Haesung Kim
Head of Legal Operations
Former Partner at BAL (Berry Appleman & Leiden) with 20+ years of experience. At BAL, she oversaw a team of 100+ professionals and serviced some of the largest corporate clients in the industry.
Founding Team VisasU.S. Visas for Founders and First Hires,
U.S. Visas for Founders and First Hires,
at Lightning Speed.
From founder visas to your first international engineer, Manifest gives early-stage teams the speed, expertise, and creative legal strategies to hire the best and brightest regardless of citizenship.
100+ attorneys with 11+ years average experience*
MANIFEST CLIENTS ARE BACKED BY
Disclaimer: *Average years of experience of all Manifest lawyers is as of March 30th, 2026.
/OUR APPROACH
Why Manifest.
01
Attorneys Experienced in Supporting Tech Founders
From O-1, EB-1 to EB-2 NIW, Manifest offers hands-on evidence development advisory and transition strategies from employer-sponsored to self-sponsored founder visa, so you can build the strongest possible case.
02
Hire International Employees, Fast
Manifest helps you navigate time-sensitive situations with dedicated and responsive attorneys. We commit to specific filing timelines.
03
White Glove Service and Dedicated Team
Every client gets a dedicated attorney, account manager, and government relations advisor who know your business. Direct-line access, proactive case updates, and a strategy advisory to help you with every stage of growth.
04
Transparent Pricing, Money Back Guarantee
Fixed fee pricing with end-to-end service — no surprise invoices, no nickel-and-diming for emails, phone calls, technology platform access, or add-on services. And if the case isn't approved, you get your money back.
Disclaimer: *Represents approvals for cases handled by Manifest Law that received a decision during quarter three of 2025 compared to published approval rates by USCIS for O-1 and EB-1 during the same period. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
/Advisors
Deep Bench of Attorneys and
Government Advisors.
Sairah Saeed
Legal Quality Lead
Former Associate General Counsel at USCIS overseeing various agency training. Prior to USCIS, Sairah was a trial attorney at the DOJ and an attorney in leading immigration law firms.
Michael Valverde
Manifest Government Relations
Former Associate Director of Field Operations at USCIS. Over 7,500 employees under Mike's leadership over 28 years at USCIS.
Emilio Gonzalez
Manifest Law Advisor
Former Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and former Director at the National Security Council under President George W. Bush.
/WHO DO WE SERVE?
How does Manifest compare?
| Traditional Law Firms | Manifest Law | |
|---|---|---|
| Founder visas | Rarely handled | Deep O-1, EB-1, EB-2 NIW experience |
| Speed | Weeks to get started; months to file | Committed filing timelines — we move at your pace |
| Pricing | Nickel and dime; hidden costs | Transparent flat fees; startup grants up to $25K via SAFE |
| Communication | Email chains with junior paralegals | Direct access to your dedicated senior attorney via portal |
| Guarantee | None | Visa approved or your money back |
Founder visas
Legacy Law Firms
Rarely handled
Manifest Law
Deep O-1, EB-1, EB-2 NIW experience
“Working with Manifest has been a seamless and straightforward experience. Immigration and sponsorship can often be complicated and stressful, but their team made the process clear, efficient, and manageable from start to finish.”
CASE STUDIES
Creative Strategies that Drive Real Results.
E-2E-2 Treaty Investor
Winning E-2 at 49% ownership.
Challenge
Client held only 49% of a U.S. e-commerce company — one point below the threshold most attorneys treat as a hard floor for E-2.
Approach
Demonstrated actual control through governance rights, voting structure, and operational authority — ownership percentage is not the whole picture.
Result: Consular approval
O-1BO-1B Extraordinary Ability (Arts)
The HR leader who qualified as an artist.
Challenge
A tech company's senior people leader specialized in creative organizational culture design — shaping environments, rituals, and experiential frameworks. Another firm said there was no viable path.
Approach
Argued her into the O-1B category by framing organizational culture design as a creative discipline under the broad legal definition of "arts," backed by her sustained thought leadership, peer recognition, and published body of work.
Result: Approved — no RFE
J-1J-1 Research Scholar
Three weeks to seat a fintech pioneer.
Challenge
Major financial institution needed a senior exec in 3 weeks to build a first-of-its-kind crypto compliance framework. H-1B, TN, and O-1 were all off the table.
Approach
Used the overlooked J-1 Research Scholar category — building something with no precedent qualifies as research, even at a corporate facility.
Result: Approved within deadline
L-1L-1A Intracompany Transferee
The L-1A with no subordinates.
Challenge
Senior PE leader needed a U.S. transfer but had zero direct reports — every other attorney said L-1A was impossible without a team.
Approach
Built the case around functional management of human capital across the portfolio — she controlled the function, not a headcount.
Result: Approved — no RFE
/BUILT FOR FOUNDERS
Full Visibility.
Committed Timeline.
01
Real-Time Case Tracking
See exactly where your case stands at any moment through the Manifest portal — actions log, measurable tasks, and real-time status updates.
02
Direct Attorney Access and SLAs
Message your attorney directly in-portal or in slack. Schedule meetings. No chasing emails or waiting days for a callback.
03
Evidence Development Advisory
For O-1 and EB-1 cases, we help you build your evidence portfolio — recommendation letters, press strategy, award positioning — not just file what you give us.
Companies like Manifest Law are going to help people, because they do it in a very safe, legal, and transparent way. They understand the importance of bringing in exceptional talent into a country that has exceptional history and an exceptional future.
Emilio Gonzalez
Former USCIS Director
Manifest Law Government Strategy Advisor
/FAQ
New to Immigration?
We’ve Got Answers.
What do we need in order to sponsor?
You’ll need a registered U.S. business entity (C-corp, LLC, etc.), an EIN, and the ability to pay the offered wage. We handle the rest — labor condition applications, petition preparation, and USCIS filings.
What internal capabilities do we need?
You don’t need an immigration manager or in-house legal team. Manifest acts as your full-service immigration function. We just need a point of contact (usually a founder or HR lead) for document collection.
What visa types are common for startups?
H-1B is the most common for employees. O-1 is popular for founders and exceptional talent. TN works for Canadian/Mexican nationals. We also handle EB-2 NIW, L-1, E-2, and OPT/STEM extensions depending on the situation.
How long does it take?
It depends on the visa type. H-1B transfers can be filed in days. O-1 petitions typically take 2–4 weeks to prepare. We commit to specific filing timelines — unlike legacy firms that give vague estimates.
Can a founder sponsor themselves?
In many cases, yes. O-1 and EB-1 don’t require employer sponsorship. For H-1B, the company can sponsor the founder if properly structured. We advise on corporate setup to ensure this is viable.
/LET'S BEGIN
Your Path Forward
Starts Here.
Find the right attorney for your case. Understand your options. Move forward with clarity and confidence.
