Whether you’re working for a company that you founded, for a startup or for a well-established business, you’ll need employer sponsorship to secure a temporary H-1B, TN, E, L or O visa.

The most common way to get an employment-based green card is through the PERM process, which involves testing the labor market to identify any minimally qualified US workers available to do the job. Employees from oversubscribed companies or with significant equity in the company should consider the EB-1 and EB-2 alternatives.

If you’re trailblazing a brilliant career, or founding a company with the capacity to disrupt and improve a US industry, then you might be eligible for a green card based on your extraordinary ability or potential impact in the national interest.