International founder stack: US LLC + EOR + immigration

Pursuing O-1, EB-1A, or E-2 from outside the US? You need a US LLC first, banking + EOR for any employees, and immigration counsel for the visa filing itself. Match your most urgent need.

1. What's your most urgent need right now?

Form a US LLC (or C-corp) - first step before everything else EOR / payroll / hire international employees File the actual visa (O-1, EB-1A, E-2) All of the above - I haven't started yet

2. Are you currently in the US or abroad?

In the US on another visa (F-1, H-1B, etc.) Abroad, planning to come

3. Country of birth treaty status (for E-2)?

Treaty country (UK, Canada, Germany, EU, Australia, Japan, etc.) Non-treaty country (India, China, Brazil, many others) Not sure

4. Strongest evidence you have right now?

Major press / awards / academic recognition Brand-name VC / accelerator backing (YC, a16z, etc.) Real revenue + paying customers Patents or published research None of these yet

5. Capital available for incorporation + legal?

Under $5k (lean as possible) $5-20k $20k+ (willing to invest in the right stack)

Name (for the match): Email:

Start your US incorporation with Firstbase →

Stack-fit by need

Need	Best fit	Why
Form a US LLC fast (lean / under $5k)	Doola	$297 base price, Wyoming option saves $240/yr, includes EIN. PartnerStack affiliate.
Form a US LLC with strongest banking integration	Firstbase	$399, integrates with Mercury, no EIN needed for banking. 10% lifetime referral commission.
EOR + payroll + immigration filings in one	Deel	Covers EOR for global hires AND has internal immigration team. Up to $1,500 per signup.
Actual O-1 / EB-1A visa filing	Vetted immigration attorney	For visa filing itself, we personally connect you to a vetted immigration attorney based on your visa path (EB-1A, O-1A, H-1B, family-based) and country of origin. Typical flat-fee $5k-15k.

Why this is a stack, not a competition: a typical international founder pursuing O-1 or EB-1A goes through ALL FOUR of these in sequence. Doola or Firstbase first (LLC), then Deel (EOR for any hires), then a vetted immigration attorney for the visa filing itself. The page routes you to your most urgent step.

Path comparison

Path	Best when	Typical timeline
O-1A	Awards, major press, or brand-name VC backing	2-4 months (premium processing)
EB-1A	Stronger evidence than O-1; goal is green card directly	8-18 months
E-2	Treaty-country founder investing $50k+ into a US entity	2-3 months at consulate

FAQ

Doola vs Firstbase for non-US founder?: Doola is cheaper ($297 vs $399), Wyoming-friendly, simpler. Firstbase has stronger banking integration (works with Mercury without EIN). Both have legitimate affiliate programs. Pick by price sensitivity vs banking ease.
Why does Deel show up here?: Deel runs both an EOR product (for hiring international employees) AND an immigration team (for filing visas like O-1, EB-1A). One Deel relationship covers both needs.
How does the visa filing referral work?: Immigration filing is a relationship business — there's no public affiliate program for tech-enabled immigration firms (we vetted Boundless and confirmed they don't operate one). Instead, we maintain direct relationships with 2-3 vetted immigration firms experienced in EB-1A, O-1A, H-1B, and family-based petitions across different countries of origin. When you tell us your situation via the form, we route you to the right attorney for your specific path. No fee from you — the attorney pays a referral fee only if you retain them.

Prefer a personal recommendation?

Tell us your situation and we'll forward your details to the vendor you matched with above — they'll follow up with you directly. Same price either way; we earn a referral fee from the vendor only if you sign up. No bot, no spam, no quota. We earn a referral fee from the vendor only if you eventually sign up; you pay the same price either way.

middot; Affiliate disclosure