Coming soon 🦅 🇺🇸
So excited to start Extraordinary Aliens!
I’ve become somewhat obsessed (and very knowledgeable) with building startups in the US, as an immigrant.
There are tons of things that go into it, and some are tricky to find out on your own.
I’ll use this space to talk about:
How to hack your way to an O1 visa
Achieving “freelancer status” in the US
Building community in the US
Making friends with the IFRS & tax-related things
Not getting deported 101
Crafting the perfect GTM
Incorporation & Flips
Set-up when moving from the motherland from banking to insurance
Cultural norms
SF Community Events
& many more; send requests!
About me
Hey, I’m Noemie (no-ey-me) — nice to meet you!
I’m a French (-ish) national; I moved to the UK when I was 18 and have lived all over ever since. I’m a Schengen baby and, by extension, a firm believer we should be able to work/live anywhere we’d like easily.
I’ve been helping early-stage startups for the past five years, in Europe and the US. I run the On Deck Founders Program (ODF), where we help people start better companies. Before I started my own immigration process, I had witnessed how painful it was for founders through ODF.
A year ago, I decided I wanted to move to SF, and it was a hellish process. Even with my company sponsoring me, it was hard to find any answers about coming to the US: I failed the H1B lottery and was desperate. A prominent immigration lawyer told me that I didn’t stand any chance “unless I scaled Airbnb in Europe” (not true) and suggested “I get married to save company funds”.
I spent three months building my credentials, got my O1 visa, and moved to SF. Now, I'm teaching folks in ODF and beyond how they can hack the process, too!
I want to open-source immigration (& startup-adjacent knowledge) to make it easier for anyone with an American dream.
Let’s bring more aliens to the US!
Alien of extraordinary ability is an alien classification by United States Immigration Services. The United States may grant a priority visa to an alien who is able to demonstrate “extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business or athletics.”
If you’re feeling generous, pledge $$$ to sponsor my green card!