Find useful information about business-plan
Answers to common questions about our services.
Why and who needs business plans?
A business plan is a key tool that can greatly influence the decision on your visa application. It's especially useful for visas like EB2-NIW, EB-1C, EB-1A, E, L, and O. A well-crafted business plan can convince the reviewing officer that your business has strong growth potential, which increases your chances of approval. Writing such a plan requires extensive knowledge of immigration rules and an understanding of the key points that need to be highlighted to meet the requirements and boost your application's chances.
Is a business plan mandatory?
A business plan is crucial for enhancing a visa application, especially for EB2-NIW. Although it’s not legally required, recent trends show that immigration authorities often request a business plan, either initially or during Requests for Evidence (RFE). A business plan is particularly important if your business is a startup or in its early stages. Even established companies can benefit from having a business plan to show their development trajectory. A well-prepared business plan for an EB2-NIW visa demonstrates why the proposed business has significant merits and national importance, a key requirement for the visa.
What should be included in a business plan and how detailed should it be?
There are no strict legal guidelines on what must be included in a business plan or how long it should be. However, from experience, we know what immigration officers prefer and how best to present the information. In our practice, an optimal business plan is 40-60 pages long. The key criteria for the entire document package are national importance, substantial benefits, competitiveness, and job creation. We also recommend including a market analysis and financial model in the business plan.
What are the key sections of a business plan?
For a visa application, a business plan typically includes three crucial sections:
1. Market analysis – this section demonstrates the relevance and market potential of your project using statistical and research data, with citations.
2. Project description – this section details the activities you will conduct in the USA, and highlights the national importance and unique advantages of the project.
3. Financial model – based on the previous sections, this part calculates all key performance indicators, such as revenue, expenses, staffing needs, profit, and investments. This calculation is usually presented in a series of tables.
1. Market analysis – this section demonstrates the relevance and market potential of your project using statistical and research data, with citations.
2. Project description – this section details the activities you will conduct in the USA, and highlights the national importance and unique advantages of the project.
3. Financial model – based on the previous sections, this part calculates all key performance indicators, such as revenue, expenses, staffing needs, profit, and investments. This calculation is usually presented in a series of tables.
How to tell a good business plan from a bad one?
Immigration officers often read business plans quickly and selectively. Therefore, besides the standard sections mentioned earlier, here are some tips:
1. Highlight key points – the document should emphasize what is most important for the officer (national importance, etc.).
2. Design – a well-designed document not only looks professional but also helps highlight the key points.
3. Length – we recommend keeping the document to 40-60 pages, as officers are unlikely to read more, and important information might get lost.
1. Highlight key points – the document should emphasize what is most important for the officer (national importance, etc.).
2. Design – a well-designed document not only looks professional but also helps highlight the key points.
3. Length – we recommend keeping the document to 40-60 pages, as officers are unlikely to read more, and important information might get lost.
What are the most common mistakes and reasons for business plan rejections?
1. Lack of specificity – Vague descriptions can make it hard for the officer to understand your business model.
2. Insufficient national importance – often, the problem isn’t the lack of information about Importance but that it’s not highlighted properly or placed in the wrong section.
3. Employment potential for american workers – always include a section on hiring plans, salary details, and focus on creating jobs in depressed areas.
4. Local scope of the project – applicants often choose businesses or ideas that are not scalable or global, which can lead to rejection even if all other criteria are met.
2. Insufficient national importance – often, the problem isn’t the lack of information about Importance but that it’s not highlighted properly or placed in the wrong section.
3. Employment potential for american workers – always include a section on hiring plans, salary details, and focus on creating jobs in depressed areas.
4. Local scope of the project – applicants often choose businesses or ideas that are not scalable or global, which can lead to rejection even if all other criteria are met.