Two routes dominate the founder conversation in the US, and neither involves a lottery. E-2 turns on treaty nationality and invested capital; L-1A turns on a year of employment abroad and a real corporate structure. The permanence question usually decides it.
The H-1B is no longer a safe default. O-1, L-1, E-2, treaty routes such as TN and E-3, cap-exempt filing and self-petition Green Cards — an honest assessment of who each one actually suits.
EB-1A and EB-2 NIW both let you petition for yourself, but they ask different questions. EB-1A looks back at proven acclaim; NIW looks forward at the national importance of your work. How to tell which one fits.
