This startup automates US visa applications

This article is a part of Startup Spotlight, a series that features young, up-and-coming startups.

Image credit: Timmy Loen

While working as a venture capital investor, Frederick Ng watched SaaS and AI founders struggle to expand to the US. Poor legal advice often pushed these entrepreneurs into the wrong visa categories.

He teamed up with former college flatmate Arnold Ip to launch Beyond Border.

😟 Problem

Applying for US work and immigration visas often involves lengthy documentation, legal review, and complex eligibility requirements. Traditional immigration law firms frequently rely on manual processes that can take several months to complete.

Many applicants only know about the restrictive H1-B visa, which carries a 33% approval chance and strict quotas. Information asymmetry leaves founders unaware of alternative pathways.

💡 Solution

The startup provides a technology platform designed to help founders and technology professionals prepare US visa applications.

The platform offers the following capabilities:

• Uses an AI workflow trained on US immigration data to draft 700-page applications.
• Focuses on the O-1 visa and EB-1A green card pathways, which have no quotas.
• Partners with specialized US-based immigration attorneys to provide legal judgment.
• Reduces petition-ready time to an average of one month.

Image credit: Beyond Border

📊 Market size

US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data for the 2025 fiscal year shows 150,000 annual applications for O-1, EB-1, and EB2-NIW visas. The average price of an extraordinary talent visa is US$10,000. This volume creates a total addressable market of US$1.5 billion.

🤝 Team

• Frederick Ng. Co-founder. He previously worked as an investor at Square Peg and served as general manager at Glints.
• Arnold Ip. Co-founder. He previously held product management roles at Solifi and Linedata.

🚀 Traction

• Reached a seven-figure annual revenue run rate while remaining bootstrapped and profitable since launch.
• Maintains a 98% approval rate across all visa categories served.
• Secures clients from major accelerators like Y Combinator, Techstars, and Antler.
• Handles over 800 queries per month from senior professionals at companies like Walmart and Microsoft.

🏆 Competition

💰 Financials

🚩 Risks