Startup First, Visa Follows
Building a startup in the U.S. is more than a business opportunity — for extraordinary international talent, it’s also one of the strongest ways to demonstrate real, sustained impact.
This session is designed for international founders, operators, and senior technologists who are pursuing (or planning to pursue) the EB-1A Extraordinary Ability visa and want to understand how building or working at a real U.S. startup can meaningfully strengthen their case.
We’ll explore how actual startup traction — not titles, not vanity metrics — translates into the kind of evidence USCIS values: leadership, originality, critical role, market impact, and national or international recognition.
This is not a legal workshop. Instead, it’s a practical, founder-driven conversation about:
What real startup impact looks like in the U.S. ecosystem
How founders and early leaders create measurable value that compounds over time
Common mistakes that weaken EB-1A cases built around “paper achievements.”
How to align startup building, personal brand, and long-term immigration strategy without shortcuts
Speakers:
Aytakin Aliyeva - CEO & Founder at Femigrants
Femigrants is a global community of female immigrant leaders in investment, startups, Fortune 500 Tech, and SMBs.
Farzad Rahbar - CEO & Co-founder at FlyX
FlyX is a high-tech startup developing proprietary wireless power-charging technology for drones to enable unlimited flight range.
Cigdem Oztabak - Founder at Pirix Communication
Pirix Communication, a marketing and media communications house working with frontier leaders, founders, and high-growth companies, the talk breaks down how to approach media not as publicity, but as strategic evidence of impact and expertise.
Vusal Ibrahimli - Managing Partner & Founder at All My Taxes
You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of how to build something real in the U.S. — and how that real-world impact naturally supports a strong, credible EB-1A narrative.
Ideal for founders and talents who believe that extraordinary ability is proven in the market, not in documents.