Read it.
Use it.
Focused guides for the questions that need more than a quick answer. Each includes a worksheet to prepare your next conversation.
Guides for your next decision.
Build a TN employer evidence brief before drafting the letter
Read & prepare Applicant planningKeep an L-1A new-office record from approval to extension
Read & prepare Applicant planningCompare the E-2 evidence for a startup and a business purchase
Read & prepare U.S. destination planningCanadian RN planning for New York State
Read & prepare U.S. destination planningCanadian RN planning for California
Read & prepareSeven decisions, answered before you prepare.
Baldwin TN records: distinguish an earned credential from a forecast
A fixed-term professional offer may be genuine while a required qualification is still pending. Organize the appointment and educational evidence so the reviewer can distinguish what already exists from what the institution expects to happen.
Hypothetical example: an applicant has completed coursework but the final award remains under review. Request the institution’s actual account of the credential status and dates. Do not substitute an expected ceremony for proof that the required qualification has been earned, or present a conditional letter as unconditional.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Ask the awarding institution a precise question
- Connect that record to the correct profession
- Show the employer what remains unresolved
Baldwin route planning: use the nationality behind the residence card
Canadian permanent residence describes a Canadian immigration position, not a universal entitlement to US professional or investor classification. Begin the comparison with actual citizenship, the proposed activity and the relevant route conditions.
A Canadian permanent resident might hold citizenship that supports one route and not another. TN requires Canadian or Mexican citizenship. A Canadian permanent-resident card, years of residence or an expected future citizenship application does not supply that requirement. Record any multiple citizenships accurately instead of selecting a nationality simply because it seems convenient.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Read the citizenship record separately
- Identify the nationality question for the business
- Compare the employment history where nationality is not the main gate
Baldwin startup records: classify each proposed purchase
A startup budget can mix paid expenses, binding commitments and cancellable plans. For E-2, label those stages accurately and retain the terms showing whether capital is actually committed and at risk.
For each supplier or premises item, list the amount, recipient, payment date, refund rights and conditions remaining. A quote is useful planning information but is not itself proof of investment. Explain differences between ordered, delivered and paid items without assuming that every line of the business plan qualifies as committed capital.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Build the register from agreements, not estimates
- Check the source and the enterprise together
- Keep setup activity separate from payment
Baldwin new-office planning: document the support behind a function manager
A new US function may rely on staff elsewhere in the company group. The file should explain what that support actually delivers, which decisions the proposed manager controls and whether the US role will meet the relevant requirements.
New-office treatment concerns a US organization doing business for less than one year. Identify regular, systematic and continuous provision of goods or services, not just registration or internal planning. Retain actual contracts, delivery and billing evidence so the business chronology can be assessed.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Establish the operation’s actual age
- Show how shared services support the qualifying role
- Track the plan against actual delivery
Baldwin business planning: compare management authority with investment control
Authority delegated by an employer and control acquired through an investment can look similar in a short biography. Compare the underlying arrangements before choosing between an L transfer and an E-2 investment proposal.
An L proposal needs a qualifying relationship and continuous qualifying foreign employment year within the relevant three years. For L-1A, describe primarily managerial or executive US duties; for L-1B, explain qualifying specialized knowledge. Continuing qualifying business in the United States and another country is also required. Delegated spending authority is one fact in that analysis, not a substitute for the employment and organizational history. The foreign year must be full-time; exclude US days without assuming brief trips automatically break continuity.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Identify the employer’s transfer theory
- Identify the investor’s actual rights and risk
- Record a reasoned choice
Baldwin household planning: distinguish a donor from a dependent
A relative may provide financial support without being eligible to immigrate through the applicant’s case. Keep the funding record separate from the household’s relationship, age and status assessment.
Hypothetical example: a parent gives investment funds while the principal hopes to relocate with a spouse and children. The donor belongs in the source-of-funds history; that financial role does not make the parent a derivative. Record the actual proposed applicants, relationship documents, birth dates and marital status without equating financial dependence with immigration eligibility.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Create two lists with different purposes
- Check the activity permitted by each status
- Treat immigrant timing separately
Baldwin funding comparison: a family gift is not the same as the Gold Card gift
A parent’s gift used to fund an EB-5 investment and a gift made under Gold Card describe different transactions. Trace where the money goes, what rights it creates and which immigration requirements remain.
A genuine family gift can be part of a funding history, with lawful source and path established. The resulting EB-5 capital must meet the applicable amount and at-risk conditions, with ten qualifying full-time jobs per investor under the applicable method and required management or policy participation. Current thresholds are US$1,050,000 or US$800,000 for a qualifying targeted employment area or infrastructure investment; scheduled adjustment begins January 1, 2027 based on petition filing date.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Follow the private funding into EB-5
- Identify the separate government gift process
- Compare the documentary consequences