In Episode 20 of the ImmiGreat Podcast, Richard Wilner sits down with Brazilian entrepreneur Alex “Brasinha” Dos Santos to discuss a carefully planned immigration journey from an L-1A visa to an EB-1C green card and, ultimately, U.S. citizenship.
Alex’s story is about more than immigration paperwork. It is about building a real business, supporting a family, adapting to a new country, and resisting the temptation to take shortcuts. His experience shows why a successful business immigration strategy depends on honest planning, credible evidence, and a long-term view.
This article is for general educational purposes. Immigration eligibility and strategy are fact-specific, and past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
From Brazil to a U.S. Business Expansion
Before moving to the United States, Alex had already built a distribution business in Brazil’s action-sports market. That operating history mattered. When he began considering a U.S. expansion, he was not starting with a vague idea or a paper company. He had experience, commercial relationships, and a business model that could be explained and documented.
The decision to relocate was also personal. Alex and his family were looking for long-term opportunity and support, including resources for his son Eric following an autism diagnosis. As Alex explains in the episode, the family’s immigration plan had to work for both the company and the people depending on it.
For entrepreneurs evaluating a similar move, Wilner & O’Reilly provides guidance for investors, business owners, and companies pursuing U.S. immigration options.
Why the L-1A Visa Fit Alex’s Expansion Plan
The L-1A classification can allow a qualifying organization to transfer an executive or manager from a related foreign business to a U.S. office. It may also be available when a qualifying foreign company is establishing a new U.S. office, provided the petition and business plan satisfy the applicable requirements.
Alex used the L-1A pathway as part of opening and operating a U.S. business. In the conversation, Richard emphasizes that this category is not simply a way to enter the country and figure out the business later. The company relationship, the beneficiary’s prior role, the proposed U.S. position, the investment, the office, and the ability to support a managerial or executive position all require evidence.
For a deeper overview of the classification, read What Is the L-1 Visa? L-1A vs. L-1B Explained. USCIS also outlines documentation and evidence considerations for L-1 petitions, including new-office cases.
A Real Business Plan, Not an Immigration Shortcut
One of the clearest lessons from Episode 20 is that Alex approached immigration as a business project that had to stand on its own facts. He describes listening to legal advice, preparing the requested evidence, and making realistic projections rather than promising results the company could not support.
That approach matters in a new-office L-1A case. Officers may examine how the U.S. operation will develop, whether the business has adequate premises and financial support, what employees or contractors will perform operational work, and how the transferred executive or manager will move into a primarily qualifying role.
- Document the qualifying relationship between the foreign and U.S. entities.
- Explain the beneficiary’s managerial or executive work abroad.
- Build a credible U.S. staffing and operating plan.
- Use realistic financial projections supported by available evidence.
- Maintain records showing that both businesses are actively doing business.
Alex’s message is straightforward: understand the strongest available route, follow the requirements, and be prepared to prove that the business is genuine.
From L-1A Status to an EB-1C Green Card
After the U.S. operation was established, Alex pursued permanent residence through the EB-1C multinational manager or executive category. Although L-1A and EB-1C share some concepts, an approved L-1A petition does not automatically produce an EB-1C approval. The immigrant petition must independently establish eligibility under the requirements in effect when it is filed.
In general, EB-1C is intended for qualifying multinational managers and executives who will continue working for a related U.S. employer in a managerial or executive capacity. The U.S. petitioner must satisfy its own operating-history and qualifying-relationship requirements, and the beneficiary’s foreign and proposed U.S. employment must be carefully documented.
Explore Wilner & O’Reilly’s overview of employment-based immigrant visas and green-card options. USCIS provides additional information about the EB-1 first-preference immigrant classification.
Travel and Timing During the Green Card Process
Richard and Alex also discuss the practical restrictions that can arise while a green card case is pending. International travel, work authorization, visa validity, adjustment of status, and consular processing can interact in ways that are highly case-specific.
The episode is a useful reminder that immigration planning is not limited to choosing a visa category. Families and employers should understand how each filing may affect travel, employment, status maintenance, and the timing of future steps before making commitments.
Citizenship and Eric’s Naturalization Story
Alex and his family eventually became U.S. citizens. One of the most personal moments in the episode is his account of his son Eric’s naturalization process. Although a medical exception may be available to some applicants with qualifying disabilities, Alex says Eric wanted to take the English and civics tests. He prepared, completed the process, and passed.
For Alex, citizenship represented permanence, belonging, and the culmination of years of careful decisions. His family’s experience also shows how an immigration case can affect education, health, work, and opportunity across generations.
Learn more about the naturalization process in ImmiGreat Episode 13: Should You Apply for U.S. Citizenship?
What Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Alex Dos Santos
Alex’s immigration story is compelling because the legal strategy and the business strategy developed together. The U.S. operation needed to be viable, the family needed a workable plan, and every stage needed to support the next.
- Start with the facts. Choose a strategy based on the real company structure, the individual’s actual role, and the available evidence.
- Plan in stages. Temporary status, business growth, permanent residence, and citizenship are separate steps with separate requirements.
- Avoid inflated promises. A realistic plan is more credible than projections the business cannot reasonably meet.
- Keep the business compliant. Corporate records, payroll, staffing, contracts, tax records, and operating evidence may become important throughout the process.
- Prepare for family consequences. Travel, education, work authorization, and dependent status should be considered early.
- Use experienced counsel. Business immigration cases often require coordination between immigration strategy and the company’s operational plans.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an L-1A visa?
The L-1A is a temporary work classification for qualifying executives and managers transferring from a related foreign organization to a U.S. office. It may also support the establishment of a qualifying new U.S. office when the legal and evidentiary requirements are met.
Can an L-1A visa lead to an EB-1C green card?
Some L-1A executives and managers later qualify for EB-1C permanent residence, but there is no automatic conversion. The U.S. employer and beneficiary must independently satisfy the EB-1C requirements at the time of filing.
Does an L-1A new-office petition require active business operations?
A new-office petition must present credible evidence about the proposed U.S. operation, investment, premises, organizational structure, financial ability, and how the office will support a qualifying managerial or executive role within the required period.
Why is long-term planning important in L-1A and EB-1C cases?
Early planning helps align the foreign and U.S. entities, the employee’s duties, staffing, records, travel, and business growth with the requirements of each potential immigration stage. It cannot guarantee approval, but it can reduce avoidable gaps and surprises.
Key Takeaways
- Alex Dos Santos used an L-1A strategy to help establish and manage a U.S. business operation.
- Business immigration cases require real operations, credible plans, and consistent evidence.
- An L-1A approval does not automatically guarantee EB-1C permanent residence.
- Travel and work decisions should be coordinated with the immigration process.
- Alex and his family ultimately became U.S. citizens.
- Preparation, honesty, and patience are central themes in Alex’s advice to other entrepreneurs.
Watch or Listen to ImmiGreat Episode 20
Watch the complete conversation with Alex “Brasinha” Dos Santos above or listen to the full podcast episode below.
Related Wilner & O’Reilly Resources
- L-1A vs. L-1B visa requirements and process
- Immigration options for investors and business owners
- Employment-based immigrant visas
- Renato “Babalu” Sobral’s athlete visa, green card, and citizenship story
- Business and investor immigration articles
Need Help With an L-1A or EB-1C Case?
Wilner & O’Reilly helps companies, executives, managers, entrepreneurs, and families evaluate business immigration strategies. If you are considering a U.S. expansion, an L-1A petition, or an EB-1C green card, contact Wilner & O’Reilly to discuss the facts of your case.
For more practical immigration updates and podcast episodes, visit the Wilner & O’Reilly immigration blog.
About the ImmiGreat Podcast
The ImmiGreat Podcast, hosted by Richard Wilner, combines practical immigration insight with the personal stories of immigrants, entrepreneurs, athletes, employers, and families. Episode 20 follows Alex Dos Santos from a Brazilian business to an L-1A U.S. expansion, EB-1C permanent residence, and citizenship, illustrating how legal preparation and genuine business development can work together over time.
Comments are closed.