Starting a business in the United States as a foreign national involves far more than filing a registration form. You’ll face decisions about legal structure, federal and state taxes, banking, visas for you and your team, and ongoing compliance — each with real consequences if handled incorrectly.
That’s where we come in. We specialize in helping small and medium-sized enterprises from Latin America, Europe, and beyond gain U.S. market access — guiding you step by step, without the costly missteps most companies only make once.
From your first strategic decision to your tenth year of compliant operations, we guide you through every stage.
The right legal structure from day one protects your assets, optimizes your tax position, and sets the foundation for everything that follows.
For foreign-owned businesses, the three most common paths are:
Each option carries different tax consequences in both the U.S. and your home country. We coordinate with advisors in both jurisdictions, so your choice serves your full international picture.
Where you incorporate is a strategic decision, not just an administrative one:
We advise on the optimal state based on your industry, tax profile, and operational plans — not just a generic rule of thumb.
We manage the formation filings, obtain your Federal Tax ID, and guide you through business banking — including the specific steps that apply to non-U.S. owners.
We prepare and file your formation documents with the appropriate state office and appoint a registered agent on your behalf.
Every U.S. entity needs an EIN to open bank accounts, hire staff, and file taxes. For foreign owners without a U.S. Social Security Number, the IRS process requires extra steps (Form SS-4, submitted by fax or mail). We manage it to avoid delays.
If your business operates in more than one state — an office, employees, or regular contracts — you must register as a “foreign entity” in each one. We handle these filings and ongoing compliance across all relevant states.
U.S. banks require identity verification, entity documents, and confirmation of the EIN. We prepare your documentation package and connect you with banking partners experienced with foreign-owned entities.
If you don’t yet have a physical U.S. office, a virtual office gives you a legitimate U.S. business address — essential for banking, state registration, and registered agent purposes.
Under recent changes to the Corporate Transparency Act, companies formed inside the U.S. are currently exempt from reporting beneficial ownership to FinCEN. However, foreign companies that register to do business in a U.S. state may still have reporting obligations, and the rules in this area continue to evolve. We assess whether your specific structure triggers a filing requirement and keep you compliant as the regulations develop.
Every U.S. company must have a registered agent — a local representative who receives official and legal correspondence. For a foreign-based owner, this is essential, and we arrange it for you.
A registered agent is a person or company designated to receive legal notices, government correspondence, and compliance reminders on your business’s behalf, during business hours, in each state where you are registered. It is a legal requirement in every U.S. state.
As a foreign-based owner, you are unlikely to have someone available in the U.S. to fill this role. Through our trusted partners, we arrange registered agent coverage for you in all 50 states, so your company stays properly represented and never misses a critical notice.
Most states require periodic reports to keep your company in “good standing.” A missed filing can mean penalties or even administrative dissolution. We track your deadlines and file on your behalf.
Many industries require additional federal, state, or local licenses in addition to entity registration. We research what applies to your business and location and manage the applications.
The U.S. maintains an open investment environment, and most small and medium-sized businesses face no special restrictions on foreign ownership. A few frameworks are still worth understanding before you invest.
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States reviews certain foreign investments for national security implications. This mainly affects the defense, critical infrastructure, and advanced technology sectors. Most small business setups fall well outside its scope.
A small number of industries — such as commercial aviation, broadcast media, and certain financial services — have legal limits on foreign ownership. We identify whether your sector is affected before you structure your investment.
The U.S. government actively encourages foreign investment through SelectUSA, which can connect you with state-level incentives, site-selection help, and federal agency contacts. We help you determine whether its resources apply to your business.
The U.S. taxes at three levels — federal, state, and local — with specific rules for foreign-owned businesses. We make your obligations clear before they become surprises.
State obligations vary widely. Depending on your location and activities, you may owe income or franchise tax, sales tax, and face economic nexus rules — some of which apply based on sales volume even without a physical presence in the state.
If you hire U.S. employees, you must withhold and remit Social Security, Medicare, and unemployment taxes. U.S. payroll compliance is detail-intensive and deadline-driven, and we help you get it right from the first hire.
The U.S. has income tax treaties with more than 60 countries. These can significantly reduce withholding on dividends, royalties, and other payments — and, in some cases, prevent the same income from being taxed twice. We help you identify the treaties that apply to your situation and structure your operations to benefit from them.
Starting a U.S. business may also open immigration pathways for you, your family, and your key people. We help you find the right one.
Your U.S. entity can serve as the basis for several visa options. We help you understand your options and navigate the process, and connect you with licensed immigration attorneys when your case calls for legal counsel.
For nationals of treaty countries who invest a substantial amount in a U.S. business. It lets you live and work in the U.S. while running your company, and can be renewed indefinitely as long as the business stays active.
For managers, executives, or specialized-knowledge employees transferring from a foreign parent or affiliate to the U.S. entity. Requires at least one year of employment with the foreign company in the past three years.
A green-card (permanent residence) pathway for investors who deploy at least $800,000–$1,050,000 in a U.S. business that creates at least 10 full-time U.S. jobs.
For individuals with demonstrated extraordinary achievement in business, science, the arts, or athletics. A strong fit for high-profile founders and technical leaders.
For shorter-term business activities — meetings, contract negotiations, due diligence — before committing to a longer-term immigration strategy.
Each pathway has its own requirements, timelines, and ongoing obligations. We help you identify the right option and guide you through the process from start to finish.
Forming your company is day one. Keeping it in good standing — across every jurisdiction, deadline, and rule change — is the ongoing work. We handle that for you.
U.S. federal and state employment law is complex and varies by state. If you hire U.S. workers, you’ll need employment contracts, policies, and payroll procedures that comply with wage laws, anti-discrimination rules, and more.
Your brand, inventions, and creative work can be protected in the U.S. through trademarks, patents, and copyrights. We connect you with IP specialists to secure your assets in the American market.
When your home-country corporate documents need to be recognized by U.S. authorities (or vice versa), they often require an apostille or authentication under the Hague Convention. We manage this process so your documents are accepted without delay.
Our multilingual team translates corporate documents, contracts, and filings in-house — so you don’t need a separate translation vendor, and your process stays integrated.
No. Both LLCs and C-Corporations can be fully owned by non-U.S. citizens and non-residents — there are no nationality or residency requirements. Your tax and banking situation will differ from that of a U.S.-based owner’s, which is exactly where getting the structure right from the start matters.
Forming a new entity means creating a brand-new U.S. LLC or Corporation. Foreign Qualification registers your existing foreign company to do business in a specific U.S. state, without creating a new entity. The right choice depends on your structure, tax strategy, and goals — and we help you decide.
Sometimes. Some banks and financial providers allow remote account opening for foreign-owned entities, though requirements vary and often change. We help you identify banking partners that work with international clients and prepare your documents to make the process as smooth as possible.
Yes — it’s a legal requirement. Every U.S. entity must maintain a registered agent in its state of formation (and in each state where it’s qualified to do business) to receive legal and government correspondence. As a foreign-based owner, you’ll almost certainly need a professional registered agent service, which we arrange for you.
It varies by situation. Entity formation itself can take just a few business days in some states, but obtaining your EIN, opening a bank account, and any immigration steps add time. A realistic end-to-end timeline — entity formed, EIN received, bank account open, initial visa filed — is typically a few weeks to a few months, depending on your home country and goals.
Both. We manage formation, registration, compliance tracking, document preparation, and translation directly. For services that require licensed professionals — immigration attorneys, CPAs, IP specialists, registered agents — we coordinate with a vetted network, so you have a single point of contact throughout the process.
Expanding your SME to the U.S. is a significant step. You need a partner who understands it from a foreign investor’s perspective.
We’re here to guide your U.S. launch and growth from start to finish. Contact us today for a consultation, and let’s get started.
