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Hi [FORMATTED_FIRST_NAME GOES HERE],

Happy Friday. ✨

Soundarya here, from Unshackled. :)

I have a question for you. Imagine if there was a two-day conference on high-skilled immigration where you got to meet some of the smartest & most driven immigrants -- scientists, engineers, founders, educators. That's not all. You also got to connect with top lawyers & take a big step toward filing your talent visa. Would you be interested? Click here if yes, and I'll add you to the early bird list for an Unshackled conference next year.

Before we jump in, I want to thank our sponsors MobSquad and 80,000 Hours who made this newsletter free for all. And, I'm delighted to welcome 64 new subscribers to our newsletter since last week. Welcome, folks! 🙏

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This week's TL;DR

• ​Registration for paid masterclass on EB-1 closes today! Join me and Anu.
• ​October Visa Bulletin is out... and there's some bad news.
• Watch an AMA with Sunku Ranganath, EB-1A recipient & 12 patent holder.

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📌 UNfold: Top stories

​October Visa Bulletin is out... and there's bad news for EB-1 aspirants​

The October 2023 Visa Bulletin was published a few days ago. While the priority dates for EB-1 did advance by seven years for India (to May 2019), it's still 3 years behind what it used to be (Feb 2022). The good news? EB-2 India moves forward by one and a half years to May, 2012. Finally, USCIS expects fewer employment-based green cards in FY 2024 due to increased family-based applications.

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​Vivek Ramaswamy Plans To Overhaul H-1B Program If He's Elected​

Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican candidate for the 2024 US Presidential elections, plans to overhaul the H-1B visa program by replacing the lottery system with merit-based admission. Indians make up a big portion of H-1B visa holders, so any changes to the program will have a big impact for India (and China).

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​Canadian Immigration: Sponsoring Parents and Grandparents Made Easier​

The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) in Canada permits citizens and permanent residents (excluding Quebec) to sponsor their parents and grandparents as permanent residents. The government aims to admit 23,500 new permanent residents annually through this program. The PGP operates through a lottery system, where sponsors submit an Interest to Sponsor form, are randomly drawn, and then have 60 days to submit a full application.

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🎁 UNlock: Relevant resources

​[Registration closes today!] Masterclass on building your EB-1A profile [22nd Sept 2023, 6:30 PM PST]​

Are you actively working toward your EB-1A profile? Come join a Masterclass with me and Anu Ramakrishnan, an EB-1A recipient and product leader. After spending less than a year building her profile, she got her green card on hand in early 2022. Come hear the backstory behind her success, and how you can also build your profile to reach the end goal! (This masterclass being conducted as part of the Unshackled online community.)

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​AMA with Sunku Ranganath, EB-1A recipient with 12 patent filings.​

I interviewed Sunku Ranganath a week ago on his journey toward an EB-1A! Sunku is an experienced professional, currently working as a Principal Product Manager at Intel. In the AMA, he talks about everything from filing a patent within the U.S. to how to get invited to join IEEE. Enjoy! (This AMA was conducted as part of the Unshackled online community.)

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​Become Stronger with a Trusted and Founder-Friendly VC Partner​

Vibranium VC is a fund that helps immigrant founders. They're launching a FREE program called "Vibranium Softlanding" for founders. You'll get the mentorship and resources you need to relocate to Silicon Valley. The application deadline is on September 24th. Check it out!

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🪄 UNveil: This week’s sponsor

• Were you among the 75% who got unlucky in the H-1B lottery? Enter MobSquad, your plan B. This Canadian company can help relocate within 4-6 weeks. Best part? You get to continue working with your current company, nearshore from Canada. Say goodbye to US work visa issues... forever. Book a free 1:1 call with the team!​

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• You get 80,000 hours in your career to make an impact. How do you want to use them? That's what the non-profit "80,000 Hours" wants to help you with. Backed by over a decade of research alongside Oxford University academics, 80,000 Hours helps you find a fulfilling career that works for you and does good in the world. Best part? Everything they provide is free, forever. Get your free copy of the "80,000 Hours" book today.​

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👉 Want to put yourself in front of 8000+ high-skilled immigrants? Just hit reply to start a conversation.

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🥳 UNshackled: What's happening in the community?

So excited to share that: We published a database of 100+ awards, membership organizations, judging competitions, and publications after spending 50+ hours on research. Exclusive to community members.

This will help anyone who's stuck on questions like, "What's the first step?" or "Where do I go find competitions to judge?"

Besides the above, here's what brewin' in the community:

• ​Upcoming masterclass with EB-1A recipient: Anu Ramakrishnan, who is the Sr. Director of PM at Applied Cognition. This is free for members -- but you can also join by paying $30.
• 4 new experts added, who all offer a free consult: We added 2 immigration lawyers and 2 EB-1A recipients, all of whom offer a free initial consult for members.
• 1:1 user research with members: After a lot of hiccups, this is currently underway. We already spoke to 10 members, and speaking to 15 more in the coming week.
• [Coming soon] Case Study Library: Imagine if there was a library filled with case studies of past O-1/EB-1 recipients, sharing exactly how they got to the finish line. Coming soon.
• [Coming soon] A course on the O-1A ;)

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Whenever you're ready to join the community, use this private link that lets you join for $399 (20% off). Once you join, get access to top lawyers, O-1/EB-1 mentors, weekly events, & a growing resource hub.

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Until next week, stay fantabulous.

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Yours truly,

Soundarya 💚

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💡 None of the information shared in this newsletter is meant to be legal advice. If you're looking for legal advice, speak to a lawyer, or hit reply and let me know so I can connect you with one.

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💫 UNcover: Picks from the internet

• ​Are visa challenges hampering participation of international founders?
• No Visa? No problem! Work from anywhere.
• Canada's H-1B Open Work Permit Program and it's issues.

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