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Hi [FORMATTED_FIRST_NAME GOES HERE],

Happy Wednesday. ✨

Soundarya here, from Unshackled. :)

Here's a FINAL reminder for you: we're increasing the membership price for the Unshackled community from $499 to $599 in 5 days (Oct 15th). If you're seriously considering filing for an O-1/EB-1 talent visa, this is the time to act. Use this private link to join before the 15th and save $200!​

Before we jump in, I want to thank our sponsors Open Avenues and Inri who made this newsletter free for all. And, I'm thrilled to welcome 118 new subscribers to our newsletter since last week. 🙏

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This week's TL;DR

• Thinking of moving to Canada? Come join this free webinar.​
• Got picked in the second H-1B lottery? Submit application by Oct 31st!​
• Wanna build your company as a student? This masterclass is for you.​

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📌 UNfold: Top stories

​Important: H-1B Cap Petition Filing Period Closes October 31​

The second filing period for the this year's H-1B petition closes on October 31, 2023. Employers need to submit their H-1B cap petitions and supporting evidence to USCIS before this deadline. USCIS may consider a third H-1B cap selection lottery depending on demand. We'll know in November. For now, if you got your H-1B picked in the second lottery, ensure your employer files ASAP.

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​55,000 Green Cards Up for Grabs: U.S. Diversity Visa Lottery Now Open!​

The Diversity Visa Lottery for FY 2025, offering 55,000 green cards, is open for registration until November 7, 2023. If you didn't know, the Diversity Visa Lottery is meant for folks from underrepresented countries like Colombia, Bangladesh, & Brazil. India and China are not on the list. Results will be announced in May 2024. Applicants need a minimum of a high school education or equivalent work experience.

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​Optimizing Employee Stay: Key Insights into H-1B, L-1A, and L-1B Time Limits​

Employers need to be aware of the maximum periods of stay for H-1B, L-1A, and L-1B visa categories. H-1B allows for a six-year maximum stay, with the possibility of extensions for green card processing. L-1A has a seven-year limit, while L-1B is capped at five years. Employers can request a recapture of time spent outside the U.S. to extend an employee's stay. Understanding these timelines is crucial for planning employment-based green card processes and ensuring business continuity.

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🎁 UNlock: Relevant resources

​Free Webinar: Relocating to Canada with MobSquad [13th Oct 2023, 8 AM PST]​

I'm excited to interview Monish Khambhat on his journey toward relocating to Canada! ​After several failed H-1B lottery attempts, Monish's future in the US was uncertain, until the opportunity to relocate to Canada with MobSquad was presented. ​In less than four weeks, Monish obtained a Canadian work permit and relocated to Vancouver, where he continues to support his US company, nearshore. You don't wanna miss this! (This webinar is being conducted as part of the Unshackled online community.)

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​​Masterclass ($25): Starting a company as an F-1 student [19th Oct 2023, 6:30 PM PST]​

If you’re still on your F-1 OPT and want to start a business, this is for you. Meet Digvijay, the co-founder of Drizzle Health and a recent O-1A recipient. As a member of the Unshackled community, he's hosting a masterclass on how to build your company as a student on the F-1 OPT. Come learn as he demystifies the process of starting a company after graduation. (This masterclass is being conducted as part of the Unshackled online community. It's free for community members.)

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​​[Free Webinar] Unlocking the EB1 Code: STEM Edition [14th Oct 2023, 09:00 AM PST]​

Join this webinar to learn from these 2 brilliant women how they leveraged their Ph.D. experience to build their EB1 profile, successfully negotiated sponsorship support from their employers, and handled being rejected by USCIS like a champion!

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🪄 UNveil: This week’s sponsor

• Are you an immigrant founder or want to start your career in tech? Check out Open Avenues. They offer immigration solutions to global innovators, entrepreneurs, & experts while helping international students. They're hosting an event in partnership with the founders of Plymouth Street & Unshackled Ventures at NY #TechWeek. If you're in the New York area, join them for an evening to dive into the world of O-1 visas, cap-exempt H-1Bs, & raising capital. Spots are limited -- apply today to join.​

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• Looking for personal finance expertise? This free event is for you. Inri brings to you a webinar with Radhika Gupta, MD & CEO of Edelweiss Asset Management Limited and Vice Chairperson at AMFI. Radhika is among the top leaders of the Indian wealth management industry, managing over $10Bn with Edelweiss. Discover her unique insights about Indian investing landscape, and how can retail NRI/OCI investors learn about managing money smartly. Spots are limited -- register here.

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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?

FINAL REMINDER: We're increasing the price of the community membership from $499 to $599 by this weekend (Oct 15th). If you're seriously considering filing for an O-1/EB-1 talent visa, this is the time to act. Use this private link to join before 15th and save $200!​

We're actively revamping the onboarding experience of our members so that those who join get a red-carpet welcome. So I've been spending a lot of time writing email sequences, thinking of welcome gifts, & talking to members within the community. :)

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

• ​Upcoming masterclass with O-1A recipient & founder: Digvijay from our community is hosting a session next week on how to start a company as a student. Join the session for $25. You can access the recording if you miss it.
• Added another O-1A recipient offering free consult: We added a new mentor (Ankit Arya) to our directory. With this, we now have nine mentors offering a free initial consult to our members! (Each call worth $100-$200)
• [Coming soon] Profile evaluation tool built on GPT4: I'm very excited to be working with an AI expert on how to use the latest tools to help visa aspirants. Stay tuned.
• [Coming soon] Case Study Library: Imagine if there was a library filled with case studies of past O-1/EB-1 recipients from 10 unique fields, sharing exactly how they got to the finish line. Coming soon.
• [Coming soon] O-1A self-assessment tool: I'm collaborating with the Schmidt Futures organization to build a tool that will give you a personalized roadmap for your O-1 journey. This will be open source.

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If you'd like first dibs on everything above -- as well as free consults with lawyers, past recipients, masterclasses, and more -- use this private link that lets you join for $399 (20% off) until October 15th.​

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Until next week, stay wonderful.

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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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🌈 UNderstand: With you

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💫 UNcover: Picks from the internet

• Do you want to reshape the (broken) process of immigration in the U.S.? Check this job posting.​
• A fun and relaxed coffee meetup and fireside chat with a chance to expand your network and discover better career opportunities.
• Want to be the next PM? check out this book by an O-1A recipient.

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💝 Refer and get rewarded
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