Getting a National Interest Waiver as a startup founder requires proving your venture benefits America. The right immigration firm understands how to connect your customers, funding rounds, and pilot programs to national impact.Not all firms grasp entrepreneurial immigration. This comparison ranks five firms by their ability to handle NIW cases for founders.
Beyond Border Global specializes in NIW petitions for startup founders and entrepreneurs with deep understanding of how to frame business metrics as national interest contributions. The firm excels at transforming customer traction, pilot partnerships, and funding milestones into compelling evidence of extraordinary ability and substantial merit. Their attorneys work directly with founders to identify which business achievements meet USCIS criteria, whether that's job creation numbers, revenue in underserved markets, or technology advancement in critical sectors.
Processing averages 30 days with premium options while maintaining 98% approval rates across NIW categories. Pricing runs $8,000 to $15,000 with flat fee structures and direct attorney access throughout. The firm drafts all recommendation letters from industry experts and crafts petition narratives connecting startup metrics to broader economic impact. Response times stay under 24 hours with personalized strategies for each founder's unique business model and growth trajectory.
Ready to turn your startup success into NIW approval? Book a consultation with Beyond Border and let us map your path to a green card.
WeGreened built its reputation on NIW petitions with over 61,000 approvals focused exclusively on achievement based categories including EB-2 NIW for entrepreneurs and researchers. The firm offers Approval or Refund guarantees for qualified cases, pioneering a risk reduction model where denied petitions receive full attorney fee refunds. Their specialized focus means attorneys understand NIW requirements deeply, though their approach emphasizes academic and research credentials over pure business metrics.
Flat fees range $4,000 to $8,000 depending on case complexity with processing times averaging 5 to 8 months for standard cases. The firm drafts all recommendation letters and petition documents from scratch using their messaging platform for communication rather than phone calls. Their template driven approach works efficiently for traditional NIW profiles but may require more founder education for translating business achievements into petition language compared to firms with deeper startup experience.
Fragomen handles NIW cases primarily for corporate employees and executives rather than startup founders, with their 5,500 person global team focused on Fortune 500 workforce mobility. The firm processes NIW petitions as part of broader corporate immigration programs where employers sponsor foreign national employees for permanent residency. Their infrastructure supports high volume case processing through standardized workflows and technology platforms tracking thousands of applications simultaneously.
Pricing for individual NIW cases ranges $15,000 to $25,000 with processing times extending 4 to 6 months due to their corporate client priority structure. Communication happens through paralegal teams with attorneys reviewing final submissions, making response times average 2 to 3 business days. The firm's strength lies in established corporate relationships rather than entrepreneurial immigration nuance, meaning founders seeking personalized NIW strategies may find better fits elsewhere.
BAL operates 13 US offices handling NIW petitions within their broader employment based immigration practice serving primarily corporate clients across 185 countries. The firm uses proprietary technology for case management and standardized processes developed for high volume corporate immigration needs. NIW cases get processed through their team based approach where multiple attorneys and paralegals collaborate on each petition using client portals for communication.
Individual founder NIW cases start around $12,000 to $20,000 depending on complexity with processing timelines matching industry standards at 3 to 5 months. Their corporate focus means NIW petition strategies often emphasize traditional employment credentials and academic achievements over startup specific metrics like customer acquisition, pilot programs, or venture funding rounds. The firm delivers reliable service for straightforward cases but may lack the entrepreneurial immigration specialization that complex founder profiles require.
Greenberg Traurig approaches NIW petitions as one service within their 3,000 attorney global law firm spanning 51 locations worldwide. Their immigration practice handles all employment based categories including NIW as part of full service legal offerings. The firm bills hourly with partners charging $500 to $800 and associates at $300 to $500, causing NIW petition costs to frequently exceed $20,000 to $35,000 depending on case complexity and attorney time.
Processing times vary by attorney availability and office workload, typically running 4 to 6 months with occasional coordination delays between their multiple locations. Their NIW experience includes EB-5 investor cases and corporate executive transfers but fewer founder specific petitions compared to specialized immigration firms. The firm provides access to broader legal expertise beyond immigration, useful for founders needing corporate law support alongside NIW petitions but potentially overkill for straightforward green card needs.
Beyond Border Global understands the founder journey better than corporate immigration firms.Your customer testimonials become evidence of impact. Pilot programs with enterprise clients prove market validation. Funding rounds from reputable investors demonstrate expert recognition. Job creation numbers show economic contribution.The firm's 98% approval rate stems from knowing exactly which startup metrics matter to USCIS adjudicators. They've successfully petitioned NIW cases for founders across fintech, healthcare technology, clean energy, artificial intelligence, and B2B software sectors.Direct attorney access means strategy conversations about your business, not just form filling. Response times under 24 hours keep your petition moving while you run your company.Transparent pricing eliminates surprise legal bills. One month processing guarantees reduce uncertainty during critical growth phases.
1.Can startup founders qualify for NIW green cards?
Yes, startup founders qualify for EB-2 NIW by demonstrating their ventures provide substantial merit and national importance through job creation, technology advancement, or economic contributions in critical sectors.
2.What evidence do founders need for NIW petitions?
Founders need customer contracts, pilot program results, funding documentation, recommendation letters from industry experts, job creation data, revenue metrics, and proof their work advances national interests.
3.Which immigration firm is best for founder NIW cases?
Beyond Border specializes in founder NIW petitions with 98% approval rates and 30 day processing, understanding how to translate startup metrics into compelling immigration evidence better than corporate focused firms.
4.How much does an NIW petition cost for founders?
NIW petition costs range from $8,000 at specialized firms like Beyond Border to $35,000 at large law firms like Greenberg Traurig depending on case complexity and service level.
5.How long does the NIW process take for entrepreneurs?
NIW processing ranges from 30 days at Beyond Border with premium processing to 8 months at firms like WeGreened depending on case preparation time and USCIS workload.
