: nationality, business abroad, investment and long-term goal. Read more → US E-2 investor visa: the application process Consulate or change of status with USCIS: how to apply for the E-2 and why only a consulate issues a visa. Read more → US E-2 investor visa: foreign employees When executives, supervisors and essential specialists get an E-2 as employees, and which rules apply to the employer. Read more → US E-2 investor visa: spouses and children What the E-2 means for spouses and children under 21: work without a separate permit, school, and what happens at age 21. Read more → US E-2 investor visa: investment amount Why the law sets no minimum amount and how the proportionality test defines a substantial investment. Read more → US E-2 investor visa: list of treaty countries Every country with an E-2 treaty, plus the special cases of Taiwan, Bolivia, Ecuador, Israel, New Zealand and Portugal. Read more → US E-2 investor visa: source of funds Which funds count for the E-2, which loans qualify and why the investment must be irrevocable. Read more → US Social Security number: how to apply for an SSN on the E-2 How to apply for your Social Security number on the E-2 and which original documents to bring to the office. Read more → US E-2 investor visa: treaty country nationality How the consulate determines a company's nationality: owners, the 50 percent rule, stock exchange listings and dual nationals. Read more → Renewing your E-2 visa: your passport shows one date, your I-94 another Visa, I-94 and renewal at the consulate or with USCIS, with all deadlines and fees for European applicants. Read more → US EB-1A Green Card: Typical Processing Times What EB-1A processing time depends on and what you should expect. Read more → What If My US EB-1A Green Card Is Denied? Appeal, motion to reopen or a new petition: what to do after an EB-1A denial. Read more → EB-1A Cover Letter: The 18 to 30 Pages That Carry Your Petition What the cover letter for an EB-1A petition must achieve and why it should be written professionally. Read more → Common Mistakes When Applying for the US EB-1A Green Card Too much evidence, weak reference letters, poor arguments: the typical mistakes in an EB-1A petition. Read more → The EB-1A Green Card Category The ten criteria, the advantages of needing no employer and how USCIS reviews an EB-1A petition. Read more → EB-1A Green Card: Tips & Hacks 21 tips on reference letters, publications, citations, memberships and awards. Read more → US EB-1A Green Card: Requests for Evidence (RFEs) Why USCIS asks for more on an EB-1A and how to avoid or answer an RFE. Read more → US EB-1 Green Card Classifications at a Glance EB-1A, EB-1B and EB-1C compared: requirements, job offer and criteria. Read more → The Einstein Visa: The Green Card for the Top of Your Field Where the nickname comes from, what extraordinary means under the law, the most common misconceptions and the USCIS numbers. Read more → EB-1A Recommendation Letters: What a Non-Expert Officer Believes Which evidence supports the ten criteria, what recommendation letters can do, who should write them and which mistakes USCIS punishes. Read more → EB-1A Costs: Every Green Card Fee, for You and Your Family All government fees for the EB-1A from petition to green card, for you and your family, with two worked examples. Read more → EB-1A Self-Petition: The Green Card You Vouch for Yourself Who may file the petition, what replaces the job offer, Form I-140 as a self-petitioner and the path to the green card. Read more → How to Make Your US EB-1A Green Card Petition a Success 17 strategies that make an EB-1A petition convincing: from the cover letter to the benefit to the US. Read more → EB-1A for Entrepreneurs: When Customers, Capital and Patents Count The ten criteria through an entrepreneur's lens, what USCIS expressly recognizes for founders, four sample profiles and how it compares with the EB-1C. Read more → EB-1C Process: I-140, Then the Green Card in the US or at the Consulate I-140, documents, priority date and the choice between adjustment of status and consular processing, step by step. Read more → EB-1C Denied or RFE? The Five Contested Points of the Petition How often USCIS denies the EB-1C, what requests for evidence focus on, which deadlines apply and what options remain after a denial. Read more → EB-1C Processing Time: 45 Business Days Express and the Wait Afterward How long the EB-1C takes: premium processing, USCIS data on the I-140, the Visa Bulletin, the second stage and what you may do in the meantime. Read more → Manager, Executive or Function Manager: What Carries Your EB-1C? Personnel manager, function manager or executive: how USCIS assesses managerial roles and how you document yours. Read more → EB-1C with a Small US Subsidiary: Can Your Company Carry the Green Card? When a small or young US company can support the EB-1C, who may file and what USCIS wants to see in staffing. Read more → EB-1C Costs: Every Fee from the First Form to the Green Card All government fees for the EB-1C, from the I-140 to the consulate, and a worked example for a family with two children. Read more → From L-1A to EB-1C Green Card: When a Transfer Becomes a Stay How the L-1A leads into the EB-1C, when to file the petition and what applies to work and travel during the process. Read more → EB-1C Requirements: Six Conditions USCIS Measures You Against The year abroad, the link between the companies, the year of US business, the role, the job offer and the salary, with the evidence for each. Read more → NIW Denied: 30 Days, Three Options and What Your Petition Must Carry Why USCIS denies NIW petitions, how to respond to an RFE and what options remain after a denial. Read more → NIW Process: From the I-140 via the Consulate or I-485 to the Green Card From the I-140 with a National Interest Waiver through the National Visa Center and the consulate, or the I-485, to the green card. Read more → NIW Processing Time: 45 Business Days, Then the Line for the Visa Premium processing, USCIS backlogs, priority date and the Visa Bulletin: how long the EB-2 NIW takes and what it depends on. Read more → The Dhanasar Test: Three Questions Every NIW Must Answer National importance, well positioned and the balancing test: how USCIS applies the three prongs of the NIW. Read more → NIW Recommendation Letters: Whoever Vouches for You Must Say More Than Praise Which letters convince USCIS in an EB-2 NIW, who should write them and how letters and evidence work together. Read more → NIW Costs: $1,015 for the First Envelope and Every Fee After Every government fee for the EB-2 NIW from the I-140 to the immigrant visa, with worked examples for individuals and families. Read more → NIW Proposed Endeavor: Your Plan Is the Petition, Not Your Profession How to describe your endeavor in an EB-2 NIW, what belongs in the business plan and what evidence USCIS wants to see. Read more → NIW for entrepreneurs: when your venture stands without an employer When the EB-2 NIW works for entrepreneurs and founders, which evidence USCIS names and how your own US company fits into the petition. Read more → NIW requirements: three routes into the EB-2 and which one is open to you Advanced degree, bachelor's plus five years of experience, or exceptional ability: the EB-2 basis for the NIW and where it trips people up. Read more → The EB-5 process: from I-526E to I-829 in four stages I-526E or I-526, consulate or adjustment of status, two years of conditional green card and the I-829, with forms, deadlines and fees. Read more → EB-5 processing time: a 240-day target, then the queue Statutory processing targets, priority date, Visa Bulletin and reserved visas: how long the EB-5 takes and what it depends on. Read more → The conditional green card in the EB-5: two years on probation and the I-829 What the conditional green card allows, what counts during the two years, the 90-day window for the I-829 and the evidence for capital and jobs. Read more → Green card through investment: capital at risk for ten jobs How the green card through investment works: amounts, regional center or your own business, the road to the card and how the Gold Card differs. Read more → Concurrent filing in the EB-5: from the E-2 in America to a green card I-485 alongside the I-526E, work and travel permits, the ESTA trap and switching from E-2 to EB-5 without a gap in status. Read more → Source of funds in the EB-5: tracing every dollar to its origin Tax assessments, the path of funds, gifts, loans: what USCIS wants to see about where your EB-5 capital comes from. Read more → EB-5 investment amount: $800,000 or $1,050,000, and what counts $1,050,000 or $800,000, TEA and infrastructure, what counts as capital and what changes in 2027. Read more → EB-5 costs: what the green card costs on top of the investment Old and new USCIS fees, consulate, project and attorney fees, exchange rates and taxes: what the EB-5 really costs. Read more → EB-5 in practice: vet the project before you put $800,000 at risk Vet the project, spot the red flags, use your protections and take a realistic view of getting your capital back. Read more → EB-5 regional center or direct investment: who carries the risk? Direct investment or regional center: jobs, forms, control, costs and the deadlines up to 2027, side by side. Read more → EB-5 in TEAs and rural areas: a quarter less capital What counts as a rural area, who determines high unemployment, which visas are reserved and what to check before you wire the money. Read more → H-1B costs: $215 for the lottery, thousands for the petition Every H-1B fee with amount and source, three sample calculations and the legal status of the $100,000 payment. Read more → Which visa for a posting? B-1, L-1, E-2 and H-1B compared ESTA and B-1, L-1, E-1 and E-2 for employees, and H-1B, with duration, who pays the salary, family and a sequence for HR. Read more → The H-1B visa: lottery in March, work starts October 1 at the earliest Requirements, the cap and the weighted lottery, calendar, duration and family, and why companies usually choose the L-1 for transferees. Read more → ESTA for business trips: what you may negotiate in America Meetings, trade fairs, contracts, board meetings: what works on ESTA, what doesn't, and when the B-1 visa or a work visa is the right route. Read more → US business trip checklist: what goes in your suitcase Check your ESTA, pack your documents, draft an invitation letter, answer correctly at the border and keep an eye on the 90 days. Read more → B-1 visa for installation: when your technician may set up in the US Installation, commissioning, maintenance and training after buying a machine from Europe: when the B-1 works, what the contract must say and where construction work begins. Read more → Green card through an employer: how PERM, EB-2 and EB-3 work PERM, labor certification, I-140 and the Visa Bulletin: the road to a green card through a US employer, step by step. Read more → Green card through your own US company: when it can carry you EB-1C, NIW, EB-1A, PERM and EB-5: when your own US company can carry you to a green card and what USCIS expects of it. Read more → What does a green card cost? Fees and waiting times for entrepreneurs USCIS and consular fees for EB-1, EB-2 NIW, PERM and EB-5, a sample calculation for a family and how long each stage takes. Read more → From visa to green card: E-2, L-1, O-1 and E-1 as a bridge From E-2, L-1, O-1 and E-1 to a green card: which route leads from which visa, dual intent, travel while your application is pending and the deadline for children. Read more → 221(g) and administrative processing: a no that is still open What a refusal under 221(g) means, the one-year deadline, submitting further documents, checking your status and how it differs from 214(b). Read more → US Embassy Bern: the visa for Swiss residents, Zurich included Who can apply in Bern, why Zurich and Geneva don't issue visas, fees, interview and passport return. Read more → Completing the DS-160: the form the consular officer reads before meeting you What the DS-160 asks, how to enter your name, photo and social media correctly, barcode and appointment, and who needs the DS-156E. Read more → The visa interview: process, documents and the questions behind the questions Who has to attend, documents by visa class, how the day runs, the questions and the three possible outcomes. Read more → US visa refused: what the section says and which route is open What 221(g), 214(b) and 212(a) mean, why there is no appeal, how to reapply and what it means for ESTA. Read more → L-1 denied or RFE received: what USCIS objects to and what you do Why L-1 petitions fail, what an RFE asks for and which deadlines apply after a denial by USCIS or at the consulate. Read more → Applying for the L-1: petition, consulate and interview, step by step Form I-129 petition, fees, consulate, interview and entry: the L-1 application in the right order. Read more → L-1 processing time: where your timeline loses weeks Statutory deadlines, premium processing, RFEs, consulate and extension: how long the L-1 takes and how to plan backwards. Read more → Blanket L: approved once, then straight to the consulate Who may file a blanket L petition, who can be transferred under it, how the I-129S works and what it costs. Read more → From L-1 to green card before your five or seven years run out Dual intent, EB-1C, PERM, adjustment of status and the maximum stay: how the road from L-1 to green card works. Read more → L-1 validity: how long your clock runs in America Petition, visa and I-94, extension, maximum stay and what happens after seven years. Read more → The L-1A visa: USCIS cares about your workday, not your title Who counts as a manager or executive, what the agency examines and how the L-1A becomes a green card. Read more → L-1 costs: what America charges you for the transfer Every government fee for L-1 and L-2, who pays it and what a transfer with family costs. Read more → The L-1B visa: into the US with your company's specialized knowledge What counts as specialized knowledge, what USCIS wants to see and how long the L-1B lasts. Read more → The L-2 visa: your family comes along, your spouse can work right away Who comes along, how your spouse works, what applies to children and what the L-2 costs. Read more → L-1 requirements: one year, your company, your role in America The link between the companies, business activity, the one year abroad and the role in the US, with all the evidence. Read more → L-1 for your US branch: the first year decides What counts as a new office, which evidence the petition needs and what USCIS wants to see after twelve months. Read more → Advisory opinion for the O-1: your peers' verdict before USCIS Who writes the opinion for your O-1 petition, what goes into it, which deadlines apply and what happens if the answer is no. Read more → O-1 through an agent, employer or your own company: who signs US employer, agent, foreign employer or your own company: who may file the O-1 petition and what each must prove. Read more → Maintaining your O-1 status Extensions, changing employers, travel and family: what your O-1 status requires of you. Read more → Applying for the O-1: from evidence binder to consulate appointment Timing, documents, fees, processing time and Premium Processing: the path of an O-1 petition all the way to the visa at the consulate. Read more → The O-1 visa for startup founders heading to the USA What evidence startup founders have for the O-1 and how to build toward it deliberately. Read more → The O-1 visa at a glance O-1A and O-1B, requirements, process, processing time and advantages over the H-1B. Read more → Sponsoring your O-1 visa through your own company How your own US company files the O-1 petition and why you need a managing director to do it. Read more → The O-1 visa interview Who has to attend the O-1 interview, which documents to bring and which questions may come up. Read more → FAQ: the US O-1 visa The most common questions about the O-1: categories, evidence, application, duration, dual intent and family. Read more → O-1 visa: costs & fees Fees for the I-129, Asylum Program Fee, visa fee, Premium Processing and extension. Read more → O-1 visa or EB-1 green card? O-1 and EB-1 compared: stay, sponsor, family, criteria and the switch to a green card. Read more → How to get your O-1 visa extension right When and how to extend your O-1, what it costs and what applies to travel and denials. Read more → US O-1 visa: when your extension is denied What a denied O-1 extension means and which options are still open to you. Read more → How an influencer secured her O-1 visa for the USA A case study: how an influencer and entrepreneur won her O-1B against every objection from USCIS. Read more → The advantages of the O-1 visa Cost, sponsor, duration, family and green card: where the O-1 beats other visas. Read more → Change of status: from visitor visa to work visa without flying home Change of status or consulate, why ESTA is not enough, from B-1/B-2 to E-2 or L-1, forms, fees and processing time. Read more → Renew your visa or extend your status: consulate or USCIS? Consulate or USCIS, visa or I-94, forms, fees, travel and which route fits which situation. Read more → Renewing a US visa without an interview: who can renew by mail The interview waiver, the twelve-month window, who can renew by mail and how to prepare for the interview. Read more → Extending a US visa: 45 days, 240 days and the day everything tips I-94, filing deadlines, late filings, grace periods, the 240-day rule, travel during an extension and a deadline calendar. Read more → E-1 or E-2: is your trade already running, or are you just investing? Trade or investment: the differences between the E-1 and E-2 in one table, with evidence, employees and fees. Read more → EB-1A, NIW or O-1: three routes where your talent counts The three qualification-based routes, criterion by criterion, with fees, processing times and family. Read more → L-1 or H-1B for employees: transfers without the March lottery Intracompany transfer without a lottery or skilled worker with registration: L-1 and H-1B in one table, with fees, family and green card. Read more → US visa types at a glance: work, investment and business travel Visiting, working, investing, green card: every US visa type for entrepreneurs, with fees, duration and how to apply. Read more →

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Sebastian Sauerborn
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Sebastian Sauerborn

Sebastian Sauerborn is the founder of Mount Bonnell Advisors in Austin, Texas. He moved from London to the United States in 2008, spent years living on his own ranch in Bastrop County, and for more than twenty years has guided European entrepreneurs and families as they make the leap. He knows the questions you have right now not just from client files, but from his own life.

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