Ask Sophie: What happened to International Entrepreneur Parole?

Sophie Alcorn, an immigration attorney, answers a question about the International Entrepreneur Parole (IEP) program, which is the closest thing the U.S. has to a startup visa. The IEP program remains available, but the time it takes for USCIS to adjudicate IEP cases is more than two years. In recognition of these issues, President Biden mandated that the Department of Homeland Security improve the IEP process for startup founders in AI and other critical and emerging technologies. One of the most direct paths to qualifying is through government grants from startup funders such as the Urban Future Lab. In her experience, IEP tends to make more sense for startup founders who have received grants or economic development funding rather than funding from venture capital or private investors due to the complex evidentiary requirements. The minimum requirement is to receive at least $106,000 in government funding, which can even be nondilutive.

Link to the original story: https://techcrunch.com/2023/12/27/ask-sophie-whatever-happened-to-international-entrepreneur-parole/