August opened on a high note for cloud networking company Arista, whose stock surged 100 percent. The rally propelled Indian American CEO Jayashree Ullal onto the list of the world’s wealthiest women, with a net worth of $6.4 billion.
Ullal’s remarkable journey — from a modest upbringing in India to becoming a billionaire tech leader — has resonated far beyond the United States and India, striking a chord with immigrant and expatriate communities worldwide.
Arista’s meteoric success also underscores a larger truth about modern America: immigrants play a pivotal role in shaping the nation as a global hub of technology, science, and innovation.
According to a report by the American Immigration Council, more than two out of every five Fortune 500 companies — the largest U.S. corporations by revenue — were founded by immigrants. The report also found that 46 percent of the companies on the 2024 Fortune 500 list were founded by immigrants or their children. In fiscal year 2023, these firms collectively generated $8.6 trillion in revenue, exceeding the GDP of major economies including Japan, Germany, India, and the United Kingdom.
Research from Stanford’s Venture Capital Initiative further shows that 44 percent of America’s unicorn founders are immigrants, with Indian entrepreneurs leading the way. Studies also reveal that startups founded abroad often experience exponential growth after relocating to the United States.
This surge in immigrant-driven success underscores a powerful truth: America remains one of the world’s most productive ecosystems for innovators, attracting visionaries, investors, disruptors, and strategists from across the globe.
Amid immigration roadblocks, the U.S. still a startups powerhouse
Despite the hurdles in our immigration system, the United States continues to be one of the most fertile grounds for startup founders,” says Tahmina Watson, founder of Seattle-based Watson Immigration Law and author of The Startup Visa.
Watson cites several reasons why the United States remains the ultimate launchpad for ambitious founders. She explains, “The U.S. offers unparalleled access to capital. Venture capital, angel investors, and private equity firms remain more abundant here than anywhere else in the world.”
READ: Inside the trailblazing journey of Jayshree Ullal: Arista Network’s Indian American CEO in her own words (March 21, 2024)
But access to funding isn’t the only advantage. Startup mentors also praise the U.S. innovation ecosystem. From Silicon Valley to Seattle to Austin and beyond, there is a culture that not only accepts risk but celebrates it. Failure isn’t the end here — it’s often the beginning of the next, better idea. That resilience is part of what makes the U.S. startup landscape so dynamic.
Watson also highlights the consumer market, noting, “The market is enormous and diverse. Startups can test, adapt, and scale at a speed that many other countries simply can’t offer.”
Which U.S. visas open doors for immigrant entrepreneurs — and which ones shut them?
Interestingly, despite America’s growing reputation as a startup magnet, the country still offers no dedicated startup visa.
Abhinav Tripathi, founder of Protego Law Group and chair-elect of the AILA Santa Clara Valley Chapter, explains which U.S. visa categories are most useful for immigrant entrepreneurs, stating, “Several non-immigrant categories can be adapted for immigrant entrepreneurs if used strategically.”
He explains, “The O-1A for individuals of extraordinary ability is one of the strongest options for founders with clear markers of achievement such as venture funding, patents, high-profile press, or adoption of their innovations.”
While immigration rules have often lagged behind the realities of modern entrepreneurship, Tripathi notes, “Recent USCIS guidance now explicitly recognizes startup-specific evidence, making it easier to translate entrepreneurial success into the regulatory criteria.”
Among other options, he lists: “The L-1A intracompany transferee is another valuable path for founders who already operate a qualifying business abroad, allowing them to open a U.S. ‘new office’ and later transition to a green card through the EB-1C category. For nationals of treaty countries, the E-2 treaty investor offers renewable status in exchange for a substantial investment in a U.S. enterprise. The International Entrepreneur Parole program, while not a visa, can serve as a bridge for non-treaty and non-L-1 founders to enter and build their company if they have qualifying investment or government funding.”
But despite these options, significant roadblocks remain. Tripathi says, “The H-1B remains subject to an annual lottery, with demand consistently far greater than the number of available visas. The L-1A requires qualifying foreign operations. The E-2 is limited to treaty nationals. The O-1A demands a high evidentiary record that can be difficult for early-stage founders to produce. The International Entrepreneur Parole is time limited, tied to one company, and does not directly lead to a green card. In practice, to be a successful founder, one must match their business plan to an immigration strategy from day one, often combining a short-term work visa with a parallel green card path to ensure they can both launch and scale in the United States without interruption.”
Legal pitfalls that trip up immigrant founders in the U.S.
One of the first challenges immigrant founders face, according to startup mentors, is a lack of awareness that they can legally establish a U.S. company even without immigration status. Tahmina Watson explains, “For example, a founder outside the U.S. can incorporate a company here, but the key limitation is that they cannot work for that company until they have secured the proper visa. Many founders successfully launch U.S. companies while remaining abroad. But for those who want to move to the U.S., obtaining a visa is essential.”
When asked what pitfalls founders already in the U.S. face — such as international students nearing the end of their studies or mid-career professionals hoping to transition from corporate roles into entrepreneurship — Watson says, “The first pitfall is determining which visa category might apply. Even when a suitable visa category is identified, the next challenge is funding. Most U.S. work visas require the founder to draw a salary to avoid becoming a ‘public charge.’ Startups, however, often operate with limited resources, so structuring compensation can be difficult.”
Timing is another frequent hurdle. Watson says, “Founders often need to file their visa applications before their current status expires, and new USCIS practices, such as placing laid-off immigrants into deportation proceedings, have heightened the risks of delay.”
That said, Watson emphasizes, “The immigration system is a weak link in this otherwise fertile ground. But the U.S. still has the soil, the tools, and the culture that can help startups grow into the companies that change the world. What we need now is to make sure the laws catch up with the reality of entrepreneurship today.”