I am from Lagos, Nigeria and own two car dealerships in Africa. For many years I traveled to the United States on business, on a B1/B2 tourist visa, exporting and importing auto parts. I sometimes even managed to send new and used cars from America to Nigeria.
Selling cars and car parts is a profitable business, so I decided to open a company in the USA. There is always a shortage of foreign cars and good car parts in Nigeria. To work on the visa, I found an attorney from my country, Raheemat Aderibigbe, who works at Shepelsky Law Group. Raheemat and Marina Shepesky worked on my case together and advised that I should open a business visa called L-1A. This visa is specifically for people like me who head a company in their country and wish to expand to the United States by opening a branch or a subsidiary in the US. I am a director of my Nigerian business and the plan was to open a branch in the US and show the American government that my business is transferring me to the US as a manager.
Shepelsky Law attorneys handled both my business case (they helped register my corporation, set up all the details, drafted contracts, bylaws, helped with real estate, leases, insurance etc) and my immigration case (L-1A intracompany transferee executive visa). They prepared all the documents.
I opened a car dealership in New Jersey, and with time we hired three people. We have a small profit, pay taxes. In two years the company was well-established and we met all the criteria of immigration service. So I got the L-1 status not even leaving the country. Later on, when I traveled to Lagos, I went to the American consulate and received an L-1A visa. During the interview, the consular officer was not happy that I changed status in the USA and kept questioning me. Why I did not return home to Nigeria and apply from Nigeria? But I showed that my business was real, I run it, I need US workers, I need to be in the US, I have profits. He agreed on and issued the L-1 visa stamp in my passport.
I have not applied for the green card yet, although I could. I am not interested, I enjoy traveling on business to Lagos and spending time there. My business in Nigeria is thriving as well as American business. Maybe in the future, I will consider becoming a U.S. resident or citizen, but I am good with the L-1 visa for now. This business visa allows me to stay legally in the United States for longer periods of time. I have American work authorization, driver’s license. I have already renewed the L1A visa twice. My wife and smaller kids also received L visas and have work permits, SSNs. The only one who could not get the L visa is my 23-year old daughter who is considered an adult, but that’s ok, she likes it in Lagos. I have three of my younger kids with me in the States, they go to school. Thanks to Shepelsky Law Group I am able to travel from US to Nigeria and back when I need it and grow my business.