Alma

Big Immigration News: The Department of State just made a quiet policy change to its nonimmigrant visa interview waiver (aka "dropbox") program that will impact thousands of visa holders. Here's what's changing: Starting September 2nd, nearly all nonimmigrant visa applicants must now attend an in-person consular interview. Age-based waivers are going away. Currently, applicants under 14 and over 79 can often skip interviews. Not anymore. Only limited exceptions to the in-person interview requirement remain: - Diplomatic visa holders (A-1, A-2, G-1-G-4, NATO series, etc.) - People renewing B-1/B-2 tourist/business visas within 12 months of expiration For B visa renewals, you still need to: - Apply in your home country or country of residence - Never have been refused a visa before - Have no eligibility issues This is a big deal for anyone on H-1B, L-1, O-1 or other work visas. What this means in practice: That H-1B holder who originally came on an F-1 student visa? They now need an in-person interview. Embassy wait times are already lengthy in many countries. This policy change will create even more demand for interview slots. If you're planning international travel, here's what to do now: - Check your visa expiration date and factor in potential delays for interview scheduling - Consider whether your travel is truly necessary if your visa expires soon - Start the renewal process earlier than you normally would P.S. - If you're exploring work visa options like O-1, EB-1, H-1B etc. - reach out to Alma. Happy to take a look at your profile!

Immigration is getting expensive. The new immigration fees under the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” just went into effect yesterday. Here are the ADDITIONAL fees now in place: Starting July 22, 2025, here's what's changing: ASYLUM APPLICATIONS (Form I-589): - NEW $100 filing fee (historically free) - PLUS $100 annual fee for every year your case is pending - Translation: A 3-year pending asylum case will cost $400 total WORK PERMITS (Form I-765): - $550 for initial applications - $275 for renewals - Validity periods are being shortened for asylum seekers, parolees, and TPS recipients This means more frequent renewals = higher total costs over time. TPS REGISTRATION: Increased by $500 Special Immigrant Juvenile petitions: $0 → $250 Fee waivers are also being eliminated for many categories and Forms submitted without correct fees after August 21st will be rejected outright. These aren't just numbers on a spreadsheet. The people most affected by these changes are often the ones least able to afford them. What are your thoughts on these new fee structures? p.s. - If you're navigating work visas or green cards like O-1, EB-1, H-1B etc. check out Alma. We file petitions is 2 weeks!

We've always believed Immigration shouldn’t get in the way of building a great team and today we're doubling down on that belief - Introducing Alma for Startups. What's the offer? 50% off legal fees for your first international hire with Alma (H-1B or TN visa) If you're a U.S. based, pre-seed or seed stage startup hiring an international employee — this is for you. Too many early-stage teams miss out on incredible talent because immigration feels too complex or expensive. We’re here to fix that. Let’s make it easier to build with the best — no matter where they’re from. Here's the link - https://xmrrwallet.com/cmx.plnkd.in/gzx4vUaY

Ramen Nagi in Palo Alto always has a massive line. So, we turned it into a growth experiment. Every time we leave the office, we bump into so many founders and engineers waiting here. A lot of them are Immigrants. So we thought - why not pitch Alma to them? If you're here, step into our "noodle-side office" and say hi 👋 (And yes, we're serious about the visa stuff too — 2-week turnaround, 99%+ approval rate.) Reach out to Alma if you're exploring work visa options for yourself or your new hires!

We're #hiring a new Founder's Office - Operations & Finance Associate in India. Apply today or share this post with your network.

As we scale Alma, we had to step back and ask: What would a modern product/services company look like? That led us to design what we now call the 6-Week Alma Experience: Week 1: No SDRs. One POC. Consultation focused. You talk directly to our consultation team. One person. 1-2 calls on avg. We understand your short and long term goals and share our opinion if you qualify for a visa type. Week 2–3: Onboarding + Petition Building We get you set up on our system and our experienced attorneys (no paralegals) start working immediately on your case. Week 4–5: Filing Done. Your petition is filed within two weeks. If you’ve opted for Premium Processing, we’re now waiting on USCIS. Week 6: Welcome to the Community You get a decision, Alma merch (that our clients genuinely love), and access to a growing community of ambitious immigrants - from there it's all events/warm intros/community building. We’re building more than a law firm — we’re building a partner for your entire journey. Thanks Charles for the shoutout and your move to SF 🇺🇸

The U.S. State Department's August 2025 Visa Bulletin is out! Major takeaways: - EB-2 Final Action dates will retrogress by 6 weeks for all countries other than China and India - EB-3 Final Action dates will advance by 1 month for India and remain unchanged for other countries - Unreserved EB-5 Final Action Dates will advance by ~2 years for China and more than 6 months for India USCIS will accept employment-based adjustment of status applications for priority dates current under the Final Action dates chart. Finally, The State Department has warned that EB-2, EB-3 and EB-5 categories are approaching annual limits lasting through the end of the fiscal year (Sept 30, 2025), so we might see further retrogression in the September Visa Bulletin.

Seeing a trend - International VCs who spent years telling founders "build locally first, then move to the US" are now setting up offices here themselves. Founders are expected to be in here from day zero. The shift is real. And it's creating a new challenge for international founders. Before, you were advised to raise a preseed/seed round from your home country, build some traction, then move to the US. Now? The expectation is you're here earlier. Which means navigating US immigration sooner. I had a founder from India tell me last week: "My lead investor wants me in SF ASAP. But I don't even know what visa I qualify for." Some founders are using conferences like SaaStr to test the waters and start building relationships before making the full move. Others are exploring the O-1A visa earlier in their journey. The key is having a plan before you need one. If you're an international founder building for the US market, don't wait until the last minute to figure out your immigration options. That's one thing that can delay everything else - from GTM to closing contracts. If you're cusrious about options like O-1, H-1B, etc. - feel free to get in touch with Alma.

Late post - Happy 4th of July to all! 🇺🇸 (especially to our clients who are celebrating it for the first time) Honestly - It hits different when you've worked so hard to be in this country. I remember my first 4th of July in the US. I was still in school - juggling between classes and getting a job while figuring out immigration, still uncertain about my future here. The fireworks felt symbolic but also... distant? Like I was watching someone else's celebration. Now, years later, after building Alma and helping hundreds of clients navigate their own immigration journeys, I see this holiday through their eyes: → The H-1B holder who finally got their EB-1A approved last month → The startup founder who can now focus on building instead of visa timelines → Researcher that got his NIW approved Freedom isn't just a concept when you've had to fight for the right to stay, work, and build your life somewhere. To everyone celebrating today - your resilience is what makes this country stronger. Your stories remind me why we do this work. And to anyone still in the middle of their immigration journey: you belong here. Keep going. 🎆 Need help with talent-based immigration? Reach out to Alma! no there was no dress code - Assel and I did not plan this!!

"Alma has changed my life in literally 56 days." He'd been stuck in EB-2 for 13 YEARS. This message from one of our clients hit me hard yesterday. USCIS even issued him a green card once, then took it back saying it was an "error." Can you imagine that heartbreak? Until March this year, he hadn't even considered EB-1A. He consulted with 4 different firms before choosing us. What made him pick Alma? Two things: 1) A recommendation from someone in a Slack channel who got their O-1 approved through us 2) The confidence from our team that about his profile + us being heavily customer obsessed 56 days later - EB-1A approved. We work with some of the most exceptional engineers, founders, and researchers navigating this path. If you're wondering whether you qualify, happy to take a look at your profile - https://xmrrwallet.com/cmx.plnkd.in/gUgetE_x Advice for other founders - being customer obsessed pays off in ways you don't expect. It shows even when you're not directly pitching it. Our clients become our best advocates because they know we genuinely care about their success.