Oh, it's even worse than you think. The visa category (J-1) I investigated using for a similar proposal I pitched to 500 two years back is controlled by a small

Oh, it's even worse than you think. The visa category (J-1) I investigated using for a similar proposal I pitched to 500 two years back is controlled by a small industry of academia-affiliated shops to place foreign students. DHS/USCIS farms out its selection process to these firms who have to sponsor applicants. Under the letter of the law, I proposed using J-1 visas (Specialist or Trainee as appropriate, http://j1visa.state.gov/programs http://j1visa.state.gov/programs) via 500 for at least for founders from countries exempt from the two-year mandatory return period. But the American Immigration Lawyers Association/American Immigration Council had a staffer who explained the way things really work to me in shooting down the proposal.