Video script for CEO (#3)
Somehow this video I wrote got more than 5,000 views (probably because it was lowkey about how to survive the godawful Trump administration). The original landing page on the company’s website is lost to time, but my script is below. Check out the other video scripts I’ve written here.
Hi, I’m Brett Butler with Masterplans.com. Today I'll be talking about L-1A immigration visa plans, specifically the organizational hierarchy and daily responsibilities you need to show for executives and managers. We're going to show you how to make the adjudicator at USCIS happier than Jack Johnson on Earth Day [I know, this joke is terrible; I apologize].
Some background: The L-1A visa enables foreign businesses to transfer an executive or manager to a U.S. branch of the company. It's an appealing visa, because it's good for up to seven years and it can be converted into a green card.
If you're coming to the U.S. on an L-1A visa to work for a major company—like, say, Toyota—or joining an existing well-established U.S. branch of a company with a lot of revenue, you might not need a business plan. A business plan is more important for smaller and newer companies. Then you need extensive detail about the responsibilities the L-1 applicant will have as an executive or a manager.
However, you can't just say that the L-1A applicant will be an executive or a manager. You have to prove it by demonstrating what their exact job duties will be, who they will supervise, and the percentage of their time that will be spent on each major responsibility.
If you say the applicant will be a manager or an executive, but their day-to-day work will be creating the actual product, providing the service, or supervising entry-level employees, that won't fly with USCIS. Supervising, planning, and scheduling staff isn't enough. The applicant must spend their time on important, high-level business functions.
Basically, USCIS wants proof that it's really important for this person to be transferred to the U.S., rather than having them do an entry-level job that could be filled by an American citizen. If USCIS thinks “Executive” or “Manager” is just a title and not truly descriptive of the applicant's duties, they could deny the visa outright or issue an RFE, or request for evidence.
This is especially common if the American office is very small or if there are only a few employees. USCIS may determine that the visa applicant will be filling more of a sales role than an executive role, for example, and deny the visa.
Denials are a real risk, more than they used to be. Both RFPs and denials for L-1 visas are on the rise–even if you already have one and are just seeking renewal. This visa has been hit the hardest by the current administration, because it doesn't really create American jobs. Ultimately, you need to prove that the visa applicant will be filling an essential, top-level role.
The organizational chart, or org chart, is one place to show that someone is truly an executive or manager. There are tools online such as OrgWeaver.com that help you create an org chart for free. (I'll include a link in the video description below.) You need at least two levels of management in the org chart. If the visa applicant is an executive, they have to manage managers who have a level of people underneath them. The executive should manage people with titles like “Director” and “Senior VP.”
If the applicant is a manager, they have to manage an entire department or other supervisors and managers. Their title should be something like “Director of Finance,” “General Manager,” or “Operations Manager.” The Operations Manager, for example, might supervise the Head of Human Resources. The Director of Finance might supervise the Controller or the Financial Manager or both–you get it.
In addition to the org chart, USCIS really wants to know how the applicant will spend their day, so your business plan should include a breakdown of the percentage of time spent on each responsibility.
For example, a CEO might spend 25% of their time managing executives, 25% of their time on strategy and vision, 25% on fund allocation and financial goals, and 25% interfacing with partners, the board for the foreign company, and the public. That’s obviously oversimplifying it, but you get the drift.
The CEO or managers should not be mailing packages, cold calling, paying bills, writing press releases, or creating the product. Their duties must be related to the operations and management.
Even if this all seems hard, it is possible. In the 2017 fiscal year, USCIS approved more than 36,000 L-1 visa applicant applications–and that could be you! Just make sure you include exactly what USCIS wants to see.
When in doubt, hire a professional business plan firm like Masterplans to make the process smooth and easy. That's all I have for now. Thanks for watching, and I'll see you in my next video.