[atribe]

This is the route I refer to:

You own or buy business as a national of a qualifying Treaty country. The business must have a minimum value of around $150k (the more, the better) bearing in mind you will need somewhere to live and with any startup business you will need at least 2 years living money as back up. So a figure of $350k would be a nearer minimum. Your dependent spouse may work. Non-immigrant visa with a difficult pathway to a green card.

Do you have at least $200,000 in cash and an entrepreneurial spirit? Do you have a business in another country and are you in a position to expand your business activities to the US?

I have been toying with the idea of expanding my shared business to the United States. As we provide media production services (screen writing, editing and production) and the United States is in no shortage of such services I'd be interested to know if they prioritise certain industries?

Also, as immigration is dealt on an individual basis and my company is a two-man business, does the $200,000 in cash have to be individual assets or company assets? If two people own a company and share the assets, would it mean both are entitle to work visa or do the assets need to be individual?

[atribe]

Apologies for double post.

After further research it seems the most likely option would be to open a US office of the company and then apply for L1 status. What would constitute an office? As we currently own no business property and run the business from our homes/online.

[Awesome Welles]

If you are asking if you can successfully petition an L1 intra-company transfer for a business that is run from your spare bedroom to a business that will be run from your spare bedroom, then the answer is no.

[ian-mstm]

Originally Posted by atribe I'd be interested to know if they prioritise certain industries?

Indeed they do. Medicine is at the top of the list. Media production, if it's on the list at all, is near the bottom!

Ian

[Boiler]

How many offices do you have in other countries?

[Steve_]

Originally Posted by atribe Apologies for double post. After further research it seems the most likely option would be to open a US office of the company and then apply for L1 status. What would constitute an office? As we currently own no business property and run the business from our homes/online.

L-1A or E-2 or possibly E-1 from the sounds of it.

I'd start with the USCIS website.

And then read the regulations. Specifically 8 CFR 214.2(e) and (l).

And also the embassy website for the country you live in will give you an idea of how they apply those regulations to local applications.