immigration consulting firm business plan

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10 essential steps to launch your immigration consulting business.

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Here are 10 essential steps to launch your immigration consulting business successfully.

1. determine your state regulations.

Before diving into the immigration consulting world, be sure to determine your state regulations. Some states require that you complete a registration and back-ground check process and have a surety bond before you can provide services. Several states, including Colorado, Oregon, Texas and Washington prohibit immigration consultants.

2. Acquire professional training 

To become a reputable immigration consultant, you’ll need to acquire specific knowledge and expertise on how to provide non-legal assistance with the proper completion, assembly and submission of family-based immigration applications per USCIS specifications. Be sure the training facility has an expertise in providing quality training that is delivered by immigration experts.

3. Develop a solid business plan

A comprehensive business plan is essential for any successful venture. Your plan should include an executive summary, market analysis, competitive analysis, sales and marketing strategy, operational plan, and financial projections.

4. Register your business

Choose a suitable name for your business, and register it with the appropriate local, state, or federal authorities. Depending on your location and business structure, this may involve registering a fictitious business name (DBA), incorporating, or forming an LLC.

5. Set up your office

Establish a professional office space where you can meet with clients and manage your business operations. This can be a home office, rented office space, or a co-working space. Ensure your office is well-equipped with the necessary technology, furniture, and supplies.

6. Create a professional website and online presence

In today’s digital world, a professional website and robust online presence are critical. Develop a user-friendly website showcasing your services, expertise, and contact information. Utilize social media platforms and online directories to increase visibility and attract potential clients.

7. Network with other professionals

Building relationships with other professionals who work with immigrants, such as lawyers, notaries, tax preparers, and translators, can be incredibly valuable for your business. Networking can lead to valuable referrals and help you gain insights into the industry.

8. Develop marketing materials

Create professional marketing materials, such as business cards, brochures, and flyers, to promote your services. Distribute these materials at networking events, local businesses, and community centers frequented by your target audience.

9. Offer free consultations

Offering free initial consultations is an excellent way to showcase your expertise and build trust with potential clients. Use these consultations to discuss clients’ needs, demonstrate your knowledge, and explain how your services can benefit them.

10. Provide exceptional customer service

Providing top-notch customer service is crucial for building a successful immigration consulting business. Be responsive, attentive, and empathetic to your clients’ needs. Exceeding clients’ expectations will lead to positive word-of-mouth referrals and help you grow your business.

Launching a successful immigration consulting business requires careful planning, dedication, and a passion for helping immigrants. By following these 10 essential steps, you’ll be well-prepared to make a positive impact in the lives of your clients while building a thriving business. 

If you’re interested in learning more about becoming an immigration consultant and the services they provide, don’t hesitate to visit https://latinimmigration.org for valuable resources and guidance on your journey to becoming a successful immigration consultant.

Q1: What kind of experience or skills do I need to become an immigration consultant?

Having experience working with immigrants in areas such as notary services, tax preparation, or translation can be beneficial. Additionally, knowledge of immigration processes , strong communication skills, and empathy are essential.

Q2: What do I need to start an immigration consulting business?

Depending on your state, you may need to register, pass a background check and post a surety bond in order to provide immigration services. It is also recommended that you complete a specialized training program delivered by experienced immigration professionals. Check your state requirements for specific details.

Q3: How do I market my immigration consulting business?

Effective marketing strategies include developing a professional website, utilizing social media, networking with other professionals, distributing marketing materials, and offering free consultations.

Q4: How can I network with other professionals in the immigration field?

Attend networking events, join professional associations, and reach out to immigration professionals, notaries, tax preparers, and translators to build relationships and gain valuable insights into the industry.

Q5: How can I ensure excellent customer service in my immigration consulting business?

Be responsive, attentive, and empathetic to your clients’ needs. Exceed their expectations by providing knowledgeable guidance and support throughout the immigration process.

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How to Start an Immigration Consulting Business: A Step-by-Step Guide

By Happy Sharer

Introduction

Immigration consultants are professionals who provide advice and assistance to individuals or businesses seeking to enter a country for work, study, or other purposes. As an immigration consultant, you can help your clients navigate the complex legal requirements associated with immigration. Starting an immigration consulting business can be a rewarding venture, but it requires extensive research and planning. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps of starting an immigration consulting business.

Overview of Immigration Consulting Business

An immigration consulting business is a service-based business that specializes in assisting individuals and businesses with the immigration process. Immigration consultants advise clients on the requirements for entering a country, help them develop applications, and act as a liaison between the client and government agencies. They also provide assistance with visa applications, citizenship applications, and other immigration-related matters.

Immigration consulting businesses have become increasingly popular in recent years due to the growing number of people seeking to enter a country for work, study, or other purposes. Immigration consultants provide valuable services by helping clients understand the legal requirements for immigration and navigate the complex application process.

Benefits of Starting an Immigration Consulting Business

There are many benefits to starting an immigration consulting business. First and foremost, you’ll have the opportunity to help people achieve their dreams of living and working in a new country. Additionally, you’ll have the chance to build strong relationships with clients and provide them with invaluable advice and guidance.

An immigration consulting business can also be highly lucrative. Depending on the services you offer and the size of your client base, you can earn a substantial income. Furthermore, you’ll have the flexibility to work from home or in an office setting. Finally, you won’t need to invest in expensive equipment or hire additional employees to get started.

Research the Legal Requirements for Starting an Immigration Consultant Business

Before launching your immigration consulting business, it’s important to understand the legal requirements in your area. Every country has different laws and regulations regarding immigration consulting, so it’s essential that you research the specific requirements in your jurisdiction.

Understand Local and Federal Regulations

Start by researching both local and federal regulations related to immigration consulting. You should familiarize yourself with any laws or regulations that apply to immigration consultants in your area and make sure you comply with all relevant regulations. Additionally, you should obtain any necessary licenses or certifications required to operate an immigration consulting business.

Obtain Necessary Licenses and Certifications

In some jurisdictions, you may need to obtain a license or certification before you can start operating an immigration consulting business. Check with your local government to determine if there are any licensing or certification requirements in your area. Depending on the regulations in your jurisdiction, you may need to complete a certain amount of training or pass an exam in order to obtain a license or certification.

Develop a Business Plan for Your Immigration Consulting Business

Once you have a thorough understanding of the legal requirements in your area, you’ll need to create a business plan for your immigration consulting business. Developing a business plan will help you create a roadmap for success and ensure that you stay on track as you launch your business.

Define Your Target Market

The first step in creating a business plan is to define your target market. Who are you targeting with your immigration consulting services? Consider the types of clients you want to serve and the services you’ll offer. This will help you determine the best way to market your business and reach your target audience.

Determine Your Services and Fees

Once you’ve identified your target market, you’ll need to decide what services you’ll offer and how much you’ll charge for those services. Consider the types of services you’re qualified to provide and the fees you’ll charge for each service. This will help you create a pricing structure that works for both you and your clients.

Create a Budget and Financial Model

Your business plan should also include a budget and financial model. Determine how much money you’ll need to start your business and create a budget outlining your expected expenses. Additionally, create a financial model projecting your revenue and expenses over the next few years. This will help you identify potential areas of growth and plan for future investments.

Obtain Necessary Licenses and Permits

Once you’ve created your business plan, you’ll need to obtain the necessary licenses and permits to operate your immigration consulting business. The specific licenses and permits you’ll need vary depending on your location, so it’s important to check with your local government to ensure that you comply with all applicable regulations.

Check with Your Local Government

Start by checking with your local government to determine which licenses and permits are required for your business. You should also inquire about any zoning restrictions that may apply to your business. Additionally, you may need to obtain a business permit or register your business with your local government.

Apply for Necessary Licenses and Permits

Once you’ve determined which licenses and permits you need, you can begin the process of applying for them. This process typically involves submitting an application and providing supporting documents. Depending on the regulations in your area, you may also need to pay a fee to obtain the necessary licenses and permits.

Market Your Immigration Consulting Services

Once you’ve obtained the necessary licenses and permits, you can begin marketing your immigration consulting services. There are several effective strategies you can use to reach potential clients and promote your business.

Identify Potential Clients

Start by identifying potential clients. Research the types of people or businesses that may need your services and create a list of potential clients. You should also consider the types of services they may need and how you can meet those needs.

Utilize Social Media Platforms

Social media platforms are great tools for promoting your business. Create accounts on popular platforms such as Facebook and Twitter and use them to share updates about your business and advertise your services. You can also use social media to connect with potential clients and build relationships with them.

Advertise in Local Newspapers and Publications

Another effective strategy for marketing your business is to advertise in local newspapers and publications. Reach out to local publications and inquire about advertising options. Additionally, consider attending networking events and conferences to increase your visibility and reach potential clients.

Develop a Network of Referral Sources

Building a network of referral sources can help you expand your client base and generate more business. Consider reaching out to other consultants and creating relationships with them. Additionally, contact community organizations and join professional groups and associations to increase your visibility and access to potential clients.

Create Relationships with Other Consultants

Reach out to other consultants in your area and create relationships with them. You can refer clients to one another and collaborate on projects. Additionally, you can exchange ideas and advice on running an immigration consulting business.

Reach Out to Community Organizations

Contact local community organizations and inquire about opportunities to partner with them. Many organizations are willing to refer clients to immigration consultants and collaborate on projects. Additionally, you can offer your services to organizations free of charge as a way to build relationships and gain exposure.

Join Professional Groups and Associations

Joining professional groups and associations can also help you build relationships with potential clients. Look for groups and associations related to immigration and attend meetings and events. Additionally, inquire about advertising options and consider becoming a sponsor of a group or association.

Starting an immigration consulting business requires extensive research and planning. To get started, you should research the legal requirements in your area, create a business plan, obtain necessary licenses and permits, market your services, and develop a network of referral sources. With the right preparation and dedication, you can launch a successful immigration consulting business.

(Note: Is this article not meeting your expectations? Do you have knowledge or insights to share? Unlock new opportunities and expand your reach by joining our authors team. Click Registration to join us and share your expertise with our readers.)

Hi, I'm Happy Sharer and I love sharing interesting and useful knowledge with others. I have a passion for learning and enjoy explaining complex concepts in a simple way.

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Immigration Consultant Business Plan: 4 Important Ideas to Remember

Migration regulations are tightening as the number of individuals moving for work, education, or other reasons is increasing. If you are someone who is knowledgeable about immigration, you might want to take advantage of it.

Pick a suitable place

Always make an effort to select a place with fewer immigration consultants. You will not encounter intense market rivalry if you live in a place where there are a lot of potential immigrants and few or no organizations providing these services.

Market research

Fund collection.

We have discussed fund raising as a part of market research in the above section. But, how do you get them? Multiple sources of funding are available. You can choose to finance yourself, borrow money from friends and family, seek angel investors, or use bank loans.

Boost communication skills

The entire purpose of this article is to assist you in starting an immigration consulting firm. Before beginning your market study, pick an ideal place. Follow the market leaders, do a cost study, and plan to collect the monies. Next, identify your target market and the funding source. And don’t forget to improve your communication abilities.

When you have finished, you are ready to formulate your immigration consultant business plan.

How to Start a Corporate Immigration Consulting Business

You can turn on the news at any given time and hear about immigration struggles, both on an individual and corporate level. The entire process takes time, money, and a highly specialized set of skills and knowledge. As implied by the name, corporate immigration is the process through which a foreign business entity moves all or a portion of their business to the United States. 

A corporate immigration consulting business helps facilitate this process. They ensure the migrating company is compliant with all federal business immigration laws, that the formation of the new business entity is done properly, that costs are kept to a minimum, and that migrating employees/key personnel obtain the necessary documentation to work in the United States.

Ready to turn your business idea into a reality? We recommend forming an LLC as it is the most affordable way to protect your personal assets. You can do this yourself or with our trusted partner for a small fee. Northwest ($29 + State Fees) DIY: How to Start an LLC

Start a corporate immigration consulting business by following these 10 steps:

• Plan your Corporate Immigration Consulting Business
• Form your Corporate Immigration Consulting Business into a Legal Entity
• Register your Corporate Immigration Consulting Business for Taxes
• Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
• Set up Accounting for your Corporate Immigration Consulting Business
• Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Corporate Immigration Consulting Business
• Get Corporate Immigration Consulting Business Insurance
• Define your Corporate Immigration Consulting Business Brand
• Create your Corporate Immigration Consulting Business Website
• Set up your Business Phone System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your corporate immigration consulting business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas .

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

What will you name your business?

• What are the startup and ongoing costs?
• Who is your target market?

How much can you charge customers?

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

Choosing the right name is very important. Read our detailed guide on how to name your business . We recommend checking if the business name you choose is available as a web domain and securing it early so no one else can take it.

Find a Domain Now

Powered by godaddy.com, what are the costs involved in opening a corporate immigration consulting business.

Entrepreneurs who have launched a successful consulting firm recommend a starting budget of at least $150,000. Items that should be included in your budget include:

• Insurance — Annual premiums could reach as high as $10,000 or more
• Office facility — Depending upon whether you decide to purchase or lease a space, your initial investment in an office space could cost as much as $40,000
• Office equipment — Computers, business software, telephones, printers, furniture, and fixtures
• Marketing materials
• Payroll expenses
• Licensing and fees
• Business consultant — While this could cost you anywhere from $1,500 to over $3,000, the guidance your consultant offers could prove invaluable

If you lack the necessary funding, consider all financing options available to you. Remember who your business will serve — if you cut corners on your website or office space, it will show, and your business will suffer the consequences.

What are the ongoing expenses for a corporate immigration consulting business?

In addition to the standard overhead costs of rent/mortgage, utilities, insurance, website management/hosting, and marketing, you will need to maintain a steady cash flow to cover payroll. Additionally, your ongoing expense budget should include travel expenses and ongoing education.

Who is the target market?

Your marketing strategy should be geared towards businesses, particularly corporate enterprises, that are looking to move or expand to the United States. You will need to appeal to the decision-makers, as they are the ones you will be dealing with and who, ultimately, control the budget.

How does a corporate immigration consulting business make money?

Corporate immigration consulting companies are hired by corporations who are considering moving or expanding their businesses to the United States. Fees are negotiated based on the scope of the project and are typically paid out at an hourly rate.

Established corporate immigration businesses charge a flat fee for basic services and bill hourly for others. Hourly rates range from $150 to $300, and flat fees vary from $250 to over $5,000. Keep in mind that pricing is a delicate balance — if you price too low, people will wonder why; alternatively, if you price too high, potential clients will look to hire another agency.

How much profit can a corporate immigration consulting business make?

If you charge clients $150 per hour and invest 51 hours of work into one client and 46 hours into the other, you will generate over $14,000 in revenue. If your ongoing expenses equal $4,400, your total profit will equal out to almost $10,000.

How can you make your business more profitable?

If you are looking for ways to increase annual profits, consider offering additional immigration consulting services. While corporate immigration may be a focus, you may want to consider helping individuals who are trying to navigate the legal system and legally immigrate to the United States.

Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC's free Small Business Startup Guide - a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

One crucial aspect that cannot be overlooked when starting your corporate immigration consulting business is the importance of establishing a solid business foundation. While sole proprietorships and partnerships are the most common entity types for small businesses, they're a far less stable and advantageous option than LLCs.

This is because unincorporated business structures (i.e., sole proprietorships and partnerships) expose you as an owner to personal liability for your business's debts and legal actions, while LLCs protect you by keeping your personal assets separate from your business's liabilities.

In practice, this means that if your corporate immigration consulting business were to face a lawsuit or incur any debts, your savings, home, and other personal assets could not be used to cover these costs. On top of this, forming your business as an LLC also helps it to appear more legitimate and trustworthy.

More than 84% of our readers opt to collaborate with a professional LLC formation service to kickstart their venture. We've negotiated a tailored discount for our readers, bringing the total down to just $29.

Form Your LLC Now

Note: If you're interested in more information before getting started, we recommend having a look at our state-specific How to Start an LLC guide (DIY) or our in-depth Best LLC Services review (for those opting for a professional service).

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It's really easy and free!

You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website . If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil .

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

• Separates your personal assets from your company's assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
• Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

• Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business' expenses all in one place.
• Build your company's credit history , which can be useful to raise money later on.

Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance . This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance . If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers' Compensation Coverage.

STEP 8: Define your brand

Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.

If you aren't feeling confident about designing your small business logo, then check out our Design Guides for Beginners , we'll give you helpful tips and advice for creating the best unique logo for your business.

Recommended : Get a logo using Truic's free logo Generator no email or sign up required, or use a Premium Logo Maker .

If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator . Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.

How to promote & market a corporate immigration consulting business

Since your target audience will be executives and key decision-makers, you will need to create engaging content that speaks to their pain points and establishes you as an authority in your field. Your website should include case studies and success stories. It should be professional and deliver informative content. Additionally, well-placed advertisements in printed publications, online, and on social media could prove beneficial.

How to keep customers coming back

Like any service-oriented business, the client should be at the center of everything you do. Your services should satisfy the unique needs of your client and a professional approach should be taken in everything you do.

STEP 9: Create your business website

After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business .

While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.

Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:

• All legitimate businesses have websites - full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
• Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
• Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.

Recommended : Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders .

Other popular website builders are: WordPress , WIX , Weebly , Squarespace , and Shopify .

STEP 10: Set up your business phone system

Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.

There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2023 to find the best phone service for your small business.

Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com

Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it's fair pricing.

Is this Business Right For You?

Do you have a background in corporate immigration? Do you enjoy identifying and resolving complex issues? Are you well versed on the subject of corporate management and finances? If you enjoy helping others achieve their business goals and are ready to invest in a challenging yet rewarding and profitable business venture, launching a corporate immigration consulting business could be the perfect fit for you.

Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?

Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!

Entrepreneurship Quiz

What happens during a typical day at a corporate immigration consulting business?

Helping a business entity immigrate to the United States requires a great deal of work. Once your marketing efforts land you a client, it is time to get to work. More than likely, your business dealings will take you overseas, where you will conduct on-site interviews to gain a clear understanding of their goals and expectations. 

You will need to assess every aspect of the organization, from the scope of the business to its financials and everything in between. All paperwork must be filled out and filed with the appropriate agencies, with adherence to immigration laws as a top priority. All relevant fees should be paid, and all issues must be addressed promptly. Additionally, your clients will likely look to you to ensure all paperwork for migrating employees is filed and that they have access to any resources that might make for a smooth transition.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful corporate immigration consulting business?

Operating a business of this magnitude requires a highly-specialized set of skills. While not required, many entering this industry have a legal background. At the very least, you will want several years of industry experience before venturing out on your own. Certificates related to immigration are also recommended. If you do not already hold these certificates, you’ll want to consider getting your PERM Labor Certification , the Certified Immigration Consultant & Certified Immigration Forms Preparer certificate, as well as the Immigration Specialist Paralegal Certificate.

While education and industry experience will help build a solid foundation for your agency, there are a number of business and leadership skills needed to launch and manage a successful consulting firm. You will need to be an excellent communicator with strong active listening skills. You must be detail-oriented, organized, and skilled at problem-solving. It is also critical that you be adept at researching and committed to staying current with new laws and guidelines that may affect your clients’ corporate immigration goals.

If you do not have a business background or experience in marketing, consider taking a workshop through your local small business administration or hiring a professional to handle those aspects of your business. This will set your organization up for long-term success and ensure you have enough time to focus on your true passion — helping others achieve their business dreams in the United States.

What is the growth potential for a corporate immigration consulting business?

While we often hear about corporations migrating out of the United States, the number of businesses looking to enter the US has increased dramatically over the last decade. This, coupled with the specialized nature of this field, ensures significant growth and profit opportunities for entrepreneurs considering this business venture.

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Take the Next Step

Find a business mentor.

One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.

Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.

Learn from other business owners

Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.

Resources to Help Women in Business

There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:

If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.

What are some insider tips for jump starting a corporate immigration consulting business?

Unfortunately, no matter how prepared you are, mistakes happen. As a result, industry leaders indicate they cannot stress the importance of networking. One phone call to a well-placed connection can tear down any roadblocks in a matter of minutes, paving the way for successful immigration.

How and when to build a team

When deciding when to build a team and what skills new hires must possess, you must start by looking inwards. If research isn’t your strong suit, hire a team member to tackle those duties. If a new client requires specialized experience you do not possess, consider hiring a consultant on a freelance basis. Every team member, whether permanent or freelance, should maintain a professional air and have a clear understanding of what will be expected of them.

Useful Links

Real world examples.

• NewlandChase Immigration Services

Have a Question? Leave a Comment!

How to Start an Immigration Consulting Business

By: Author Tony Martins Ajaero

Home » Business ideas » Hospitality, Travel & Tourism

Do you want to start an immigration consulting business? If YES, here is a detailed guide on how to start an immigration consulting business with NO money and no experience plus a sample immigration consulting business plan template.

If you are a lawyer or someone who has background in immigration matters, and you intend starting your business, then you should consider starting your own immigration consulting firm. There are many migrants who are trapped because they don’t know who to talk to when they have challenges with immigration issues, that is why it is important to set up your own immigration agency.

Being an immigration consultant or attorney means that you will help your clients handle all their immigration concerns, you will help defend your clients who have deportation cases with the government, you can also help them obtain work permits in their new country of residence; you can help then start a business, and solve any other immigration related issues.

Starting an immigration consulting firm is not too expensive except for the money required to rent and furnish an office space. Running this type of business requires that you should be trained as a lawyer and it is indeed a very lucrative business in the united states because of the inflow of migrants from different parts of the world.

So, if you have been tinkering with starting your own immigration consulting business, but do not know how to go about it, then look through the following measures provided in this article.

19 Steps to Starting an Immigration Consulting Business

1. understand the industry.

Players in the immigration consulting industry offer services relating to the legal status of individuals, including permanent residency and visa services. These services include submitting visa applications, providing visa advice, and preparing for and representing before a court of review authority in relation to visa applications and related matters.

Immigration lawyers and attorneys who are major players in this industry assist individuals in obtaining visas and gaining US citizenship, defend the rights of immigrants, navigate the issues of illegal immigration and assist businesses in understanding immigration issues.

In spite of high levels of immigration, the growth experienced in the industry was stifled due to falling per capita disposable income and corporate profit, causing individuals and corporations to find alternatives to industry services. Nevertheless, revenue is expected to rise as post – recessionary conditions benefit corporate profit and stricter federal and state immigration laws are implemented.

Statistics has it that in the United States of America alone, there are about 6,171 registered and licensed immigration consulting firms responsible for employing about 39,677 and the industry rakes in a whooping sum of $6 billion annually.

The industry is projected to grow at 0.1 percent annual growth within 2011 and 2016. It is important to state that there are no establishments in this industry that has a lion market share.

Revenue in the industry is based on population levels and business locations. Immigration consulting firms tend to be located in areas with high populations, as such areas tend to have higher migrant levels, which can lead to visa applications for family members and for students.

As businesses use immigration consulting firms for employer sponsored visa applications, many industry firms generally tend to locate near business regions.

Immigration consulting business will continue to blossom because more potential migrants are beginning to realize that somehow, they would need the services of immigration consulting agencies to help them make the right decisions. From all available statistics, it is safe to say that the industry is growing steadily despite its competitive nature.

Some of the factors that encourage entrepreneurs to start their own immigration consulting business could be that the business is easy to set up and the startup capital is indeed affordable; you can actually start your own immigration consulting business from the comfort of your house.

All you need to do is to create an office somewhere in your house. People usually pay you for the result you can help them achieve as it relates to their immigration related concerns.

One thing is certain about starting an immigration consulting firm, if you are able to conduct your market research and feasibility studies, you are likely not going to struggle to secure clients because there are always individuals, and corporate organizations who would want to hire your services from time to time.

2. Conduct Market Research and Feasibility Studies

• Demographics and Psychographics

The demographic and psychographics composition of those who require the services of immigration consulting firms is not restricted to people who intend migrating from one country to another, but it is all inclusive.vSo, if you are looking towards defining the demographics of your immigration consulting business, then you should make it all encompassing.

It should include expats who are looking towards migrating to work in another country, families who want to visit a country strictly for tourism, refugees, asylum seekers, spouse and children who want to re unite with their family members and students et al.

3. Decide Which Niche to Concentrate On

Although most immigration consulting firms tend to operate a general immigration consulting business that involves all services that a standard immigration consulting firm is expected to offer. That is why it seems that there are no niche areas in the industry.

But on the other hand, some immigration consulting firms may decide to major in some key areas such as;

• Providing legal advice on immigration
• Collect and submit appropriate documentation to prove a case
• Helps obtain the type of documentation needed to legally reside within the country
• Obtain immediate access to citizenship in emergency situations
• Assist with citizenship tests
• Defend a person’s case to prevent him or her from being deported
• Handle family-sponsored immigrants, employment-based immigrant visas, Diversity programs, Refugees and other categories

The Level of Competition in the Industry

The level of competition in the immigration consulting industry to some extent depends largely the location of the business and of course the niche of your immigration consulting business. If you can successfully create a unique niche for your immigration consulting firm, you are likely going to experience little or no competition.

When it comes to immigration consulting firms, distance is never a barrier when competing for clients especially international students. What most migrants want is result, hence they are ready to hire immigration consulting firms no matter the part of the world they operate from as long as they have good track record and can deliver excellent results when it comes to handling any immigration concerns.

But over and above, there are several immigration consulting firms scattered all around the United States and in the cyber space. So, if you choose to start your own immigration consulting firm in the United States, you will definitely meet stiffer competitions not only amongst immigration consulting firms in the United States, but also all over the globe especially if you choose to specialize in recruiting international students.

Besides, there are larger immigration consulting firms and even institutions that determine the trends in the industry and you should be ready to compete with them for clients.

4. Know Your Major Competitors in the Industry

These are some of the leading immigration consulting firms in the United States of America;

• Mona Shah & Associates
• Stevens & Associates Immigration Services
• Trident Immigration Services
• Siskind Susser, PC Immigration Lawyers
• Bretz & Coven, LLP
• The Law Offices of Grinberg & Segal, PLLC
• Wildes & Weinberg P.C Law Offices
• Audrey Allen Immigration
• Harlan York and Associates
• Brooklyn Immigration Attorney
• Klasko Immigration Law Partners
• Charlotte Immigration Law Firm
• Antonini & Cohen Immigration Law Group
• Yazdani Law, Immigration Lawyers
• Immigration Solutions LLC
• Immigration Law Group PC
• The Shulman Law Group, LLC
• Kaplan Immigration
• Edgerton Immigration Law
• Merrick Immigration Law PLLC

Economic Analysis

As an aspiring entrepreneur who is looking for a business that requires less stress and perhaps minimal startup capital, then you can consider starting an immigration consulting business. The cost of running an immigration consulting firm when compared to the turnover you get can be poles apart (this is applicable when you have been able to establish your feet in the industry).

Entrepreneurs that venture into immigration consulting can start the business from their homes and still make headway in the business. One thing is certain when it comes to immigration consulting firm and most consulting related businesses, you are sure of making profits when you successfully produce results that are measurable for an organization.

Again, the cost of running the business process from start to finish could be restricted to the cost of making phone calls, transportation and internet subscriptions, PR and in some cases materials such as fliers and handbills et al. With that, it is easier to place a projection on the profits you are likely going to make if you are able to secure a deal to handle immigration consultancy job for potential migrants.

5. Decide Whether to Buy a Franchise or Start from Scratch

When it comes to starting a business of this nature, it will pay you to start from the scratch as against buying a franchise. Before you can secure an immigration consultancy job or before migrants can hire your services, your profile will be scrutinized even if you are operating the franchise of a successful immigration consulting firm brand.

Besides it is expensive and perhaps difficult to come buy a franchise of an immigration consulting. Please note that most of the successful immigration consulting firms around started from the scratch and they were able to build a solid business brand. It takes dedication, hard work and determination to achieve business success.

6. Know the Possible Threats and Challenges You Will Face

If you decide to start your own immigration consulting business today, one of the major challenges you are likely going to face is the presence of well – established immigration consulting firms and the only way to avoid this challenge is to create your own market; concentrate on small migrant communities and asylum seekers who can’t afford the high – end fees charge by well – established firms.

Other potential threats for a business like this are unfavorable government policies , bad publicity and of course the arrival of a competitor within your location of operation.

7. Choose the Most Suitable Legal Entity (LLC, C Corp, S Corp)

Starting an immigration consulting business is indeed a serious business so the legal entity you choose will go a long way to determine how big you want the business to grow. When it comes to choosing a legal entity for your immigration consulting firm you have the option of choosing from general partnership, a limited partnership, an LLC, a “C” corporation, or a “S” corporation.

It is important to clearly state that these forms of legal structure have their own advantages and disadvantages; which is why you must weigh your options properly before making your choice.

These are some of the factors you should consider before choosing a legal entity for your immigration consulting firm business; limitation of personal liability, ease of transferability, admission of new owners and investors’ expectation and of course taxes.

If you take your time to study the various legal entity to use for your advertising agency business, you will agree that Limited Liability Company ; an LLC is most suitable. You can start this type of business as limited liability company (LLC) and in future convert it to a ‘C’ corporation or a ‘S’ corporation especially when you have the plans of going public.

Upgrading to a ‘C’ corporation or ‘S’ corporation will give you the opportunity to grow your immigration consulting firm so as to compete with major players in the industry; you will be able to generate capital from venture capital firms, you will enjoy separate tax structure, and you can easily transfer ownership of the company.

8. Choose a Catchy Business Name

When it comes to choosing a name for a business, it is expected that you should be creative because whatever name you choose for your business will go a long way to create a perception of what the business represents. If you are considering starting your own immigration consulting firm, here are some catchy names that you can choose from;

• Global Trotter® Immigration Consulting, LLP
• Excel® Immigration consulting firm, LLC
• Safe Haven® Immigration Consultancy, Inc.
• James Leesha® Travels and Tours, Inc.
• Molly Joules® Immigration consulting firm, LLC
• Perfect Edge® Immigration Consulting Group, Inc.
• Hilton Josh™ Immigration Consulting, LLC
• Jake Murphy® Immigration Consulting Services Co.
• Garry White® Educational Recruitment and Immigrations, Inc.
• Green Rovers® Immigration Consulting, Inc.
• Terry Gray® Immigration Consulting Company
• Mike Dean™ Immigration Consultancy Ltd.

9. Discuss with an Agent to Know the Best Insurance Policies for You

In the United States and in most countries of the world, you can’t operate a business without having some of the basic insurance that are required by the industry you want to operate from. So, it is imperative to create a budget for insurance and perhaps consult an insurance broker to guide you in choosing the best and most appropriate insurance policies for your immigration consulting business.

Here are some of the basic insurance cover that you should consider purchasing if you want to start your own immigration consulting firm in the United States of America;

• General insurance
• Health insurance
• Liability insurance
• Workers Compensation
• Overhead expense disability insurance
• Business owner’s policy group insurance
• Payment protection insurance

10. Protect your Intellectual Property With Trademark, Copyrights, Patents

If you are considering starting your own immigration consulting business, usually you may not have any need to file for intellectual property protection/trademark because the nature of the business makes it possible for you to run the business without having any cause to challenge anybody in court for illegally making use of your company’s intellectual properties.

But if you just want to protect your company’s logo and other documents or software that are unique to you or even jingles and media production concepts, then you can go ahead to file for intellectual property protection. If you want to register your trademark, you are expected to begin the process by filing an application with the USPTO.

11. Get the Necessary Professional Certification

Aside from the results you produce, professional certification is one of the main reasons why some immigration consulting firms stand out. If you want to make an impact in the industry, you should work towards acquiring all the needed certifications in your area of specialization.

These are some of the certifications you can work towards achieving if you want to run your own immigration consulting firm business;

• Certified Immigration Consultant
• The Immigration Specialist Paralegal Certificate
• Certified Immigration Forms Preparer

Please note that the higher your qualifications and experience (expertise), the easier it is for you to secure high profile immigration consultancy contracts from multinational organizations and institutions.

12. Get the Necessary Legal Documents You Need to Operate

The essence of having the necessary documentation in place before launching a business in the United States of America cannot be overemphasized. It is a fact that you cannot successfully run any business in the United States without the proper documentations.

These are some of the basic legal documents that you are expected to have in place if you want to legally run your own immigration consulting firm in the United States of America;

• Certificate of Incorporation
• Business License and Certification
• Immigration Consultant Disclosure form with the Secretary of State.
• Non – disclosure Agreement
• Employment Agreement (offer letters)
• Operating Agreement for LLCs
• Insurance Policy
• Consulting contract documents
• Online Terms of Use
• Online Privacy Policy Document
• Apostille (for those who intend operating beyond the United States of America)

13. Raise the Needed Startup Capital

Starting an immigration consulting business can be cost effective especially if you choose to run the business from your home, share office space with a friend or make use of a virtual office. Securing a standard office is part of what will consume a large chunk of your startup capital, but if you choose to start the business on a small scale, you may not have the need to source for fund to finance the business.

When it comes to financing a business, one of the first things you should consider is to write a good business plan. If you have a good and workable business plan document in place, you may not have to labor yourself before convincing your bank, investors and your friends to invest in your business.

Here are some of the options you can explore when sourcing for startup capital for your immigration consulting firm business;

• Raising money from personal savings and sale of personal stocks and properties
• Raising money from investors and business partners
• Sell shares to interested investors
• Applying for Loan from your Bank
• Pitching your business idea and applying for business grants and seed funding from donor organizations and angel investors
• Source for soft loans from your family members and your friends.

14. Choose a Suitable Location for your Business

Immigration consulting firms and most services based businesses require that you see physically with your clients hence it must be located in good location; a location that is prone to both human and vehicular traffic and a location that is at the epicenter of an migrant community if indeed you want to attend to loads of clients and maximize profits from the business.

The fact that you can operate your immigration consulting firm from your home does not mean that location has little influence on the success of an immigration consulting firm. If you have taken your time to study the immigration consulting industry, you will realize that the businesses are willing to pay expensive rents in order to stay in a busy district; a place where student activities are at its peak.

It is important to note that a business facility in good location does not come cheap hence you should be able to allocate enough fund for leasing / renting in your budget. If you are new to the dynamics of choosing a location for your immigration consulting firm, then you should feel free to talk to a business consultant or a realtor who has a full grasp of the city and perhaps country you intend starting up.

15. Hire Employees for your Technical and Manpower Needs

There is no special technology or equipment needed to run this type of business except for customized educational recruitment software and social media management software applications. In the bid to work out testing and monitoring solutions and also lead generations for your clients, you might be required to design a customized software application.

When it comes to choosing between renting and leasing an office space, the size of the firm you want to build, and your entire budget for the business should influence your choice. If you have enough capital to run a standard immigration consulting firm, then you should consider the option of leasing a facility for your office.

As regards the number of employees you are expected to kick start the business with, you would need to consider your finance before making the decision. Averagely, you would need a Chief Executive Officer or President (you can occupy this role), Immigration Lawyer, an Admin and Human Resource Manager, Marketing Executive, Customer Service Officer or Front Desk Officer, and Accountant.

Over and above, you would need a minimum of 8 key staff to effectively run a medium scale but standard immigration consulting firm. Please note that there will be times when you are expected to go out of your way to hire experts to help you handle some high – profile immigration cases especially as it relates to court processes.

If you are just starting out you may not have the financial capacity or required business structure to retain all the professionals that are expected to work with you which is why you should make plans to partner with other immigration lawyers/experts that operate as freelancers.

The Services Delivery Process of the Business

The way immigration consulting firms work varies from one agency to another, but ideally, an immigration consulting firm is expected to first and foremost build a robust company profile before sourcing for jobs; it will give them an edge over their competitors.

Most immigration consulting firms welcome people who are interested in migrating from one country to another, get them to fill the required application forms and submit all the needed documents and processing fees.

Thereafter, the immigration firm will handle all aspects of the services like, assisting the applicant in obtaining visa or gaining US citizenship, defend the rights of the immigrant, navigate the issues of illegal immigration and assist the organization in understanding immigration issues in a global marketplace amongst any other services that is required by the client.

So, it is expected that an immigration consulting firm will deploy all their expertise to produce results for their client.

16. Write a Marketing Plan Packed with ideas & Strategies

As an immigration consultant, you would have to prove your worth over and over again before you can be awarded any contracts. So, if you have plans to start your own immigration consulting firm, it will pay you to build first build a successful career in the industry.

Here are some of the platforms you can utilize to market your immigration consulting firm services;

• Introduce your business by sending introductory letters alongside your brochure to all the multinational organizations, migrant community, households and international student community in the United States
• Advertise your business in relevant travel and tour magazines, radio and TV stations
• List your business on local directories/yellow pages
• Attend related expos, seminars, and business fairs et al
• Create different packages for different category of clients in order to work with their budgets
• Leverage on the internet to promote your business
• Join local chambers of commerce around you with the main aim of networking and marketing your services; you are likely going to get referrals from such networks.
• Engage the services of marketing executives and business developers to carry out direct marketing

17. Develop Iron-clad Competitive Strategies to Help You Win

The immigration consulting industry is a competitive industry, and you must come up with a unique and highly creative strategy to be able to outsmart your competitors. Part of what you need to do in order to stay competitive in the industry is to continue to create easier and cheaper ways of tackling challenges in the industry.

Organizations and people will always run to you if they know that you have a better option especially as it relates to producing results. Another strategy that you can adopt is to ensure that your organization is well positioned, key members of your team are highly qualified and certified immigration consultants and attorneys.

18. Brainstorm Possible Ways to Retain Clients & Customers

When it comes to business, no matter the industry that you choose to pitch your tent in, one of the easiest ways to increase customer retention and perhaps to attract new customers is to produce results and satisfy your customers always. If your customers are satisfied with your services delivery, they can hardly source for alternative service provider or products.

Statistics has it that one of the major reasons why clients source for alternative service providers is when there is a drop in quality. Another reason is poor customer service. If you can continue to improve on the quality or your immigration consultancy and your customer service delivery, then you won’t struggle to maintain loyal customers.

Part of what you need to do to achieve this is to track progress, results or outputs with the aim of improving on them quickly as the case demands. When it comes to managing your customers, and building loyal clientele base, you should purchase a customized CRM software.

With a customized CRM system, you can easily stay in touch with your clients (you can carry out quick surveys, you can introduce new products and prices to them without any hitch, you can felicitate with them on their birthdays and other anniversaries, you can keep track of their progress, you can send bulk sms and customized e – mails and above all, you can easily receive compliant and feedback from them).

19. Develop Strategies to Boost Brand Awareness and Create a Corporate Identity

If you are in business and you are not deliberate about boosting you brand awareness and communicating your corporate identity, then you should be ready to take on whatever the society portrays your business to be. One of the secrets of larger corporations is that they are willing to spend fortunes to boost their brand awareness and to continue to communicate their corporate identity the way they want people to perceive them.

If your intention of starting an immigration consulting firm is to grow the business beyond the city where you are going to be operating from to become a national and international brand, then you must be ready to spend money on promotion and advertisement of your brand.

In promoting your brand and corporate identity, you should leverage on both print and electronic media and also social media (the internet). As a matter of fact, it is cost effective to use the internet and social media platforms to promote your brands, besides it is pretty much effective and wide reaching. Below are the platforms you can leverage on to boost your brand and to promote and advertise your business;

• Place adverts on community based educational and related newspapers, radio and TV stations.
• Encourage the use of word of mouth publicity from your loyal customers
• Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Badoo, Google+ and other platforms to promote your business.
• Ensure that we position your banners and billboards in strategic positions all around your city
• Distribute your fliers and handbills in target areas in and around your neighborhood
• Contact migrant communities, multinationals, and households et al by calling them up and informing them of your organization and the educational support services you offer
• Advertise your business in your official website and employ strategies that will help you pull traffic to the site
• Brand all your official cars and ensure that all your staff wear your branded shirt or cap at regular intervals.

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9 Tips To Start A Successful Immigration Consultancy Business

Before starting your business, analyze your competitors to select the right location, identify costs, get professional licenses, and create brand awareness.  

An Immigration Consultant helps people emigrate from the boundaries of one country to another. They give ideas and consult people who are willing to travel to different countries.

The number of people migrating to different parts of the world has increased significantly in recent years. So the demand for immigration consultants has also increased.

Are Immigration Consultancy Businesses Worth It?

As we mentioned, the number of people migrating from one place to another has increased. Since more people are migrating, borders and immigration rules are becoming even stricter and require several procedures. Sometimes completing and collecting all the necessary paperwork can be quite complicated.

If you are someone with significant knowledge regarding immigration, you can use it to help many people out and make good money. The immigration agencies that can provide accurate information about posting a  SWA Job Order are highly preferable and get plenty of customers.

The capital required to start is also meager. As many migrants are helplessly stuck in different countries, starting this business will also significantly help them.

In this article, we will go through the essential tips to set your immigration consultancy business.

1. Choose The Right Location

The competition of this business mostly depends on the location. If your business is the only one in a place with a large number of migrants, then it is likely, you will face no competition.

You should also consider following the trends created by larger and successful immigration consultant businesses. Try not to make independent decisions till your business grows.

2. Conduct Accurate Cost Analysis

Unlike other businesses, very little money is required to start an immigration consulting business. On the other hand, it is one of those businesses that is sure to make you some serious earnings.

You can start your business in your house for starters, and the cost includes the phone calls you make. Other expenses will begin to come up like rent for your office, utilities, maintenance, wages, tax, and further licensing if you start to grow.

3. Sort Out The Finances For Your Business

It is straightforward to control the finances of immigration consulting businesses. Most common costs would be office rent, office equipment like computers and printers, utility, phone, and internet subscriptions.

Apart from that, the costs are the bare minimum, and it is even possible to start the business from home to reduce the cost even more. But as the business grows, getting a secure office in a suitable location becomes a must. If there is a financial shortage, consider getting a loan.

4. Accept information & ideas from experts.

The immigration procedures do not change often. If you know an expert in the industry, try to imitate his policies and procedures to ensure success. This will also help you properly  expand your business.

While doing the immigrant consultant program, it will be possible to create connections with many students who also plan to start a similar business.

5. You Have To Create A Thorough Business Plan

Every business needs a plan and so do immigration consultancy businesses. Although this might look difficult, having a clear mind could make things easier.

Questions like what type of people want to receive consultancy, how to approach these people, where the business will be in five years are essential to answer but should be considered in your business plan.

6. Improve Ways of communication

Consultation is all about communication. You need to appear friendly and approachable, as that is the whole purpose of a consultation business.

There are various communication skill development programs. Doing them would undoubtedly provide a beneficial result. Always try to be calm, be a good listener, understand what the person sitting in front of you is trying to say, and be careful with what you say.

Saying something slightly misleading or slightly offending will hurt your business.

7. Help Others Without Expecting Much in Return

A consultancy program is all about helping others and pulling them up from any dire situation.

More than a business, it should be considered a humanitarian activity. Like most other humanitarian acts, an immigrant consultant should think about helping the immigrant rather than growing the business.

Because the whole purpose of an immigration consulting business is to help the immigrants, doing so will also benefit your business.

8. Get A Professional Certificate

A professional certificate will give you a lot of positive reviews. A professional certificate means you have expertise in this area, making you appear more trustworthy to those who come to you.

Some certificates like The Immigration Specialist Paralegal Certificate, Certified Immigration Consultant & Certified Immigration Forms Preparer will make the consultancy business appear more professional and trustworthy.

So pursuing these certificates is advised by most successful immigrant consultants. Apart from these certificates, a lot of documents are required too, such as an article  of incorporation , business license & certification, non–disclosure agreement  are very important.

9. Use The Right Ways To Increase Brand Awareness

Apart from following all these methods, some other techniques can boost the business significantly and make you appear like a successful immigrant consultant. These strategies include-

• Create a company website with informative content
• Print advertisements in newspapers or broadcast them on television.
• Asking clients for referrals, reviews, and recommendations will help you grow your business immensely.
• Publish flyers and leaflets and hand them to the people of different communities.
• Use the internet and promote the business through social media.
• Try to contact migrant-intense communities as much as possible.

Final thoughts

Business can be of many sorts, and the immigrant consultation business is a unique one. This is more of a humanitarian activity than just a consulting business. Even so, this still has a lot of room for growth and can be very profitable with minimal cost to start.

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Buffalo: (716) 970-4007  |  Toronto: (866) 697-1832

What does a business plan for immigration look like?

You must produce a business plan if you apply for a new office L-1 Visa or an E-2 Visa for a new business. A business plan for immigration differs from a traditional one, which is obtaining funding from a bank or other business purposes. When applying for a new office L-1 Visa or E-2 visa for a new investment, make sure your business plan is immigration compliant. We discuss the basic requirements of a business plan for immigration purposes here.

What does a business plan for immigration purposes look like?

Business plans for immigration purposes must contain specific details to meet visa requirements. This is especially important for business plans supporting new office L-1 and E-2 visa applications based on a new business. The necessary factors for an immigration business plan can be found in the Board of Immigration Appeals decision, Matter of Ho – Business Plan,   9 FAM 4029 TREATY TRADERS INVESTORS AND SPECIALTY OCCUPATIONS – E VISAS. , and 9 FAM 40212 U INTRACOMPANY TRANSFEREES – L VISAS . Accordingly, the following should be included in a proper immigration business plan:

• Business Overview – The immigration officer reviewing the business must be able to understand the business venture. This is a very important factor. If the immigration officer is not able to grasp the concept of your business and the likelihood of success,  they could deny your application. Explain in detail what service or product your business provides.
• Proof of Investment or Financial Commitment – Your immigration business plan should detail the investment made or your financial commitment to the success of the US enterprise. In general, the plan should include the source of the funds invested and financial commitment to guarantee the successful operations of the US enterprise. Depending on the visa type, this should include an estimate of your company’s income in the next three to five years.
• Business Requirements – Your immigration business plan should explain how you have or will meet all necessary requirements to do business in the United States. This means you have secured or will secure all necessary business licensing and/or permits for your business to operate.
• Employment Outlook – One of the main requirements for either the L1 or E2 visa is the present or future capacity of the US enterprise to hire US workers. Your immigration business plan should provide a detailed hiring plan. This includes a projected organizational structure, present and future positions to be filled with detailed job descriptions, and wages to be paid. Depending on the visa type, projects should look out for three to five years.
• Sufficient Physical Premises – Depending on your business type, your immigration business plan must demonstrate that sufficient physical premises have been secured in the United States to support the successful operations of the US enterprise. This could be a small 200-square-foot office for a consulting firm or a 50,000-square-foot facility for a manufacturing company.
• Market Analysis and Strategy – One of the factors of an L1 or E2 visa is the present or future capacity for success in the marketplace. A properly formatted immigration business plan will include an in-depth market analysis that includes a future outlook for the industry, competitive analysis, financial outlook, growth projections, etc. This includes a description of your target market, business already being performed, current contracts, and future contracts.  In addition, your immigration business plan must include a detailed overview of your marketing strategy with the marketing mediums you expect to use along with any supporting marketing materials.
• Ability to Develop and Direct the Enterprise – Your immigration business plan must demonstrate your ability to develop and direct the new enterprise in the United States. This explanation should include any relevant education, experience, and background that positions you to successfully develop and direct the enterprise. 

Unless you are experienced with immigration-specific business plans, you should seek the support of a qualified immigration business plan company. There are many companies out there that provide immigration-specific business plans. When handling your L-1 new office or E-2 investment case, we work with experienced immigration business plan writers. Failure to provide a properly executed business plan supporting your immigration application could often result in a denial.

Schedule a Consultation with an Immigration Lawyer

• 9 FAM E Visas: Treaty Traders and Investors
• 9 FAM L1 Visas for Intracompany Transferees
• Matter of Ho – Business Plan Requirements

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The US immigration lawyers at Richards and Jurusik Immigration Law have more than 30+ years of experience helping people to invest and do business in the United States under an L-1 visa and E-2 visa status. Read some of our hundreds of 5-star client reviews ! Contact us today to assess your legal situation.

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Writing the Company Description of Immigration Business Plan

• Ismael Fernández
• January 9, 2018

The business description section of your business plan should give the reader an overview of your proposed business, including the industry, purpose, operations, staffing, history and other information that will provide the agency with an interesting overview of your business. 

In this section, the reader needs to get a handle of your business concept, model and likelihood of success. 

Since your business plan is for immigration purposes, consider the perspective of immigration officers. They won’t know your team, facilities, or legal structure yet—you want to fill in the blanks for them in a polished and organized way. Company description will be the ‘elevator pitch’ section of your business plan.  So present your company like it is well poised to accept their visa approval and hit the ground running. This section should answer the questions who you are, what you do and why you do it. Make sure that it is short as possible as the other portions of the plan will contain the nitty gritty details of your proposal. You can use this portion to point the immigration to the relevant sections, if they are interested to know more about a particular aspect of your business. 

Here are the details that MUST be included in this section:

• Company name  – What is the name of your business as registered in the official documents?
• Business structure  – Sole proprietorship, LLC, partnership or corporation? Your business structure is going to be important data to include. Who owns what percentage of your business? The immigration and investors will want this information to be clearly spelled out.
• Ownership/ Management  – Since you are presenting to the immigration or to investors, this is critical data. Who are the leaders in your company?Who will own and manage the business in the U.S.? What qualifies them for their positions and inspires confidence? Work experience, past successes, MBAs, and other degrees can be referenced for each person. You want to showcase everyone in their best light, remembering that the immigration and investors judge people first and ideas second.
• Location  – Where is the company headquartered? Discuss the circumstances of your use of any space mentioned in this section. Include whether you own or lease, and what the pertinent terms of that lease are if you have one. Discuss what the long-term plan is for any space you have, or what your needs will be for a future facility. If you have a home office, you can include that here as well.
• Company history  – When was the business started, what was the inspiration behind it, what need does your company fulfill? If you are an existing business seeking funding for expansion or a new project, the company history section is going to be pretty significant. You’ll want to show  that you have a strong track record of successful projects, weathering the tough times, and making sound business decisions. Who did you decide to partner with? Have you launched new products over time? Made improvements on facilities or services? Streamlined operations? If your business is a start up, you won’t have a company history per se, but you could use the company history section to give a concise description of how you decided to start your venture. What was the “light bulb” moment? Who else was involved?
• Mission Statement – What is the purpose of your company? Your mission statement should reflect every facet of your business: the range and nature of the products you offer, pricing, quality, service, marketplace position, growth potential, use of technology, and your relationships with your customers, employees, suppliers, competitors and the community.
• Products / services and Target Market  – What do you sell? To whom are you selling it to? You may overlook some fundamental elements when describing your products and services because it’s so common to you but do remember,  you should be the expert in the industry.  The basics may not be as clear to the immigration or to your potential investor. Assume they have little to no understanding of your industry and product or service.
• Competitive Advantages  – This section should describe the logic of why you will succeed, how you differ, or what you are doing better than the competition. To define the competitive advantage, try to answer why people will want to do business with you.
• Objectives  – This is not to be confused with the company’s mission, vision or values, which are not useful as strategic goals. Your objective must be specific, measurable and time bound. It must also be a single goal (that is, growth or profitability), although subordinate goals may follow from the strategic objective. To formulate your objective, show the immigration or the investors your plans in the immediate future.
• Vision statement  – How do you envision the future of the company? It’s also a good opportunity, if you haven’t done so already, to evaluate and put to in your business plan some of the more intangible facets of your business principles, ideals, and cultural philosophies that will allow the immigration and investors to better grasp your own corporate identity.  

The whole point of submitting an immigration-compliant business plan is to convince the office that your venture will be beneficial for the economy of a particular U.S. location. Take this opportunity to “sell” your business to these US authorities. Don’t be afraid to share your enthusiasm. Excitement usually draws the reader in, but be careful not to get too carried away. Make them look forward to reading the rest of the plan.

Writing style is as important as content. Make sure to have someone (preferably, a professional editor) proofread your business plan. Allot time to read and re-read your document. Take out redundant and duplicate information. Watch out for grammatical errors & typos. A professional tone should be used all-throughout but it should not hinder you in conveying your passion for your business. Generally speaking, these last few tips apply beyond the company description section of your plan.

To sum up, make sure the person reading the company description will be able to get what you’re company is all about. Let your business plan present you and your business in the best light. Show the immigration officer why you’re worth the business investor visa.

If you feel overwhelmed at any stage of your business plan-writing, we encourage you to take advantage of our  FREE, non-obligatory consultation . We are experts in the Immigration Business Plan industry. We have written numerous successful business plans specifically for those targeted toward immigrant investment visa applications. 

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Professional immigration business plan services from OGScapital

OGS understand immigration visa requirements for obtaining all USA, UK, Canadian Visas extremely well—one of the reasons that we can boast a success rate above 95%.

Immigration Business Plan for USA

To increase your chances of US immigration approval, OGSCapital offers tailored business plan writing services by experienced professionals, catering to various programs and visas.

Business plan for investor visa of an individual from a treaty country to work in the US based on a substantial investment.

Business plan for an employee visa of treaty countries to enter the US for international trade for a maximum of 2 years (with extension option).

Business plan for an employment-based, first-preference visa to a non-citizen of extraordinary ability who is an outstanding professor or researcher or is a certain multinational executive or manager.

Business plan for employment-based, second preference visa to anyone with an advanced degree or exceptional ability who will benefit the country.

Business plan for investors eligible to apply for lawful permanent residence (become a Green Card holder).

Business plan for business people involved in the trade of goods or services or investment activities are citizens of the US, Mexico, or Canada.

Immigration Business Plan Canada

OGSCapital’s professional business plan writers help immigrants prepare a business plan for Canadian immigration that showcases unique aspects to attract investors and customers, while also meeting all immigration requirements.

Business plan for the MPNP that allows immigrants to immigrate to the province of Manitoba under various pathways and become permanent residents of Canada.

Business plan for visa of immigrant entrepreneurs with the potential to build innovative, job-creating businesses in Canada that can compete globally.

Business plan for immigrants with the required skills and experience to move to Nova Scotia.

Business plan for immigration program for immigrants to live in BC for jobs or operating businesses.

Business plan for self-employed immigrants to immigrate to Canada permanently as a self-employed person.

Business plan for individuals planning to start a new business or acquire an existing business in Ontario.

Business plan for foreign investors willing to immigrate to Canada by acquiring a controlling interest in an existing business in Canada.

Business plan for qualified temporary employees whose companies wish to deploy them to Canada to expand their operations.

Business plan for entrepreneurs or self-employed individuals seeking only temporary residence to operate their own business in Canada.

Immigration Business Plan UK

A well-written business plan is crucial for your UK immigration visa application and subsequent business success. At OGSCapital, our team of professionals crafts tailored business immigration plans to realize your specific needs and goals.

The Innovator category is for experienced entrepreneurs seeking to establish a business in the UK. Size of investments: £50k. Innovator Visas allow the holder to stay in the UK for 3 years, with the option to extend for another 3 years.

The Start-Up category is for early-stage entrepreneurs starting a business in the UK for the first time. Size of investments: not specified. Start-Up Visas allow the holder to stay in the UK for 2 years, with no option to extend. The applicant can, however, subsequently switch to Innovator category.

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Our approach

If you are planning to immigrate to the US, Canada or the UK, nothing expedites the visa approval process as much as proving to the immigration authorities that you are coming to the West to start a successful business. If you can show that you have a viable, timely business idea and present a well-documented business case to the government, they are significantly more likely to fast track your approval, providing you with an L1, E-2 visa (USA), Startup, Innovator Visa (UK) or Canadian Immigration Visas, which will allow you to live and start a business in the country.

OGSCapital achieves an immigration business plans success rate above 95%

To be approved for any of these visas, you will need a complete  business plan . Many of those who are seeking legal immigration status attempt to create a document that satisfies these complex visa requirements on their own. Even though they may have a strong business idea, without the experience or expertise that are required to hire an immigration business plan writters, they are unable to satisfy all of the requirements. This means that their visa applications aren’t approved immediately (or sometimes at all).

Our Guarantee

Our immigration consultant business plans are guaranteed to be fully compliant with either USCIS (USA), Home Office (UK), Provincial Nominee Programs (Canada), or Canadian Federal Programs requirements. We regularly monitor these requirements, making sure to adjust our plans to keep up with the latest guidelines. We are confident enough in our plans that we can confidently offer our 100% guarantee that the plan we produce will be compliant. If there are any issues, we will address any and all comments from immigration officers before marking the project as complete.

Illustrative business plan samples

All business plans are tailored to the requirements of immigration offices and feature modern design and full-color tables, pie charts, and graphs. An OGS business plans for immigration visas will significantly increase the chance that your case will be approved. We do not use an immigration business plan template—all of our business plans are prepared from scratch.

L1 Visa Business Plan (USA)

E2 Visa Business Plan (USA)

E1 Visa Business Plan (USA)

EB-1 Business Plan

EB2 NIW visa Business Plan

Nova Scotia NSNP Visa Business Plan (Canada)

Manitoba MPNP Visa Business Plan (Canada)

Self-Employed Visa Business Plan (Canada)

Start Up Visa Business Plan (Canada)

OINP Program Business Plan

LMIA Business Plan Canada

Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) Work Permit Business Plan

Innovator Visa Business Plan Sample (UK)

StartUp Visa Business Plan (UK)

Our tips for immigration applicants

Involve a professional  Immigration business plan writers who can ensure that your application meets USCIS/Home Office requirements the first time you apply. The process only becomes more complex as you go along, so it’s absolutely crucial to start on the right foot and demonstrate that you are an above-average candidate

Free of charge changes In case of receiving any RFE (request for evidence) and other requests from immigration officers, all changes will be made free of charge and in a timely manner.

Compliance Every Visa has specific business plans requirements. No matter what these requirements are, OGS immigration consultants have wide-ranging experience that will ensure your business plan is 100% compliant.

Contact us It will take 2 weeks to prepare the tailored immigration consultant business plan. Do not wait until the last minute. Contact us immediately.

Read your business plan Read your business plan extremely carefully so you are ready to discuss it with the immigration officer during the interview.

Any questions? Get in Touch!

Frequently asked questions.

How much does a business plan cost?

The cost of an immigration business plan varies greatly depending on the complexity, length, and detail of the plan, the experience of the writer, or the type of visa. While you can use templates or software, hire a freelance writer, or explore other options, the best choice is to choose a professional business plan writing service. At OGSCapital, we have the expertise and experience necessary to craft a compelling and effective business plan, ensuring you receive the best value for your investment.

How do I write a business plan for a visa?

A business plan for a visa should show the viability and potential of your business in the US market. You can find online examples and samples, or you can consult our professionals at OGSCapital to write one for you.

Content on page reviewed by:

Alex Silensky – co-owner of the leading business consultant firm OGS Capital.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlexSilensky

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-silensky-45b94961/

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Information Memorandum for a Visa/Immigration Consulting Firm

Client need: business plan development and competitive benchmarking.

A leading immigration consultant in India was looking for an advisor to identify key market insights and develop an information memorandum. Their business was growing profitably, and the founders were looking for a strategic investor to scale the business. The founder had initiated discussion with a few investors, some of which were fruitful, resulting in subsequent meetings. The management wanted to build the investor facing materials themselves. However, a growing customer base kept them busy.

Market Research

Business Plan and Valuation

Investor Presentation

AlphaValley team collaborated with the client to understand their customer’s persona. The next step was sizing up the market and identifying the growth pockets. Our team also conducted a financial performance benchmark of the key competitors. This analysis helped our client understand the market and competition better. The management used these insights to form their sales targets and business plan.

Business Plan

The next step was to develop a financial model. The management wanted to understand the capital requirements to achieve 3-4x growth in two years. AlphaValley team constructed a business model that presented scenarios to achieve different revenue goals and capital requirement in those cases.

Valuation & Investor Presentation

Calculating valuation of a business is a fairly complex exercise. The problem amplifies further for small business because of relatively low/no consistency. Forecasting revenue, profits, and cash flow for high-growth ventures requires an analytical approach to avoid bias. However, unavailability of data compounds the problem as arriving at a narrow range becomes nearly impracticable. AlphaValley team conducted valuation using various approachs and presented a relatively narrow range that helped the client comprehend the ballpark valuation for negotiations with the investors. We crafted a presentation that helped the client showcase its business as a compelling venture.

The assignment was an eye-opener for the client as it helped them learn intriguing insights about the competition and plan their response accordingly. Business plan consulting and valuation helped them approach investors with data-backed conviction.

Request a meeting to discuss your project

Read more case studies.

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A hotelier was looking to acquire a 4-star property. Learn how AlphaValley developed a persuasive business plan that helped him raise $6 million.

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IM & pitch deck for a pet healthcare startup

AlphaValley helped Wiggles develop a compelling business plan, financial model and pitch book. Learn how Wiggles raised a seed round with our help.

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Business Plan Development

Masterplans experts will help you create business plans for investor funding, bank/SBA lending and strategic direction

Investor Materials

A professionally designed pitch deck, lean plan, and cash burn overview will assist you in securing Pre-Seed and Seed Round funding

Immigration Business Plans

A USCIS-compliant business plan serves as the foundation for your E-2, L-1A, EB-5 or E-2 visa application

Customized consulting tailored to your startup's unique challenges and goals

Our team-based approach supports your project with personal communication and technical expertise.

Pricing that is competitive and scalable for early-stage business services regardless of industry or stage.

Client testimonials from just a few of the 18,000+ entrepreneurs we've worked with over the last 20 years

Free tools, research, and templates to help with business plans & pitch decks

USCIS compliance guaranteed

Business plans for immigration, seeking an e-2, l-1a, eb-5, or eb-2 niw visa our immigration business plans help you navigate the complexities of the investment visa process with a business plan that stands up to scrutiny..

Your Key to Visa Success

Streamline your visa process with a business plan that impresses consular officials, at masterplans, we are skilled in developing business plans that engages uscis and consular authorities. .

Navigating the investor visa application process requires a robust business plan – one that clearly delineates your venture's growth prospects, job-creating potential, and long-term viability. Our visa-focused business plans are meticulously crafted to meet the specific requirements of entrepreneurship visas – guaranteed.

“For years I’ve been insisting my clients use Masterplans, and I haven’t had a single visa denied with their plans – NOT ONE.

They’re first class, always”.

Sara Rama, ESQ., LL.M Federal Immigration Attorney

Why Immigration Attorneys & Entrepreneurs Trust Masterplans

With over 18k+ business plans crafted across diverse industries, here's why savvy entrepreneurs consistently choose to partner with us when seeking an investor visa..

Experience & Expertise

Having successfully executed thousands of L1-A, E-2, EB-5, and EB-2 NIW projects, choosing Masterplans equips you with over two decades of unparalleled expertise in the specialized field of immigration-focused business plan development.

Award-Winning Excellence

Our reputation as an award-winning firm, including being named a “Top 5 Business Plan Writer” by EB-5 Investors Magazine for the last five years and counting, is founded on an unwavering commitment to quality and client satisfaction. 

Proven Track Record

Our approach is grounded in enterprise-level research and analysis, like IBISWorld, Esri, and Statista to ensure that your business plan transcends mere aspiration. This precision is why leading immigration attorneys exclusively refer their clients to us for writing their business plans.

Precision. Clarity. Comfidence.

Navigate complex immigration requirements confidently, we turn complexity into clarity, saving you time and headaches..

For entrepreneurs pursuing various visa categories such as E-2, L-1-A, EB-5, or EB-2 NIW, a USCIS-compliant business plan is written specifically to meet the demands of immigration authorities.

Our tried and true business planning process enables us to articulate your unique business model — be it an existing business aiming for U.S. expansion or a completely new enterprise — and translate it into a comprehensive, clear, and comprehensible business plan that meets the mandates of immigration authorities.

A professionally drafted business plan empowers you in the visa application process. With a business plan from Masterplans, you can approach immigration authorities with confidence, knowing that your plan meets all USCIS or consular requirements.

Download Sample Business Plans ›

Key Sections of a Business Plan for Immigration

Your business plan is structured so government officals can easily find what they need, while ensuring a cohesive, consistent, and comprehensive overview of your venture..

Executive Summary

The Executive Summary serves as a targeted overview tailored to the specific criteria that immigration officials seek, depending on the visa type. While offering a concise snapshot of your venture, it also includes brief summaries of each subsequent section in the plan. Additionally, it highlights the location, ownership structure, and financial performance, ensuring that officials not only understand the venture's potential and viability but are also inclined to explore the plan further.

Company Overview

Consular offices necessitate a thorough understanding of your business to evaluate its suitability for the visa in question. This involves  showcasing the unique value proposition and establishing why a presence in the U.S. aligns with your growth strategy. The business description will precisely outline the products or services offered, describe the operational framework, and elucidate the revenue model. If applicable, the company description will also detail the interaction between the U.S. and foreign entities. 

Market Analysis

To secure your visa, it's vital to demonstrate a nuanced understanding of industry dynamics. Masterplans employs industry-leading market research tools , including Statista, IBISWorld, and Esri's Business Analyst, to  to offer an in-depth market and competitor analysis. This includes a localized market analysis when relevant, pinpointing the specific needs and opportunities within your target area. Additionally, our competitor analysis delves into your competitive advantage, outlining how your business differentiates itself in the marketplace. 

Strategy & Implementation

In the Strategy and Implementation Summary, Masterplans zeroes in on key short and long-term objectives designed to grow your company's presence in the U.S. By crafting a tailored marketing strategy that identifies effective channels for your industry, we outline how your business will attract customers and provide actionable steps and tactics to position your business for competitive advantage in the U.S. market.

Management Team

A successful immigration business plan emphasizes the skills, qualifications, and experience of the visa applicant, whether launching a new enterprise in the U.S. or relocating to manage an existing one. Our management summary details job roles, responsibilities, and organizational structure, often through an organizational chart chart, ensuring immigration authorities grasp the applicant's suitability and managerial oversight for the venture.

Financial Projections

For every immigration business plan, Masterplans creates a detailed five-year financial projection , that includes an income statement, cash flow statement , and balance sheet, to demonstrate the viability of your business and its capacity for job creation. We provide a line-item breakdown of the investment amount, its allocation, and the ownership structure among investors, offering a comprehensive financial picture that aligns with immigration requirements.

“For nearly a decade, Masterplans has been a trusted provider on complex and more conventional cases alike.

No matter what the visa is, their team has consistently delivered complete, cost-effective plans that contribute to success.”.

Ryan Kosobucki Managing Partner, Kosobucki & Tessier PLLC

Trusted by Top attorneys

More than a business plan, a tailored immigration strategy, the key to visa approval lies in addressing the unique criteria for each visa type..

• For an E-2 visa, the focus is on demonstrating an initial investment and ensuring the business becomes non-marginal
• In the case of the L1-A visa, it's crucial to show that the beneficiary is highly qualified and serving in a managerial or executive role essential for smooth U.S. expansion
• For EB-5 applicants seeking a green card, the emphasis is on making a significant investment, often in Targeted Employment Areas (TEAs), that will create well-paying American jobs
• For the EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW), the key is to articulate the unique skills and experience of the applicant in a way that aligns with the national interest

We're experts in meeting consular expectations, even supporting clients through any Request for Evidence (RFE) at no extra cost. Trusted by over 300 immigration attorneys, many regularly refer clients to us, affirming the quality of our work.

Immigration Attorney Partners ›

“i know my clients will have a positive experience with masterplans.  , their business plans are professional, well-researched, and prepared quickly. they’ve always been a joy to work with.”.

Belma Demirovic Chinchoy Partner, Iyer Demirovic Chinchoy LLP

Crafted by Experts

Willam dean, vp of immigration.

William Dean directs our team of business plan writers, and market research and finance experts, to craft filing-ready business plans for clients referred by over 300 law offices. Specializing in client material and RFE reviews, he has helped applicants secure E-2, L-1A, EB-2, and EB-5 visas. He has overseen the creation of nearly 2,500 visa business plans and is a frequent speaker at immigration conferences and on podcasts.

Meet The Team ›

Business plans for immigration faqs,  we've compiled a list of frequently asked questions to provide clarity on our service and process. if you don't find the answer to your specific question here, please don't hesitate to contact us ., how is the cost of a business plan for immigration determined.

Our pricing is influenced by several factors including visa type, industry of operation, plan length and scope, variables like multiple physical locations, and your timeframe.

Immigrations business plans generally range from $2,000 to $9,000, based on complexity and the team members required. This fee covers an in-depth discovery process, detailed research, professional writing and editing, and advanced financial modeling. We are happy to provide a complete scope of work for your project, free of charge, in as little as 24 hours. Simply contact us to set up an appointment.

For more information about what is included in our engagements, please see our pricing page .

How many pages is a filing-ready business plan?

The ideal length of an immigration business plan is precisely as long as it needs to be, and not a page more. While most immigration business plans fall within the 40-60 page range, with around 15 pages dedicated to financial statements, it's essential to remember that quality isn't determined by page count. Evaluating a business plan's merit based solely on its length misses the true value and depth of its content. 

You can see some examples of our immigration business plans here .

How long will my business plan project take?

Our projects kick off within 24 hours of receiving payment. From there, the timeline largely depends on your pace and preferences. Some clients prefer a more deliberate and procedural approach, while others are working against tight deadlines. Typically, we can deliver a complete first draft of the business plan within two weeks. We offer both 45-day and 90-day engagement timelines, ensuring ample time to integrate your feedback and steer the direction of the project.

You can learn more about our process and timeline here.

Do you guarantee consular approval?

Masterplans cannot guarantee approval of your visa application, as there are far too many variables outside of our control.

However, we guarantee that your business plan will meet all USCIS and consular requirements, and any changes directed by government authorities via an RFE are fully supported at no additional charge.

Do I need an attorney?

You do not necessarily need an attorney to engage our services at Masterplans; however, we strongly recommend consulting with a legal expert when navigating the immigration investor visa process.

An attorney specializing in immigration law brings a wealth of expertise and experience that can be invaluable in ensuring a successful visa application. They are well-versed in the nuances of immigration law and can provide tailored advice to meet the specific requirements of different visa categories, such as E-2, L-1A, EB-2, and EB-5. Attorneys can assist in gathering and presenting the necessary documentation, including financial records and business plans, in a manner that aligns with immigration mandates. They can also represent you in interactions with immigration authorities, providing an additional layer of credibility and assurance. Moreover, should you encounter any challenges or receive a Request for Evidence (RFE), an attorney can guide you through the appropriate response to strengthen your application.

Here are a few of our immigration attorney partners .

Talk With An Expert Today

Leverage over two decades of experience by scheduling a free , no-obligation, 30-minute consultation with  one of our business plan experts..

The Latest from the Masterplans Blog

Are you looking for quick tips and advice on business planning and entrepreneurship.

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Immigration Consultant Business Plan – Why You Can’t Go It Alone

Immigration consultant business plan: four words that really do go together. There are many things that an entrepreneur can do by themselves. After all, you need to be resourceful to get ahead in the business world. However, writing a successful  immigration business plan  without the support of a professional consultant is not likely to be one of them.

Writing these types of plans takes time, effort and a great deal of understanding of how the US Citizenship and Immigration Services work. Just the smallest detail can make the difference between success and failure, both for your visa and consequently for your new business venture. There is a range of alternatives to undertaking the whole process by yourself. You could, of course, approach your lawyer; after all, you would think that they must have the professional knowledge you need. While this is true in relation to the legal process, however, they will not necessarily have the business knowledge you need or the time to find out all the required details.

There are also samples of  immigration business plans available on the Internet. At first glance, these seem like a great idea. All you need to do is copy the style and add your own details. The problem here, however, is that you don’t know whether the sample is right, and no two businesses are the same. Even if the sample would have passed for that particular business, your own business might need a different emphasis on certain details. Then, of course, there are templates; all you need to do is fill in the blanks. Unfortunately, you will fall into the same problems as you would with sample  documents . So where does this leave you?

TALK ABOUT YOUR PROJECT WITH A U.S. BUSINESS IMMIGRATION CONSULTANT

WE HAVE 15 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE TO SHARE

Thankfully with the best option of all: an immigration consultant business plan writer, and at Immigration Business Plan, we are the best consulting firm in the business. We will consult with you throughout the process and provide you with the level of detail you need within an appropriate timeframe. See more of what we can offer at  https://www.immigrationbusinessplan.com/ .

Knowledge Database

I NEED HELP TO PREPARE MY VISA APPLICATION

Immigration Consultant Marketing Plan Template

• Great for beginners
• Ready-to-use, fully customizable Subcategory
• Get started in seconds

Looking to take your immigration consulting business to new heights? Look no further than ClickUp's Immigration Consultant Marketing Plan Template! This comprehensive template is designed to help you attract and acquire clients seeking international immigration services, by defining target markets, identifying competitive advantages, setting promotional strategies, and executing tactics that will establish your agency as the go-to experts in the field. With this template, you'll be able to:

• Identify your target market and understand their needs and preferences
• Showcase your competitive advantages to stand out from the competition
• Create powerful promotional strategies that resonate with your audience
• Track and measure the success of your marketing efforts

Don't miss out on the opportunity to grow your immigration consulting business. Get started with ClickUp's Immigration Consultant Marketing Plan Template today!

Benefits of Immigration Consultant Marketing Plan Template

When it comes to marketing your immigration consulting services, having a solid plan in place can make all the difference. With the Immigration Consultant Marketing Plan Template, you can:

• Define your target markets and identify the most effective strategies to reach them
• Showcase your competitive advantages and highlight why clients should choose your services
• Develop a comprehensive promotional strategy to increase brand awareness and attract new clients
• Execute tactics such as social media campaigns, content marketing, and networking events to establish yourself as an industry expert
• Track and measure your marketing efforts to ensure they are yielding the desired results

Don't miss out on the opportunity to grow your immigration consulting business. Get started with the Immigration Consultant Marketing Plan Template today!

Main Elements of Immigration Consultant Marketing Plan Template

ClickUp's Immigration Consultant Marketing Plan template provides a comprehensive solution to help immigration consultants effectively manage their marketing efforts. Here are the main elements of this List template:

• Custom Statuses: Track the progress of your marketing tasks with 6 different statuses, including Cancelled, Complete, In Progress, Needs Input, Planned, and To Do, ensuring clear visibility and accountability throughout the process.
• Custom Fields: Utilize 6 custom fields such as Quarter, Task Type, Impact, Progress, Percent Completion, and Effort to capture specific details and metrics related to your marketing plan, enabling you to measure the effectiveness and success of your campaigns.
• Custom Views: Access 5 different views tailored to your needs, including Key Results, Timeline, Getting Started Guide, Objectives, and Progress Board. These views allow you to visualize your marketing plan from different perspectives, making it easier to prioritize tasks, track progress, and achieve your marketing objectives.

How to Use Marketing Plan for Immigration Consultant

If you're an immigration consultant looking to create a successful marketing plan, follow these six steps using ClickUp's Immigration Consultant Marketing Plan Template:

1. Define your target audience

Identify the specific group of people you want to reach with your marketing efforts. Determine their demographics, such as age, location, and occupation, as well as their needs and pain points. This will help you tailor your marketing messages and strategies to effectively engage your target audience.

Use custom fields in ClickUp to record important information about your target audience, such as their demographics and preferences.

2. Set clear marketing objectives

Establish measurable goals that you want to achieve through your marketing efforts. Whether it's increasing brand awareness, generating leads, or driving conversions, clearly define what you want to accomplish. Setting specific, achievable objectives will guide your marketing activities and help you track your progress.

Create tasks in ClickUp to outline your marketing objectives and assign them to team members responsible for achieving them.

3. Develop your marketing strategies

Determine the best marketing channels and tactics to reach your target audience and achieve your objectives. Consider a mix of online and offline strategies, such as social media marketing, content creation, email campaigns, events, and partnerships. Tailor your strategies to the unique needs and preferences of your target audience.

Use the Board view in ClickUp to create a visual representation of your marketing strategies and organize them by channels or tactics.

4. Create compelling content

Craft engaging and informative content that resonates with your target audience. This can include blog posts, social media posts, videos, infographics, and case studies. Focus on providing valuable information, addressing common immigration concerns, and showcasing your expertise. Consistently produce high-quality content to build trust and establish yourself as a thought leader.

Utilize Docs in ClickUp to create and collaborate on content ideas, outlines, and drafts, ensuring a seamless content creation process.

5. Implement and track your marketing activities

Put your marketing plan into action by executing your strategies and tactics. Monitor the performance of your marketing activities using analytics tools, such as Google Analytics or ClickUp's integrations. Track key metrics like website traffic, engagement, lead generation, and conversions. This data will help you assess the effectiveness of your marketing efforts and make informed adjustments.

Set up Automations in ClickUp to streamline your marketing activities and automate repetitive tasks, such as social media scheduling or email campaigns.

6. Evaluate and optimize your marketing plan

Regularly review and evaluate the results of your marketing plan. Identify what is working well and what can be improved. Use this feedback to refine your strategies, optimize your campaigns, and make data-driven decisions. Continuously adapt your marketing plan to stay ahead of industry trends and changes in your target audience's preferences.

Use Dashboards in ClickUp to visualize and analyze your marketing metrics, allowing for easy tracking and optimization of your marketing plan.

Get Started with ClickUp’s Immigration Consultant Marketing Plan Template

Immigration consultants or agencies can use the Immigration Consultant Marketing Plan Template to create a comprehensive marketing strategy that will attract and acquire clients seeking international immigration services.

First, hit “Add Template” to sign up for ClickUp and add the template to your Workspace. Make sure you designate which Space or location in your Workspace you’d like this template applied.

Next, invite relevant members or guests to your Workspace to start collaborating.

Now you can take advantage of the full potential of this template to create an effective marketing plan:

• Use the Key Results View to set measurable goals and track the success of your marketing efforts
• The Timeline View will help you visualize your marketing activities and ensure they are scheduled appropriately
• Use the Getting Started Guide View to follow step-by-step instructions on how to create your marketing plan
• The Objectives View will help you define your marketing objectives and align them with your business goals
• Use the Progress Board View to track the progress of your marketing activities and make necessary adjustments
• Organize tasks into six different statuses: Cancelled, Complete, In Progress, Needs Input, Planned, To Do, to keep track of progress
• Update statuses as you complete tasks to ensure everyone is aware of the progress made

By using this template, immigration consultants can create a strategic marketing plan that will help them attract and acquire clients effectively.

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How to Start an Immigration Consulting Business in Canada

Immigration consulting firms offer services relating to the legal status of individuals, including permanent residency and visa services. These services include submitting visa applications, providing visa advice, preparing for and representing clients before a court of review authority in relation to visa applications and other related matters.

In spite of high levels of immigration in Canada, the growth experienced in the industry was stifled due to falling per capita disposable income and corporate profit, causing individuals and corporations to find alternatives to industry services. Nevertheless, revenue is expected to rise as post-recessionary conditions benefit corporate profit and stricter federal and state immigration laws are implemented.

Steps on How to Start an Immigration Consulting Business in Canada   

Conduct market research.

Conducting market research before starting any business is key to the success of the business hence you must not open an immigration consulting business in Canada without conducting market research. This is because market research provides critical information about your business landscape.

This helps you to understand how your business is perceived by the clients you want to reach. It helps you determine who and where your customers are, and which customers are most likely to do business with you. In essence, thorough research helps you understand how your customers think and adapt to their needs in order to turn them into regular customers and brand advocates.

Players in the immigration consulting industry offer services relating to the legal status of individuals, including permanent residency and visa services. These services include submitting visa applications, providing visa advice, and preparing for and representing before a court of review authority in relation to visa applications and related matters.

Immigration lawyers and attorneys who are major players in this industry assist individuals in obtaining visas and gaining Canadian citizenship; defend the rights of immigrants; navigate issues of illegal immigration and assist businesses in understanding immigration issues in a global marketplace.

a. Who is the Target Market for an Immigration Consulting Business in Canada?

• Sportsmen and women
• Business owners
• Corporate organizations
• Charity organizations that work with refugees
• Everyone above 18 years who resides in your business location.

b. Is Immigration Consulting a Profitable Business in Canada?

Yes, immigration consulting business in Canada is very profitable because when it comes to the “go-to” country for migrants from all across the world, Canada sits among the top countries. Available statistics show that between 2017 and 2018, net immigration accounted for 80 percent of Canada’s population increase, while the remaining 20 percent was through natural increase.

c. Are There Existing Niches in the Industry?

No, there are no niche areas in the immigration consulting business in Canada. This is because immigration consulting is a niche in the consulting industry. However, you can shoose to focus on specific key services such as:

• Providing legal advice on the ability to reside in Canada or country of their choice
• Collect and submit appropriate documentation to prove a case
• Help obtain documentations needed to legally reside within the country
• Obtain immediate access to citizenship in emergency situations
• Assist with citizenship tests
• Defend a person’s case to prevent him or her from being deported
• Handle family-sponsored immigrants, employment-based immigrant visas, Diversity programs, Refugees and Asylees and other categories.

d. Who are the Major Competitors?

• CICS Immigration Consulting Inc.
• Canada Immigration Consulting Ltd
• Bright Immigration
• Alternativa Canada Immigration Consultants
• TopNation Immigration Services & Consulting – Edmonton
• RightWay Canada Immigration Services
• Immigration Consultant Surrey – SET Canada Immigration
• Love Canada Immigration Consultancy
• One Immigration Consulting
• Patel Canada Visa Consultancy
• Amir Ismail & Associates
• Euro Immigration Consultants
• Migration Concerns Canada Inc.
• Axis Immigration Consultants
• Connect Canada Immigration Services Inc.
• Avni Canadian Immigration Consultancy Inc.
• Chitra & Associates Immigration Consultants Inc.
• Green Light Canada Immigration
• Jane Katkova – Canadian Immigration Experts
• World Canada Immigration Consultancy Inc.

Surviving in the business world as an immigration consulting firm requires more than your expertise but also how to network with key people that matters especially within migrant communities. The level of competition in the immigration consulting industry to some extent depends largely the location of the business and of course the niche your business is offering. If you can successfully create a unique niche for your immigration consulting firm, you are likely going to experience little or no competition.

For instance, if you are the only immigration consulting firm that specializes in handling family – sponsored immigrants, employment – based immigrant visas, diversity programs, refugees and asylees and other categories and also defend a person’s case to prevent him or her from being deported in your location, you are sure of monopolizing that aspect of the business; your competitors can even sub – contract jobs to you to help them deliver.

When it comes to immigration consulting firms, distance is never a barrier when competing for clients especially international students. What most potential migrants want is result, hence they are ready to hire immigration consulting firms no matter the part of the world they operate from as long as they have good track record and can deliver excellent results.

e. Are There County or Province Regulations or Zoning Laws for Immigration Consulting Business in Canada?

Yes, there are county or provincial regulations or zoning laws for immigration consulting businesses in Canada. Players in this industry are expected to work with the existing regulations governing similar businesses in the county or state where their business is domiciled. It means that at any point in time, the county office can determine whether the immigration consulting business meets the zoning rules of the community.

f. Is There a Franchise for Immigration Consulting Business in Canada?

No, there are no franchise opportunities for immigration consulting businesses in Canada.

g. What Do You Need to Start an Immigration Consulting Business in Canada?

• A feasibility report
• Business and marketing plans
• Business licenses and permits
• Office space
• Computers, laptops, and servers
• Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax (GST/HST)
• Council permit
• A corporate bank account
• Software apps
• Competent employees
• Startup capital

Choose a Memorable Business Name

When looking to start a business, before you can begin to file the necessary documents with the constituted authorities or start your website, it is necessary that you come up with a name that you will be recognized with. It is essential that the name you come up with can easily be pronounced, is unique and easily memorable.

Some of the catchy business name ideas suitable for an immigration consulting business are;

Creative Immigration Consultation Business Name ideas

• Tim Vaughan® Immigration Consulting, Ltd.
• Oakville Mickey® Immigration Consulting, Ltd
• Alberta Expats® Immigration Consulting Services, Ltd.
• Marple Legal® Immigration Consulting, Ltd.
• Burlington Dave® Immigration Consulting, Inc.
• Sherbrooke Ings® Immigration Consulting Group
• Saskatoon Group™ Immigration Consulting, Ltd.
• Markham May® Immigration Consulting, Inc.
• Mariah Jared® Immigration Consulting, Inc.
• Richmond Hill® Immigration Consulting, Inc.
• Peter Driscoll® Immigration Consulting, Ltd.
• George Winston™ Immigration Consulting, Ltd.
• Mike Kester® Immigration Consulting, Ltd.
• Greater Sudbury® Immigration Consulting, Ltd.
• Grande Prairie® Immigration Consulting, Inc.
• Sanford Wellington® Immigration Consulting, Ltd.
• Cathartines® Immigration Consulting, Ltd.
• Rowland Hyden© Immigration Consulting, Ltd.
• Clem Weston™ Immigration Consulting, Ltd
• Maple Ridge® Immigration Consulting, Ltd
• Cape Breton® Immigration Consulting, Ltd.
• Thunder Bay™ Immigration Consulting, Inc.

Register Your Business

A. what type of business structure is best for immigration consulting business in canada.

If you choose to start your business in Canada, there are four basic forms of business ownership or legal entity you can build a business structure on in Canada. They are sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, and cooperative.

Note that when you incorporate a business you create ownership shares, which produce taxation and legal distance between the company and its shareholders. This has tax advantages for the owners. It provides liability protection from the corporation’s debts and offers some measure of protection for a company’s name. The downside is that setting up a corporation involves initial and ongoing costs for legal and accounting fees.

b. Steps to Form a Corporation in Canada

To register as a corporation, you will need to take the following steps:

• Incorporate your business through federal incorporation or provincial/territorial incorporation.
• Get a federal business number and corporation income tax account from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
• Register as an extra-provincial or extra-territorial corporation in all other Canadian jurisdictions where you plan to do business.

c. What Type of License is Needed to Open an Immigration Consulting Business in Canada?

• General Business License
• Zonal Permits (Applicable in some Province)
• Signage Permit
• Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) License.

d. What Type of Certification is Needed to Open an Immigration Consulting Business in Canada?

There is no provincial license or certification to become an immigration officer in Canada. The only certification is from the ICCRC.

e. What Documents are Needed to Open an Immigration Consulting Business in Canada?

These are the basic legal documents you are required to have if you want to run an immigration consulting business in Canada;

• Business and liability insurance
• State permit and building approval
• Certificate of incorporation
• Business License
• Business plan
• Employment Agreement (offer letters)
• Online terms of use
• An online privacy policy document
• Contract document
• Company bylaws
• Memorandum of understanding

f. Do You Need a Trademark, Copyright, or Patent?

If you are considering starting an immigration consulting business in Canada, there may not be any need to file for intellectual property protection or trademark. The nature of the business makes it possible for you to successfully run it without having any cause to challenge anybody in court for illegally making use of your company’s intellectual properties.

g. Consider Getting Insurance Cover

In Canada, you can’t operate a business without having some of the basic insurance policies that are required by the industry you want to operate from. Thus, it is imperative to create a budget for insurance and perhaps consult an insurance broker to guide you in choosing the best and most appropriate insurance policies for your business.

Here are some of the basic insurance policies that you should consider purchasing if you want to start your own immigration consulting firm in Canada;

• General insurance
• Health insurance
• Liability insurance
• Risk Insurance
• Workers compensation
• Building/Property insurance
• Overhead expense disability insurance
• Business owner’s policy group insurance
• Payment protection insurance

You can contact the following leading insurance companies in Canada to purchase the needed insurance policies for your immigration consulting business;

• Intact Insurance
• Belairdirect
• TD Insurance
• Economical Insurance

Cost Analysis and Budgeting

A. how much does it cost to start an immigration consulting business in canada.

The cost of starting an immigration consulting business in Canada could range from $50,000 (CAD) to over $150,000 (CAD) depending on how big you plan to start the business. This amount includes the salaries of all the staff for the first month of operation.

b. What are the Cost Involved in Starting an Immigration Consulting Business in Canada

• The fee to file articles of incorporation federally is $200
• Legal expenses for obtaining licenses and permits and accounting services (software, P.O.S machines, and other software) – $8,300.
• The total cost for hiring a business consultant including writing a business plan – $2,500.
• The total cost for the purchase of insurance (general liability, workers’ compensation, and property-casualty) coverage at a total premium (initial (first) premium) – $4,400.
• The cost for renting or leasing operational office space – $45,000.
• Other start-up expenses include commercial satellite TV subscriptions, stationery ($500), and phone and utility deposits ($2,800).
• The operational cost of the first 3 months (salaries of employees, payments of bills, and software renewal fees et al) – $35,000
• The cost for the purchase of software apps: $5,000
• The cost for store equipment (cash register, security, ventilation, signage) – $1,750
• The cost of purchase and installation of CCTVs: $2,000
• The cost of launching a website: $2000
• The cost for our opening party: $3,000
• Miscellaneous: $2,000

c. What Factors Determine the Cost of Opening an Immigration Consulting Business in Canada?

• The size of the immigration consulting business
• The choice of location
• The required licenses and permits
• The type of facility
• The additional services offerings
• The cost of hiring and paying a business consultant and attorney
• The cost for branding, promotion, and marketing of the immigration consulting business
• The cost of furnishing and equipping the facility
• The cost of the insurance policy covers
• The cost of registering the business
• The cost of recruiting and training your staff
• The cost of the purchase and customizing of uniforms
• The cost of the grand opening of the immigration consulting business in Canada

d. Do You Need to Build a Facility? If YES, How Much Will It Cost?

You don’t need to build a new facility for your immigration consulting business in Canada. The business can be operated from a leased or rented office space.

e. What are the Ongoing Expenses of an Immigration Consulting Business in Canada?

• Utility bills (internet subscriptions, phone bills, signage, and software renewal fees et al)
• Employees salaries

f. What is the Average Salary of your Staff?

• Chief Executive Officer (President) – $55,000 Per Year
• Immigration Attorney (Consultant) – $42,000 Per Year
• Human Resources and Admin Manager – $38,000 Per Year
• Accountant – $35,000 Per Year
• Client Service Executive (Help Desk Office) -$32,000 Per Year

g. How Do You Get Funding to Start an Immigration Consulting Business in Canada?

• Raising money from personal savings
• Raising money from investors and business partners
• Sell shares to interested investors
• Applying for a loan from your bank/banks
• Pitch your business idea and apply for business grants and seed funding from, the government, donor organizations, and angel investors
• Source for soft loans from your family members and friends.

Write a Business Plan

A. executive summary.

Sharon Greene® Immigration Consulting, Inc. is a registered and licensed immigration consulting firm that will be based at 32 Victoria Street Toronto – Ontario, Canada.

Sharon Greene® Immigration Consulting, Inc. is a client-focused and result-driven immigration consulting firm that provides broad-based services at an affordable fee that won’t in any way put a hole in the pocket of our clients. We will offer standard and professional immigration consulting services to all our clients at the national, and international levels. We will ensure that we work hard to meet and surpass our client’s expectations whenever they hire our services.

b. Products and Service

• Provide legal advice on the ability to reside in Canada and the country of their choice
• Helps obtain the type of documentation needed to legally reside within the country
• Represent our clients in court
• Handle family-sponsored immigrants, employment-based immigrant visas, Diversity programs, Refugees and Asylees, and other categories.

c. Mission Statement

Our mission aims at positioning the immigration consulting firm to become the leading brand in the immigration consulting industry in Toronto – Ontario Province. We are committed to providing truthful, honest, competent, and result-oriented service through advising and representing our clients in Canada and overseas in a wide range of immigration matters.

Vision Statement

Our vision is to build an immigration consulting brand that will become the number one choice for both individual and corporate clients in Toronto – Ontario Province.

d. Goals and Objectives

The goals and objectives of the immigration consulting business in Canada are to help people handle their immigration concerns.

e. Organizational Structure

• Chief Executive Officer (President)
• Immigration Attorney (Consultant)
• Human Resources and Admin Manager
• Client Service Executive (Help Desk Office)

Marketing Plan

A. swot analysis.

• Effective structure in place
• Highly experienced and qualified employees and management
• Reliable software app
• Support from relevant organizations
• Water-tight strategies on how to expand beyond the major markets.
• Financial Constraints
• A new business that will be competing with well-established immigration consulting businesses in Canada
• Inability to retain our highly experienced and qualified employees longer than we want

Opportunities:

• Partnerships and mergers between established companies.
• Good support structure for immigration consulting business in Canada.
• The arrival of new immigration consulting business in Canada within our market space
• Unfavorable government policy and regulations
• Differences in management and culture are the biggest barriers to integrating the immigration consulting business in Canada
• Liability problems
• Continuously changing consumer demands especially as it relates to how they expect immigration consulting businesses in Canada to serve them.

b. How Do Immigration Consulting Businesses in Canada Make Money?

Immigration consulting firms make money by offering the following services;

• Provide legal advice about the ability to reside in Canada and the country of their choice
• Handle family-sponsored immigrants, employment-based immigrant visas, diversity programs, refugees and asylees, and other categories.

c. Payment Options

• Payment via bank transfer
• Payment with cash
• Payment via credit cards/Point of Sale Machines (POS Machines)
• Payment via online bank transfer
• Payment via check
• Payment via mobile money transfer

d. Sales & Advertising Strategies

• Introduce your immigration consulting business and the services you offer by sending introductory letters alongside your brochure to residents, corporate organizations, travel and tour agencies, NGOs, and other key stakeholders throughout the city where your immigration consulting business is located.
• Advertise on the internet on blogs and forums, and also on social media like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to get your message across
• Create a basic website for your business so as to give your business an online presence
• Directly market your services
• Advertise your business in community-based newspapers, local TV and radio stations
• List your business on yellow pages ads (local directories)
• Encourage the use of word-of-mouth marketing (referrals)

Financial Projection

A. how much should you charge for your product/service.

The amount immigration consultants charge in Canada depends on the services rendered. For example, for Citizenship Processing Fees; Adult aged 18 and older, $630 per person; Adopted minor (18 and under), $100 per person; Minor (18 and under), $100 per person. Canadian Experience Class (CEC) $2,500 – $3,500, Spouse (or common-law partner) sponsorship $3,500 – $5,000, and Child sponsorship $2,000 – $3,000.

b. How Much Profit Do Immigration Consulting Business Owners Make a Year in Canada?

Immigration consulting business owners in Canada usually make between $45,000 to over $150,000 per year.

c. What Factors Determine the Amount of Profit to Be Made?

• The capacity of the immigration consulting business
• The location the immigration consulting business is covering
• The management style of the immigration consulting business
• The business approach of the immigration consulting business
• The advertising and marketing strategies adopted by the immigration consulting business
• The number of years the immigration consulting business has been in operation

d. What is the Profit Margin of an Immigration Consulting Business in Canada?

The profit margin of an immigration consulting business in Canada is not fixed; to a large extent, it will depend on some factors that are unique to the type and nature of services offered.

e. What is the Sales Forecast?

Below is the sales forecast for an immigration consulting business. It is based on the location of the business and other factors as it relates to such startups in Canada;

• First Fiscal Year (FY1): $250,000
• Second Fiscal Year (FY2): $380,000
• Third Fiscal Year (FY3): $400,000

Set Up your Shop/Office

A. how do you choose a perfect location for immigration consulting business in canada.

• The demography of the location as it relates to migrants
• The demand for immigration consulting services in the location
• The purchasing power of businesses and the resident of the location
• Accessibility of the location
• The number of immigration consulting businesses in the location
• The local laws and regulations in the community/province
• Traffic, parking and security et al

b. What City is Best to Open an Immigration Consulting Business in Canada?

• Toronto, Ontario
• Montreal, Quebec
• Calgary, Alberta
• Ottawa, Ontario
• Edmonton, Alberta
• Winnipeg, Manitoba
• Mississauga, Ontario
• Vancouver, British Columbia
• Brampton, Ontario
• Hamilton, Ontario

c. What Equipment is Needed to Operate an Immigration Consulting Business in Canada?

You would need to buy software applications, computers/laptops, internet facility, telephone, fax machine, and office furniture (chairs, tables, and shelves) amongst others.

Hire Employees

When hiring employees for a standard Immigration consulting business in Canada, you should hire a competent Chief Executive Officer (President), Immigration Attorney (Consultant), Human Resources and Admin Manager, Account Manager, and Client Service Executive (Help Desk Office).

Launch the Business Proper

In recent times, no immigration consulting business in Canada opens business without first organizing an opening party to officially launch the business. You can do a soft opening party if you are operating on a low budget or you can go for a grand opening party for all and sundry. The bottom line is, with a proper launching of the immigration consulting business, you officially inform people in your city that your immigration consulting business is set for services.

a. What Makes an Immigration Consulting Business Successful?

• Choose a good location to launch the business
• Offer a robust immigration consulting service (give your customers options)
• Be deliberate with your marketing and sales approach
• Encourage the use of word of mouth to promote your immigration consulting business
• Leverage all available online and offline platforms to promote your immigration consulting business.

b. What Happens During a Typical Day at an Immigration Consulting Business in Canada?

• The office is open for the day’s work
• The to-do list is reviewed
• Employees go straight to their job description
• Marketers go all out to market the service offerings of the company
• Reports are written and submitted to superior officers
• The business is closed for the day.

c. What Skills and Experience Do You Need to Build an Immigration Consulting Business in Canada?

• Excellent communication and negotiation skills
• Organizational skills
• Problem-solving ability
• Good Supervisory skills
• Excellent marketing skills
• Excellent computer skills
• Ability to pay attention to details
• Good managerial and human development skills
• Good accounting and bookkeeping skills
• Visionary leadership
• Team-building and Interpersonal skills
• Experience in managing immigration consulting business
• Experience in business administration
• Experience in handling relevant software.

More on Business ideas

U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Russia

Social / search.

Yekaterinburg & Sverdlovsk Oblast

History, Politics, and Economics

Yekaterinburg lies at the crossroads between Europe and Asia, east of the slopes of the Ural Mountains in central Russia. The continental divide is 30 kilometers west of the city. Yekaterinburg is Russia’s third or fourth largest city with a population of 1.5 million. It was founded in 1723 and is named for Peter the Great’s wife, Catherine I. Peter recognized the importance of Yekaterinburg and the surrounding region for the rapid industrial development necessary to bolster Russia’s military power.Today, Yekaterinburg is primarily known both as a center of heavy industry and steel-making, the Russian equivalent of Pittsburgh, and as a major freight transportation hub. Its major industries include ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, chemicals, timber, and pulp and paper. Yekaterinburg has long been an important trading center for goods coming from Siberia, Central Asia and Europe. The city also has a reputation as a center of higher education and research. The Urals Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences is located there with its 18 institutes and numerous research facilities linked to industry. Yekaterinburg is also well known as a center for the performing arts. Its Opera and Ballet Theater dates back to 1912. The Urals Philharmonic Orchestra is the largest symphony orchestra in central Russia.

Yekaterinburg is the capital of Sverdlovsk Oblast (an oblast is the equivalent of a American state). Economically, Sverdlovsk is among 10 of the 89 administrative subdivisions of the Russian Federation that are net contributors to the federal budget. Sverdlovsk has produced many prominent political figures, including Russia’s first President, Boris Yeltsin, and Russia’s first elected Governor, Eduard Rossel. Since the establishment of the Russian Federation, Sverdlovsk Oblast has been one of the nation’s leaders in political and economic reform. In 1996, Sverdlovsk became the first oblast to conclude agreements with the Federal Government granting it greater political autonomy and the right to conduct its own foreign economic relations.

Economic reform has gathered momentum in Sverdlovsk Oblast. The majority of Sverdlovsk’s industries have been privatized. 75% of enterprises are at least partially owned by private interests. About three-quarters of retail sales and industrial output is generated by private enterprise. Services have grown to 40 percent of oblast GDP, up from only 16 percent in 1992. About 25,000 small businesses are registered in the oblast. Small businesses make up about one-third of the construction, trade and food service.

Industry and Natural Resources

Sverdlovvsk Oblast, like most of the Urals region, possesses abundant natural resources. It is one of Russia’s leaders in mineral extraction. Sverdlovsk produces 70% of Russia’s bauxite, 60% of asbestos, 23% of iron, 97% of vanadium, 6% of copper and 2% of nickel. Forests cover 65% of the oblast. It also produces 6% of Russia’s timber and 7% of its plywood. Sverdlovsk has the largest GDP of any oblast in the Urals. The oblast’s major exports include steel (20% of its foreign trade turnover), chemicals (11%), copper (11%), aluminum (8%) and titanium (3%). In terms of industrial output, Sverdlovsk ranks second only to Moscow Oblast and produces 5% of Russia’s total. Ferrous metallurgy and machine-building still constitute a major part of the oblast’s economy. Yekaterinburg is well known for its concentration of industrial manufacturing plants. The city’s largest factories produce oil extraction equipment, tubes and pipes, steel rollers, steam turbines and manufacturing equipment for other factories.

Non-ferrous metallurgy remains a growth sector. The Verkhnaya Salda Titanium Plant (VSMPO) is the largest titanium works in Russia and the second largest in the world. A second growth sector is food production and processing, with many firms purchasing foreign equipment to upgrade production. The financial crisis has increased demand for domestically produced foodstuffs, as consumers can no longer afford more expensive imported products. Many of Yekaterinburg’s leading food processors — including the Konfi Chocolate Factory, Myasomoltorg Ice-Cream Plant, Myasokombinat Meat Packing Plant and Patra Brewery — have remained financially stable and look forward to growth.

Foreign Trade and Investment

Sverdlovsk Oblast offers investors opportunities mainly in raw materials (metals and minerals) and heavy industries (oil extraction and pipeline equipment). There is also interest in importing Western products in the fields of telecommunications, food processing, safety and security systems, and medicine and construction materials. Both Sverdlovsk Oblast and Yekaterinburg city officials have encouraged foreign investment and created a receptive business climate. The oblast has a Foreign Investment Support Department and a website which profiles over 200 local companies. The city government opened its own investment support center in 1998 to assist foreign companies. Despite local efforts, foreign investors face the same problems in Yekaterinburg as they do elsewhere in Russia. Customs and tax issues top the list of problem areas.

Sverdlovsk Oblast leads the Urals in attracting foreign investment The top five foreign investors are the U.S., UK, Germany, China and Cyprus. About 70 foreign firms have opened representative offices in Yekaterinburg, including DHL, Ford, IBM, Proctor and Gamble, and Siemens. Lufthansa airlines has opened a station in Yekaterinburg and offers three flights per week to Frankfurt.

America is Sverdlovsk’s number one investor with $114 million in investment and 79 joint ventures. The three largest U.S. investors are Coca-Cola, Pepsi and USWest. Coca-Cola and Pepsi both opened bottling plants in Yekaterinburg in 1998. USWest has a joint venture, Uralwestcom, which is one of Yekaterinburg’s leading companies in cellular phone sales and service. America is Sverdlovsk Oblast’s number one trading partner. In 1998, Boeing signed a ten-year titanium supply contract valued at approximately $200 million with the VSMPO titanium plant. Besides the U.S., Sverdlovsk’s top trading partners include Holland, Kazakhstan, Germany and the UK.

Yekaterinburg, like most of Russia, has a continental climate. The city is located at the source of the Iset River and is surrounded by lakes and hills. Temperatures tend to be mild in summer and severe in winter. The average temperature in January is -15.5C (4F), but occasionally reaches -40C (-40F). The average temperature in July is 17.5C (64F), but occasionally reaches 40C (104F). Current weather in Yekaterinburg from  http://www.gismeteo.ru/ .

• Sverdlovsk Oblast Map
• Yekaterinburg Map

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• Places - European, Western and Northern Russia

YEKATERINBURG: FACTORIES, URAL SIGHTS, YELTSIN AND THE WHERE NICHOLAS II WAS KILLED

Sverdlovsk oblast.

Sverdlovsk Oblast is the largest region in the Urals; it lies in the foothills of mountains and contains a monument indicating the border between Europe and Asia. The region covers 194,800 square kilometers (75,200 square miles), is home to about 4.3 million people and has a population density of 22 people per square kilometer. About 83 percent of the population live in urban areas. Yekaterinburg is the capital and largest city, with 1.5 million people. For Russians, the Ural Mountains are closely associated with Pavel Bazhov's tales and known for folk crafts such as Kasli iron sculpture, Tagil painting, and copper embossing. Yekaterinburg is the birthplace of Russia’s iron and steel industry, taking advantage of the large iron deposits in the Ural mountains. The popular Silver Ring of the Urals tourist route starts here.

In the summer you can follow in the tracks of Yermak, climb relatively low Ural mountain peaks and look for boulders seemingly with human faces on them. You can head to the Gemstone Belt of the Ural mountains, which used to house emerald, amethyst and topaz mines. In the winter you can go ice fishing, ski and cross-country ski.

Sverdlovsk Oblast and Yekaterinburg are located near the center of Russia, at the crossroads between Europe and Asia and also the southern and northern parts of Russia. Winters are longer and colder than in western section of European Russia. Snowfalls can be heavy. Winter temperatures occasionally drop as low as - 40 degrees C (-40 degrees F) and the first snow usually falls in October. A heavy winter coat, long underwear and good boots are essential. Snow and ice make the sidewalks very slippery, so footwear with a good grip is important. Since the climate is very dry during the winter months, skin moisturizer plus lip balm are recommended. Be alert for mud on street surfaces when snow cover is melting (April-May). Patches of mud create slippery road conditions.

Yekaterinburg

Yekaterinburg (kilometer 1818 on the Trans-Siberian Railway) is the fourth largest city in Russia, with of 1.5 million and growth rate of about 12 percent, high for Russia. Located in the southern Ural mountains, it was founded by Peter the Great and named after his wife Catherine, it was used by the tsars as a summer retreat and is where tsar Nicholas II and his family were executed and President Boris Yeltsin lived most of his life and began his political career. The city is near the border between Europe and Asia.

Yekaterinburg (also spelled Ekaterinburg) is located on the eastern slope of the Ural Mountains in the headwaters of the Iset and Pyshma Rivers. The Iset runs through the city center. Three ponds — Verkh-Isetsky, Gorodskoy and Nizhne-Isetsky — were created on it. Yekaterinburg has traditionally been a city of mining and was once the center of the mining industry of the Urals and Siberia. Yekaterinburg remains a major center of the Russian armaments industry and is sometimes called the "Pittsburgh of Russia.". A few ornate, pastel mansions and wide boulevards are reminders of the tsarist era. The city is large enough that it has its own Metro system but is characterized mostly by blocky Soviet-era apartment buildings. The city has advanced under President Vladimir Putin and is now one of the fastest growing places in Russia, a country otherwise characterized by population declines

Yekaterinburg is technically an Asian city as it lies 32 kilometers east of the continental divide between Europe and Asia. The unofficial capital of the Urals, a key region in the Russian heartland, it is second only to Moscow in terms of industrial production and capital of Sverdlovsk oblast. Among the important industries are ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, machine building and metalworking, chemical and petrochemicals, construction materials and medical, light and food industries. On top of being home of numerous heavy industries and mining concerns, Yekaterinburg is also a major center for industrial research and development and power engineering as well as home to numerous institutes of higher education, technical training, and scientific research. In addition, Yekaterinburg is the largest railway junction in Russia: the Trans-Siberian Railway passes through it, the southern, northern, western and eastern routes merge in the city.

Accommodation: There are two good and affordable hotels — the 3-star Emerald and Parus hotels — located close to the city's most popular landmarks and main transport interchanges in the center of Yekaterinburg. Room prices start at RUB 1,800 per night.

History of Yekaterinburg

Yekaterinburg was founded in 1723 by Peter the Great and named after his wife Catherine I. It was used by the tsars as a summer retreat but was mainly developed as metalworking and manufacturing center to take advantage of the large deposits of iron and other minerals in the Ural mountains. It is best known to Americans as the place where the last Tsar and his family were murdered by the Bolsheviks in 1918 and near where American U-2 spy plane, piloted by Gary Powers, was shot down in 1960.

Peter the Great recognized the importance of the iron and copper-rich Urals region for Imperial Russia's industrial and military development. In November 1723, he ordered the construction of a fortress factory and an ironworks in the Iset River Valley, which required a dam for its operation. In its early years Yekaterinburg grew rich from gold and other minerals and later coal. The Yekaterinburg gold rush of 1745 created such a huge amount of wealth that one rich baron of that time hosted a wedding party that lasted a year. By the mid-18th century, metallurgical plants had sprung up across the Urals to cast cannons, swords, guns and other weapons to arm Russia’s expansionist ambitions. The Yekaterinburg mint produced most of Russia's coins. Explorations of the Trans-Baikal and Altai regions began here in the 18th century.

Iron, cast iron and copper were the main products. Even though Iron from the region went into the Eiffel Tower, the main plant in Yekaterinburg itself was shut down in 1808. The city still kept going through a mountain factory control system of the Urals. The first railway in the Urals was built here: in 1878, the Yekaterinburg-Perm railway branch connected the province's capital with the factories of the Middle Urals.

In the Soviet era the city was called Sverdlovsk (named after Yakov Sverdlov, the man who organized Nicholas II's execution). During the first five-year plans the city became industrial — old plants were reconstructed, new ones were built. The center of Yekaterinburg was formed to conform to the historical general plan of 1829 but was the layout was adjusted around plants and factories. In the Stalin era the city was a major gulag transhipment center. In World War II, many defense-related industries were moved here. It and the surrounding area were a center of the Soviet Union's military industrial complex. Soviet tanks, missiles and aircraft engines were made in the Urals. During the Cold War era, Yekaterinburg was a center of weapons-grade uranium enrichment and processing, warhead assembly and dismantlement. In 1979, 64 people died when anthrax leaked from a biological weapons facility. Yekaterinburg was a “Closed City” for 40 years during the Cold Soviet era and was not open to foreigners until 1991

In the early post-Soviet era, much like Pittsburgh in the 1970s, Yekaterinburg had a hard struggle d to cope with dramatic economic changes that have made its heavy industries uncompetitive on the world market. Huge defense plants struggled to survive and the city was notorious as an organized crime center in the 1990s, when its hometown boy Boris Yeltsin was President of Russia. By the 2000s, Yekaterinburg’s retail and service was taking off, the defense industry was reviving and it was attracting tech industries and investments related to the Urals’ natural resources. By the 2010s it was vying to host a world exhibition in 2020 (it lost, Dubai won) and it had McDonald’s, Subway, sushi restaurants, and Gucci, Chanel and Armani. There were Bentley and Ferrari dealerships but they closed down

Transportation in Yekaterinburg

Getting There: By Plane: Yekaterinburg is a three-hour flight from Moscow with prices starting at RUB 8,000, or a 3-hour flight from Saint Petersburg starting from RUB 9,422 (direct round-trip flight tickets for one adult passenger). There are also flights from Frankfurt, Istanbul, China and major cities in the former Soviet Union.

By Train: Yekaterinburg is a major stop on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Daily train service is available to Moscow and many other Russian cities.Yekaterinburg is a 32-hour train ride from Moscow (tickets RUB 8,380 and above) or a 36-hour train ride from Saint Petersburg (RUB 10,300 and above). The ticket prices are round trip for a berth in a sleeper compartment for one adult passenger). By Car: a car trip from Moscow to Yekateringburg is 1,787 kilometers long and takes about 18 hours. The road from Saint Petersburg is 2,294 kilometers and takes about 28 hours.

Regional Transport: The region's public transport includes buses and suburban electric trains. Regional trains provide transport to larger cities in the Ural region. Buses depart from Yekaterinburg’s two bus stations: the Southern Bus Station and the Northern Bus Station.

Regional Transport: According the to Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT): “Public transportation is well developed. Overcrowding is common. Fares are low. Service is efficient. Buses are the main form of public transport. Tram network is extensive. Fares are reasonable; service is regular. Trams are heavily used by residents, overcrowding is common. Purchase ticket after boarding. Metro runs from city center to Uralmash, an industrial area south of the city. Metro ends near the main railway station. Fares are inexpensive.

“Traffic is congested in city center. Getting around by car can be difficult. Route taxis (minivans) provide the fastest transport. They generally run on specific routes, but do not have specific stops. Drivers stop where passengers request. Route taxis can be hailed. Travel by bus or trolleybuses may be slow in rush hour. Trams are less affected by traffic jams. Trolley buses (electric buses) cannot run when temperatures drop below freezing.”

Entertainment, Sports and Recreation in Yekaterinburg

The performing arts in Yekaterinburg are first rate. The city has an excellent symphony orchestra, opera and ballet theater, and many other performing arts venues. Tickets are inexpensive. The Yekaterinburg Opera and Ballet Theater is lavishly designed and richly decorated building in the city center of Yekaterinburg. The theater was established in 1912 and building was designed by architect Vladimir Semyonov and inspired by the Vienna Opera House and the Theater of Opera and Ballet in Odessa.

Vaynera Street is a pedestrian only shopping street in city center with restaurants, cafes and some bars. But otherwise Yekaterinburg's nightlife options are limited. There are a handful of expensive Western-style restaurants and bars, none of them that great. Nightclubs serve the city's nouveau riche clientele. Its casinos have closed down. Some of them had links with organized crime. New dance clubs have sprung up that are popular with Yekaterinburg's more affluent youth.

Yekaterinburg's most popular spectator sports are hockey, basketball, and soccer. There are stadiums and arenas that host all three that have fairly cheap tickets. There is an indoor water park and lots of parks and green spaces. The Urals have many lakes, forests and mountains are great for hiking, boating, berry and mushroom hunting, swimming and fishing. Winter sports include cross-country skiing and ice skating. Winter lasts about six months and there’s usually plenty of snow. The nearby Ural Mountains however are not very high and the downhill skiing opportunities are limited..

Sights in Yekaterinburg

Sights in Yekaterinburg include the Museum of City Architecture and Ural Industry, with an old water tower and mineral collection with emeralds. malachite, tourmaline, jasper and other precious stone; Geological Alley, a small park with labeled samples of minerals found in the Urals region; the Ural Geology Museum, which houses an extensive collection of stones, gold and gems from the Urals; a monument marking the border between Europe and Asia; a memorial for gulag victims; and a graveyard with outlandish memorials for slain mafia members.

The Military History Museum houses the remains of the U-2 spy plane shot down in 1960 and locally made tanks and rocket launchers. The fine arts museum contains paintings by some of Russia's 19th-century masters. Also worth a look are the History an Local Studies Museum; the Political History and Youth Museum; and the University and Arboretum. Old wooden houses can be seen around Zatoutstovsya ulitsa and ulitsa Belinskogo. Around the city are wooded parks, lakes and quarries used to harvest a variety of minerals. Weiner Street is the main street of Yekaterinburg. Along it are lovely sculptures and 19th century architecture. Take a walk around the unique Literary Quarter

Plotinka is a local meeting spot, where you will often find street musicians performing. Plotinka can be described as the center of the city's center. This is where Yekaterinburg holds its biggest events: festivals, seasonal fairs, regional holiday celebrations, carnivals and musical fountain shows. There are many museums and open-air exhibitions on Plotinka. Plotinka is named after an actual dam of the city pond located nearby (“plotinka” means “a small dam” in Russian).In November 1723, Peter the Great ordered the construction of an ironworks in the Iset River Valley, which required a dam for its operation. “Iset” can be translated from Finnish as “abundant with fish”. This name was given to the river by the Mansi — the Finno-Ugric people dwelling on the eastern slope of the Northern Urals.

Vysotsky and Iset are skyscrapers that are 188.3 meters and 209 meters high, respectively. Fifty-story-high Iset has been described by locals as the world’s northernmost skyscraper. Before the construction of Iset, Vysotsky was the tallest building of Yekaterinburg and Russia (excluding Moscow). A popular vote has decided to name the skyscraper after the famous Soviet songwriter, singer and actor Vladimir Vysotsky. and the building was opened on November 25, 2011. There is a lookout at the top of the building, and the Vysotsky museum on its second floor. The annual “Vysotsky climb” (1137 steps) is held there, with a prize of RUB 100,000. While Vysotsky serves as an office building, Iset, owned by the Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company, houses 225 premium residential apartments ranging from 80 to 490 square meters in size.

Boris Yeltsin Presidential Center

The Boris Yeltsin Presidential Center (in the city center: ul. Yeltsina, 3) is a non-governmental organization named after the first president of the Russian Federation. The Museum of the First President of Russia as well as his archives are located in the Center. There is also a library, educational and children's centers, and exposition halls. Yeltsin lived most of his life and began his political career in Yekaterinburg. He was born in Butka about 200 kilometers east of Yekaterinburg.

The core of the Center is the Museum. Modern multimedia technologies help animate the documents, photos from the archives, and artifacts. The Yeltsin Museum holds collections of: propaganda posters, leaflets, and photos of the first years of the Soviet regime; portraits and portrait sculptures of members of Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of various years; U.S.S.R. government bonds and other items of the Soviet era; a copy of “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich” by Alexander Solzhenitsyn, published in the “Novy Mir” magazine (#11, 1962); perestroika-era editions of books by Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Vasily Grossman, and other authors; theater, concert, and cinema posters, programs, and tickets — in short, all of the artifacts of the perestroika era.

The Yeltsin Center opened in 2012. Inside you will also find an art gallery, a bookstore, a gift shop, a food court, concert stages and a theater. There are regular screenings of unique films that you will not find anywhere else. Also operating inside the center, is a scientific exploritorium for children. The center was designed by Boris Bernaskoni. Almost from the its very opening, the Yeltsin Center has been accused by members of different political entities of various ideological crimes. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00am to 9:00pm.

Where Nicholas II was Executed

On July, 17, 1918, during this reign of terror of the Russian Civil War, former-tsar Nicholas II, his wife, five children (the 13-year-old Alexis, 22-year-old Olga, 19-year-old Maria and 17-year-old Anastasia)the family physician, the cook, maid, and valet were shot to death by a Red Army firing squad in the cellar of the house they were staying at in Yekaterinburg.

Ipatiev House (near Church on the Blood, Ulitsa Libknekhta) was a merchant's house where Nicholas II and his family were executed. The house was demolished in 1977, on the orders of an up and coming communist politician named Boris Yeltsin. Yeltsin later said that the destruction of the house was an "act of barbarism" and he had no choice because he had been ordered to do it by the Politburo,

The site is marked with s cross with the photos of the family members and cross bearing their names. A small wooden church was built at the site. It contains paintings of the family. For a while there were seven traditional wooden churches. Mass is given ay noon everyday in an open-air museum. The Church on the Blood — constructed to honor Nicholas II and his family — was built on the part of the site in 1991 and is now a major place of pilgrimage.

Nicholas and his family where killed during the Russian civil war. It is thought the Bolsheviks figured that Nicholas and his family gave the Whites figureheads to rally around and they were better of dead. Even though the death orders were signed Yakov Sverdlov, the assassination was personally ordered by Lenin, who wanted to get them out of sight and out of mind. Trotsky suggested a trial. Lenin nixed the idea, deciding something had to be done about the Romanovs before White troops approached Yekaterinburg. Trotsky later wrote: "The decision was not only expedient but necessary. The severity of he punishment showed everyone that we would continue to fight on mercilessly, stopping at nothing."

Ian Frazier wrote in The New Yorker: “Having read a lot about the end of Tsar Nicholas II and his family and servants, I wanted to see the place in Yekaterinburg where that event occurred. The gloomy quality of this quest depressed Sergei’s spirits, but he drove all over Yekaterinburg searching for the site nonetheless. Whenever he stopped and asked a pedestrian how to get to the house where Nicholas II was murdered, the reaction was a wince. Several people simply walked away. But eventually, after a lot of asking, Sergei found the location. It was on a low ridge near the edge of town, above railroad tracks and the Iset River. The house, known as the Ipatiev House, was no longer standing, and the basement where the actual killings happened had been filled in. I found the blankness of the place sinister and dizzying. It reminded me of an erasure done so determinedly that it had worn a hole through the page. [Source: Ian Frazier, The New Yorker, August 3, 2009, Frazier is author of “Travels in Siberia” (2010)]

“The street next to the site is called Karl Liebknecht Street. A building near where the house used to be had a large green advertisement that said, in English, “LG—Digitally Yours.” On an adjoining lot, a small chapel kept the memory of the Tsar and his family; beneath a pedestal holding an Orthodox cross, peonies and pansies grew. The inscription on the pedestal read, “We go down on our knees, Russia, at the foot of the tsarist cross.”

Books: The Romanovs: The Final Chapter by Robert K. Massie (Random House, 1995); The Fall of the Romanovs by Mark D. Steinberg and Vladimir Khrustalëv (Yale, 1995);

See Separate Article END OF NICHOLAS II factsanddetails.com

Execution of Nicholas II

According to Robert Massie K. Massie, author of Nicholas and Alexandra, Nicholas II and his family were awakened from their bedrooms around midnight and taken to the basement. They were told they were to going to take some photographs of them and were told to stand behind a row of chairs.

Suddenly, a group of 11 Russians and Latvians, each with a revolver, burst into the room with orders to kill a specific person. Yakob Yurovsky, a member of the Soviet executive committee, reportedly shouted "your relatives are continuing to attack the Soviet Union.” After firing, bullets bouncing off gemstones hidden in the corsets of Alexandra and her daughters ricocheted around the room like "a shower of hail," the soldiers said. Those that were still breathing were killed with point black shots to the head.

The three sisters and the maid survived the first round thanks to their gems. They were pressed up against a wall and killed with a second round of bullets. The maid was the only one that survived. She was pursued by the executioners who stabbed her more than 30 times with their bayonets. The still writhing body of Alexis was made still by a kick to the head and two bullets in the ear delivered by Yurovsky himself.

Yurovsky wrote: "When the party entered I told the Romanovs that in view of the fact their relatives continued their offensive against Soviet Russia, the Executive Committee of the Urals Soviet had decided to shoot them. Nicholas turned his back to the detachment and faced his family. Then, as if collecting himself, he turned around, asking, 'What? What?'"

"[I] ordered the detachment to prepare. Its members had been previously instructed whom to shoot and to am directly at the heart to avoid much blood and to end more quickly. Nicholas said no more. he turned again to his family. The others shouted some incoherent exclamations. All this lasted a few seconds. Then commenced the shooting, which went on for two or three minutes. [I] killed Nicholas on the spot."

Nicholas II’s Initial Burial Site in Yekaterinburg

Ganina Yama Monastery (near the village of Koptyaki, 15 kilometers northwest of Yekaterinburg) stands near the three-meter-deep pit where some the remains of Nicholas II and his family were initially buried. The second burial site — where most of the remains were — is in a field known as Porosyonkov (56.9113628°N 60.4954326°E), seven kilometers from Ganina Yama.

On visiting Ganina Yama Monastery, one person posted in Trip Advisor: “We visited this set of churches in a pretty park with Konstantin from Ekaterinburg Guide Centre. He really brought it to life with his extensive knowledge of the history of the events surrounding their terrible end. The story is so moving so unless you speak Russian, it is best to come here with a guide or else you will have no idea of what is what.”

In 1991, the acid-burned remains of Nicholas II and his family were exhumed from a shallow roadside mass grave in a swampy area 12 miles northwest of Yekaterinburg. The remains had been found in 1979 by geologist and amateur archeologist Alexander Avdonin, who kept the location secret out of fear that they would be destroyed by Soviet authorities. The location was disclosed to a magazine by one his fellow discovers.

The original plan was to throw the Romanovs down a mine shaft and disposes of their remains with acid. They were thrown in a mine with some grenades but the mine didn't collapse. They were then carried by horse cart. The vats of acid fell off and broke. When the carriage carrying the bodies broke down it was decided the bury the bodies then and there. The remaining acid was poured on the bones, but most of it was soaked up the ground and the bones largely survived.

After this their pulses were then checked, their faces were crushed to make them unrecognizable and the bodies were wrapped in bed sheets loaded onto a truck. The "whole procedure," Yurovsky said took 20 minutes. One soldiers later bragged than he could "die in peace because he had squeezed the Empress's -------."

The bodies were taken to a forest and stripped, burned with acid and gasoline, and thrown into abandoned mine shafts and buried under railroad ties near a country road near the village of Koptyaki. "The bodies were put in the hole," Yurovsky wrote, "and the faces and all the bodies, generally doused with sulfuric acid, both so they couldn't be recognized and prevent a stink from them rotting...We scattered it with branches and lime, put boards on top and drove over it several times—no traces of the hole remained.

Shortly afterwards, the government in Moscow announced that Nicholas II had been shot because of "a counterrevolutionary conspiracy." There was no immediate word on the other members of the family which gave rise to rumors that other members of the family had escaped. Yekaterinburg was renamed Sverdlov in honor of the man who signed the death orders.

For seven years the remains of Nicholas II, Alexandra, three of their daughters and four servants were stored in polyethylene bags on shelves in the old criminal morgue in Yekaterunburg. On July 17, 1998, Nicholas II and his family and servants who were murdered with him were buried Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg along with the other Romanov tsars, who have been buried there starting with Peter the Great. Nicholas II had a side chapel built for himself at the fortress in 1913 but was buried in a new crypt.

Near Yekaterinburg

Factory-Museum of Iron and Steel Metallurgy (in Niznhy Tagil 80 kilometers north of Yekaterinburg) a museum with old mining equipment made at the site of huge abandoned iron and steel factory. Officially known as the Factory-Museum of the History of the Development of Iron and Steel Metallurgy, it covers an area of 30 hectares and contains a factory founded by the Demidov family in 1725 that specialized mainly in the production of high-quality cast iron and steel. Later, the foundry was renamed after Valerian Kuybyshev, a prominent figure of the Communist Party.

The first Russian factory museum, the unusual museum demonstrates all stages of metallurgy and metal working. There is even a blast furnace and an open-hearth furnace. The display of factory equipment includes bridge crane from 1892) and rolling stock equipment from the 19th-20th centuries. In Niznhy Tagil contains some huge blocks of malachite and

Nizhnyaya Sinyachikha (180 kilometers east-northeast of Yekaterinburg) has an open air architecture museum with log buildings, a stone church and other pre-revolutionary architecture. The village is the creation of Ivan Samoilov, a local activist who loved his village so much he dedicated 40 years of his life to recreating it as the open-air museum of wooden architecture.

The stone Savior Church, a good example of Siberian baroque architecture. The interior and exterior of the church are exhibition spaces of design. The houses are very colorful. In tsarist times, rich villagers hired serfs to paint the walls of their wooden izbas (houses) bright colors. Old neglected buildings from the 17th to 19th centuries have been brought to Nizhnyaya Sinyachikha from all over the Urals. You will see the interior design of the houses and hear stories about traditions and customs of the Ural farmers.

Verkhoturye (330 kilometers road from Yekaterinburg) is the home a 400-year-old monastery that served as 16th century capital of the Urals. Verkhoturye is a small town on the Tura River knows as the Jerusalem of the Urals for its many holy places, churches and monasteries. The town's main landmark is its Kremlin — the smallest in Russia. Pilgrims visit the St. Nicholas Monastery to see the remains of St. Simeon of Verkhoturye, the patron saint of fishermen.

Ural Mountains

Ural Mountains are the traditional dividing line between Europe and Asia and have been a crossroads of Russian history. Stretching from Kazakhstan to the fringes of the Arctic Kara Sea, the Urals lie almost exactly along the 60 degree meridian of longitude and extend for about 2,000 kilometers (1,300 miles) from north to south and varies in width from about 50 kilometers (30 miles) in the north and 160 kilometers (100 miles) the south. At kilometers 1777 on the Trans-Siberian Railway there is white obelisk with "Europe" carved in Russian on one side and "Asia" carved on the other.

The eastern side of the Urals contains a lot of granite and igneous rock. The western side is primarily sandstone and limestones. A number of precious stones can be found in the southern part of the Urals, including emeralds. malachite, tourmaline, jasper and aquamarines. The highest peaks are in the north. Mount Narodnaya is the highest of all but is only 1884 meters (6,184 feet) high. The northern Urals are covered in thick forests and home to relatively few people.

Like the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States, the Urals are very old mountains — with rocks and sediments that are hundreds of millions years old — that were one much taller than they are now and have been steadily eroded down over millions of years by weather and other natural processes to their current size. According to Encyclopedia Britannica: “The rock composition helps shape the topography: the high ranges and low, broad-topped ridges consist of quartzites, schists, and gabbro, all weather-resistant. Buttes are frequent, and there are north–south troughs of limestone, nearly all containing river valleys. Karst topography is highly developed on the western slopes of the Urals, with many caves, basins, and underground streams. The eastern slopes, on the other hand, have fewer karst formations; instead, rocky outliers rise above the flattened surfaces. Broad foothills, reduced to peneplain, adjoin the Central and Southern Urals on the east.

“The Urals date from the structural upheavals of the Hercynian orogeny (about 250 million years ago). About 280 million years ago there arose a high mountainous region, which was eroded to a peneplain. Alpine folding resulted in new mountains, the most marked upheaval being that of the Nether-Polar Urals...The western slope of the Urals is composed of middle Paleozoic sedimentary rocks (sandstones and limestones) that are about 350 million years old. In many places it descends in terraces to the Cis-Ural depression (west of the Urals), to which much of the eroded matter was carried during the late Paleozoic (about 300 million years ago). Found there are widespread karst (a starkly eroded limestone region) and gypsum, with large caverns and subterranean streams. On the eastern slope, volcanic layers alternate with sedimentary strata, all dating from middle Paleozoic times.”

Southern Urals

The southern Urals are characterized by grassy slopes and fertile valleys. The middle Urals are a rolling platform that barely rises above 300 meters (1,000 feet). This region is rich in minerals and has been heavily industrialized. This is where you can find Yekaterinburg (formally Sverdlovsk), the largest city in the Urals.

Most of the Southern Urals are is covered with forests, with 50 percent of that pine-woods, 44 percent birch woods, and the rest are deciduous aspen and alder forests. In the north, typical taiga forests are the norm. There are patches of herbal-poaceous steppes, northem sphagnous marshes and bushy steppes, light birch forests and shady riparian forests, tall-grass mountainous meadows, lowland ling marshes and stony placers with lichen stains. In some places there are no large areas of homogeneous forests, rather they are forests with numerous glades and meadows of different size.

In the Ilmensky Mountains Reserve in the Southern Urals, scientists counted 927 vascular plants (50 relicts, 23 endemic species), about 140 moss species, 483 algae species and 566 mushroom species. Among the species included into the Red Book of Russia are feather grass, downy-leaved feather grass, Zalessky feather grass, moccasin flower, ladies'-slipper, neottianthe cucullata, Baltic orchis, fen orchis, helmeted orchis, dark-winged orchis, Gelma sandwart, Krasheninnikov sandwart, Clare astragalus.

The fauna of the vertebrate animals in the Reserve includes 19 fish, 5 amphibian and 5 reptile. Among the 48 mammal species are elks, roe deer, boars, foxes, wolves, lynxes, badgers, common weasels, least weasels, forest ferrets, Siberian striped weasel, common marten, American mink. Squirrels, beavers, muskrats, hares, dibblers, moles, hedgehogs, voles are quite common, as well as chiropterans: pond bat, water bat, Brandt's bat, whiskered bat, northern bat, long-eared bat, parti-coloured bat, Nathusius' pipistrelle. The 174 bird bird species include white-tailed eagles, honey hawks, boreal owls, gnome owls, hawk owls, tawny owls, common scoters, cuckoos, wookcocks, common grouses, wood grouses, hazel grouses, common partridges, shrikes, goldenmountain thrushes, black- throated loons and others.

Activities and Places in the Ural Mountains

The Urals possess beautiful natural scenery that can be accessed from Yekaterinburg with a rent-a-car, hired taxi and tour. Travel agencies arrange rafting, kayaking and hiking trips. Hikes are available in the taiga forest and the Urals. Trips often include walks through the taiga to small lakes and hikes into the mountains and excursions to collect mushrooms and berries and climb in underground caves. Mellow rafting is offered in a relatively calm six kilometer section of the River Serga. In the winter visitor can enjoy cross-mountains skiing, downhill skiing, ice fishing, dog sledding, snow-shoeing and winter hiking through the forest to a cave covered with ice crystals.

Lake Shartash (10 kilometers from Yekaterinburg) is where the first Ural gold was found, setting in motion the Yekaterinburg gold rush of 1745, which created so much wealth one rich baron of that time hosted a wedding party that lasted a year. The area around Shartash Lake is a favorite picnic and barbecue spot of the locals. Getting There: by bus route No. 50, 054 or 54, with a transfer to suburban commuter bus route No. 112, 120 or 121 (the whole trip takes about an hour), or by car (10 kilometers drive from the city center, 40 minutes).

Revun Rapids (90 kilometers road from Yekaterinburg near Beklenishcheva village) is a popular white water rafting places On the nearby cliffs you can see the remains of a mysterious petroglyph from the Paleolithic period. Along the steep banks, you may notice the dark entrance of Smolinskaya Cave. There are legends of a sorceress who lived in there. The rocks at the riverside are suited for competitive rock climbers and beginners. Climbing hooks and rings are hammered into rocks. The most fun rafting is generally in May and June.

Olenii Ruchii National Park (100 kilometers west of Yekaterinburg) is the most popular nature park in Sverdlovsk Oblast and popular weekend getaway for Yekaterinburg residents. Visitors are attracted by the beautiful forests, the crystal clear Serga River and picturesque rocks caves. There are some easy hiking routes: the six-kilometer Lesser Ring and the 15-kilometer Greater Ring. Another route extends for 18 km and passes by the Mitkinsky Mine, which operated in the 18th-19th centuries. It's a kind of an open-air museum — you can still view mining an enrichment equipment here. There is also a genuine beaver dam nearby.

Among the other attractions at Olenii Ruchii are Druzhba (Friendship) Cave, with passages that extend for about 500 meters; Dyrovaty Kamen (Holed Stone), created over time by water of Serga River eroding rock; and Utoplennik (Drowned Man), where you can see “The Angel of Sole Hope”., created by the Swedish artist Lehna Edwall, who has placed seven angels figures in different parts of the world to “embrace the planet, protecting it from fear, despair, and disasters.”

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: Federal Agency for Tourism of the Russian Federation (official Russia tourism website russiatourism.ru ), Russian government websites, UNESCO, Wikipedia, Lonely Planet guides, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, National Geographic, The New Yorker, Bloomberg, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Yomiuri Shimbun and various books and other publications.

Updated in September 2020

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