Dear Sophie: How long does it take to get International Entrepreneur Parole?

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The advice column that answers immigration-related questions about working at technology companies is here.

Questions are vital to the spread of knowledge that allows people all over the world to rise above borders and pursue their dreams, says a Silicon Valley immigration attorney.

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Thank you, dear Sophie.

My co-founder and I have the same status. We need to find a quick visa option as a VC investment will make us ineligible for the E-2.

International Entrepreneur Parole is an option we are considering since we would easily qualify based on the investment we are expecting, and it seems easier than an O-1A.

How long does the process take? How can we speed things up?

A fast-flying founder.

Dear fast-flying.

It's good to know that you're on your way to receiving funding. I'm so excited that the International Entrepreneur Parole can help people like you and your co-founder quickly grow their startup and create jobs in the United States. Until Congress passes a startup visa, it is a great interim program.

I talked with my attorney colleague, who is an expert in immigration law for startup companies, on the show. It is still important to consider all available options as the process is not fast.

So, how long will it take?

Since the Biden administration resurrected the program last May, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services has taken at least six to eight months to make a decision. I'm teaching entrepreneurs to allow a minimum of a year for the normal process.

Premium processing is not available for IEP cases. Premium processing guarantees that a decision will be made within 15 days for an additional fee. The Expedite Request for severe financial loss to a company is one of the main options to speed things up. Discuss with your attorney if you might qualify.

The lack of premium processing should be changed. I have been working behind the scenes with other immigration attorneys and groups to make waves in the field of immigration, and we are advocating for other improvements to streamline the application process.

I was proud to be a part of last year's advocacy effort that pushed the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to grant the full 30 months of initial stay in the U.S. Previously, the maximum stay was only 12 months. The maximum stay was set at 12 months instead of 30 months due to a glitch in the automated system.