Newcomers to the United States have long regarded the country as a land of opportunity. For many, this means the chance to start their own business. However, a person’s immigration status can complicate the already complex legal process required to establish a company. Foreigners who want to start their own business need guidance to go through this process; communities with high immigrant populations can support them.
Building something from the ground up is a classic American dream. Many immigrants start businesses for the same reason American citizens do: to follow their lifelong passions, to create something they can pass on to their children or to have more control over their careers. Foreign-born persons settling in Texas have a great opportunity to get a new enterprise off the ground when the economy is booming.
To work in the U.S., immigrants need the appropriate paperwork. This is often referred to as a “green card.” However, becoming an employer is a different bureaucratic path than becoming an employee. Anyone coming to the U.S. to start a business needs an E-2 Investor Visa. A Dallas immigration lawyer can help new business owners understand how to meet the eligibility requirements for this type of visa.
Immigrant communities are actually over-represented among small business owners. Since small businesses are the backbone of the U.S. economy and account for a great deal of economic growth, this means areas with an influx of foreign-born entrepreneurs can flourish. These business owners often supply services or products underrepresented in mainstream markets, especially in Texas towns.
Just because a company starts small doesn’t mean it has to stay that way. Some of the most influential businesses on the planet started out as small enterprises founded by immigrants, among them Yahoo! and Google. With the support of Texas communities, immigrants can succeed as entrepreneurs and become local — or even national — job creators. Diverse Texan cities such as Dallas have an even greater opportunity to grow.