My company abroad was a micro-business, but I was the majority owner. EB-1C?

Not necessarily a deal-breaker. In the EB-1C category, the size of the foreign company is not, on its own, an eliminating factor: a micro-business can qualify, and being a majority owner does not automatically disqualify you. What the analysis looks at is the substance of your role and the soundness of the relationship between the entities, not the size of the business itself.

The sensitive point in your situation is distinguishing ownership from management. Being an owner is not enough: you must demonstrate that you actually performed a managerial or executive function, with authority to make meaningful decisions, direct staff or an organizational function, and run operations in a structured way. USCIS typically examines whether there was a genuine management role, not merely an ownership stake.

Other elements that tend to carry weight:

• A qualifying corporate relationship between the foreign company and the U.S. entity (parent, branch, affiliate, or subsidiary).
• Evidence that both entities operate in a real and regular manner, with genuine administrative structure.
• Documentation describing your managerial responsibilities and decision-making authority.
• The continuity of your involvement at an executive or managerial level in the foreign company.

Since each case is evaluated individually and depends heavily on documentation, it is worth gathering solid evidence of your role and the corporate structure of both entities, and reviewing the updated requirements on the USCIS website or with a specialist before filing.

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.