Attorney Erin Murphy Receives First International Entrepreneur Parole (IEP) Approval at IDC

Attorney Erin Murphy recently received an approval of our first International Entrepreneur Parole (IEP) application for a client who founded a U.S.-based start-up company.  From the date of submission to USCIS, the process took approximately 13 months. The International Entrepreneur Parole program was first introduced by the Obama administration and was put on hold through the Trump administration.  Only one IEP application received an approval during the Obama administration. 

On May 10, 2021, the Biden administration revived the rule and began accepting applications again. Entrepreneurs applying for parole under this rule must demonstrate that they:

• Possess a substantial ownership interest in a start-up entity created within the past five years in the United States that has substantial potential for rapid growth and job creation.

• Have a central and active role in the start-up entity such that they are well-positioned to substantially assist with the growth and success of the business.

• Will provide a significant public benefit to the United States based on their role as an entrepreneur of the start-up entity by showing that:

  • The start-up entity has received a significant investment of capital from certain qualified U.S. investors with established records of successful investments;

    • Qualified investors are defined as U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (or organizations owned or controlled primarily by U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents) that have made investments to start-up entities over the past 5 years totaling at least $633,952; and

    • Following the investment, at least 2 of these start up entities each created at least 5 qualified jobs or generated at least $528,293 in revenue with average annualized revenue growth of at least 20 percent.

  • The start-up entity has received significant awards or grants for economic development, research and development, or job creation (or other types of grants or awards typically given to start-up entities) from federal, state, or local government entities that regularly provide such awards or grants to start-up entities; or

  • They partially meet either or both of the previous two requirements and provide additional reliable and compelling evidence of the start-up entity’s substantial potential for rapid growth and job creation.

• Otherwise merit a favorable exercise of discretion.

A grant of International Entrepreneur Parole allows the parolee to travel to the U.S. to work for their start-up company for an initial period of up to 30 months.   The parole can be extended for an additional 30 months if the applicant can show continued growth and success of the start-up.  More information can be found on USCIS’s web page for the program, and the Federal Register’s notice can be found here.