How do I present my role as co-founder and CTO: does it qualify for the EB-1C?

Being a co-founder and having served as CTO can indeed point toward the EB-1C, but what matters is not the title itself, rather the managerial or executive nature of the functions you actually performed. The EB-1C is designed for executives and managers of multinational companies who are transferred to a branch, subsidiary, or affiliate in the United States.

To frame a co-founder and CTO background under this category, the argument rests on high-level responsibilities, not on technical work itself:

• Strategic direction of areas or departments, not just technical execution.
• Decisions that shaped the company’s direction.
• Management of teams, processes, or relevant operations.
• A qualifying link between the foreign entity and the U.S. entity.

If your role as CTO was primarily technical and focused on innovation, it may make more sense to consider the EB-1A, which is aimed at those who demonstrate extraordinary ability. How the position is described and the documentation proving the company’s structure and your responsibilities make all the difference in how the case is framed.

Since every case is unique, it is worth gathering solid evidence and assessing the best fit with a specialist before filing a petition.

About the author

Victoria Harper

Editor-in-Chief

Meet the author

As a journalist and lead editor at Visto n’ Visa, Victoria helps ensure that immigration topics are covered in a clear, trustworthy, and easy-to-understand way. Her focus is on delivering useful, human, and relevant content for people exploring new paths abroad.