When Sofia reached out, she sounded confident.
She had an MBA. She ran a digital marketing agency. She had written her own business plan and believed it was solid. Her assumption was that we would help her make a few minor adjustments. Tighten language. Refine projections. Polish what was already there.
From a business standpoint, her plan made sense.
If the audience had been an investor, a banker, or another business owner, it would have landed well. The growth strategy was ambitious. Operations were lean. The numbers reflected efficiency and scalability.
The problem wasn’t the plan.
It was for whom the plan was written.
As we reviewed her draft, it became clear that Sofia was approaching this like a business pitch. She was solving for profitability, efficiency, and return. Those are the right instincts in the business world.
But immigration cases operate under a different lens.
An adjudication officer is not an investor. They are not impressed by lean operations alone. They are not evaluating upside or market positioning. They are applying immigration law.
And naturally, Sofia had never dealt with that audience before.
Immigration business plans are expected to show things investors often don’t prioritize. Job creation. Hiring timelines. Benefits beyond the owner. In some cases, how U.S. workers are trained and developed over time.
Those elements weren’t front and center in her plan, not because she misunderstood business, but because business logic and immigration expectations don’t always overlap.
Once we took over, the plan changed. Significantly.
The focus shifted away from efficiency for efficiency’s sake. The narrative was restructured to clearly show how the business supported job creation, how roles evolved, and how the company contributed beyond the founder’s own success. The financials were aligned to support that story without disconnecting from how the business actually operated.
The goal wasn’t to distort reality. It was to translate a real business into a format that satisfied legal requirements.
That’s not something someone without a deep understanding of immigration law, familiarity with past rulings, and a clear grasp of how immigration requirements intersect with business realities can realistically pull off. Especially at the points where business logic and immigration expectations naturally clash.
That distinction is often the difference between a plan that sounds smart and one that actually works.
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The information provided in this blog is intended solely for informational purposes. While we strive to offer accurate and up-to-date content, it should not be considered legal advice. Immigration laws and regulations are subject to change, and individual circumstances can vary widely. For personalized guidance and legal advice regarding your specific immigration situation, we strongly recommend consulting with a qualified immigration attorney who can provide you with tailored assistance and ensure compliance with current laws and regulations.
Visa Business Plans is led by Marco Scanu, a certified coach from the University of Miami with a globally-based practice coaching Fortune 1000 company executives, entrepreneurs, as well as professionals in four different continents. Mr. Scanu advises clients on turnaround strategies and crisis management.
Mr. Scanu received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (Cum Laude) from the University of Florida and an MBA in Management from Bocconi University in Milan, Italy. Mr. Scanu was also a Visiting Scholar at Michigan State University under the prestigious H. Humphrey Fellowship (Fulbright program) with a focus on Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital, and high-growth enterprises.
At present, Mr. Scanu is the managing partner and CEO at Visa Business Plans, a Miami-based boutique consulting firm providing attorneys and investors with business planning services in the areas of U.S. and Canadian immigration, SBA loans, and others.
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