Nomad Lawyer

United States Visa-Franchise Opportunities

Many of our visa franchise clients leverage their successful entrepreneurial or investor background in order to take advantage of the endless opportunities of the United States marketplace. There are many lucrative franchise investment opportunities, but finding a reliable source for professional representation, and sorting through those that meet the immigration requirements is a big challenge.  

Our visa franchise team has in-depth industry experience and strives to learn the intricacies of your objectives. We work with our clients from the very beginning — supporting their needs in “securing” a business. We are in a strategic position to provide both corporate and immigration solutions to the prospective client investor. From complex corporate structuring and global tax planning to handling all business visa matters, our turn-key solutions permit our clients to continue to focus on the most important aspects of their targeted business venture.

What is a Franchise?

A franchise is an arrangement where an organisation (i.e. Franchisor) owns the rights to a particular brand and sells licenses of that brand to others (i.e. Franchisee).  The arrangement allows for the brand to be set up as stores or distribution channels around the country and the Franchisor usually exerts a fair amount of influence and control over the franchisee.

There are over 4,000 businesses that offer franchise opportunities throughout the United States. At globalvisas.me, expert US Business Consultants work alongside licensed US Immigration Attorneys to provide comprehensive due-diligence on franchise opportunities. In other words, we will only present US franchise opportunities that meet the respective US investor and business visa requirements.

Franchise Sector Overview

It is imperative that the franchise investment opportunities we introduce to our clients meet all of the necessary immigration requirements. We have carefully selected franchise opportunities across a diverse range of industries with varying investment amounts. Below are some examples of franchises from our portfolio:

We provide custom-tailored investor services for those seeking to acquire a business in the United States.

Investor Services

• Consulting. Professional Consulting for Acquiring a US-based Business (both Franchise & Non-franchise)

• Immigration. Business-Immigration Legal Services for major investor US visa categories (L1 / E2 / EB5)

• Corporate. Core corporate Solutions for establishing or acquiring a US enterprise

US Franchise Business — Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Franchising?

Franchising is a method of distributing products or services.  Each franchise system typically includes the franchisor, who lends the brand and business model; and the franchisee, who pays a royalty and often an initial franchise fee for the right to do business under the franchisor’s name and system.

Why should I buy a franchise?

Franchising offers individuals the opportunity to be in business for themselves, but not by themselves. The Franchiser is there to provide support with all the different functions of the business. They have seen the issues that can arise in their business and know how to deal with any problems effectively. Prior to your opening, they provide extensive initial training and support so you’re well prepared to handle whatever comes. They can also provide advertising and marketing support to help build your business faster.  

The most significant benefit to franchising is the reduced level of risk. This comes from a franchise system’s proven method of doing business.

Can I Invest in a Franchise that is well known in my Home Country?

Foreign franchises can be quite successful in the U.S. but generally after several adjustments to their business model. We prefer to work with foreign franchisor brands that have at least three units operating in the U.S. and a track record of success.

How Much Capital Is Needed To Buy A Franchise?

Investment requirements range greatly depending on the franchise, location and industry. Total start-up costs can range from $20,000 to over $1,000,000 depending on the franchise selected.

Please note for the L-1 or E-2 visa, we generally recommend a minimum investment amount of $80,000 USD.  

There is a lot of free information on many franchises found on the internet, what benefits do I get from working with globalvisas.me?

 Our team has decades of combined experience analysing and reviewing US franchises on behalf of our foreign-investor clients. This has enabled us to find the best business opportunities available to foreign nationals and have territory availability throughout the United States.  

At present, we have reviewed over 2000 businesses and only about 120 have passed our stringent criteria to be offered to clients. There are many franchises, but they are not all created equal. We specialize in advising E-2 applicants on the best franchises and businesses to invest in for their visa. 

What are the benefits I receive from investing in a franchise, paying the franchise fee and paying ongoing royalties?

The cost associated with franchising enable the franchisee to receive all the support and benefits of the franchise. These benefits include: site selections, development support, training, marketing, and ongoing operational support. Additionally, the cost allows the franchisee the right to use a brand with a well-established business model and name.

Do you work with large, global franchises such as MacDonald’s, Burger King, Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts?

We do have relations with a number of global franchise brands. However, the bigger and more established brands typically require a minimum development of three or more units which raises the investment value to well over $1,000,000. Also, brands like Dunkin’ Donuts, do not accept investors that do not already have a green card or citizenship. As for Starbucks, it is not a franchisor within the United States.

How long until the franchise is at break-even from a cash flow standpoint, how much can I take out of the business year 1, year 2 and year 3, when will I get my investment back?

That’s a great question that we receive all the time. That answer depends on a variety of factors e.g. the business, industry, how quickly you get clients, how many clients you get, how you manage expenses etc. It is important that you have solid projections that you are comfortable with. The franchisor and you advisors will help with this. Generally, you should be cash flow positive in the first 12 months.

How long would it take to select the franchise that is right for me?

This strongly depends on the client. At globalvisas.me we have featured franchises that have already gone through our internal due-diligence. On the other hand, we provide custom-tailored franchise search services (see Investor Services) that may involve new business models. On average, the US business search may range from 1-3 months. We have a process that matches your experience, interest, time commitment, aptitude, time commitment, financial investment and return expectations (short, medium and long-term).

Complete our Investor Consultation Form Today. 

How soon can I get my business started?

After you select the right business for you, it will typically take anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 months for your actual business to open for operation. This variance depends on the type of franchise, length of training and if a build-out is required.

We aim to provide our clients a turn-key solution to kickstart your business — this includes a full-suite of business consulting, corporate and immigration services..  

Learn more about our Investor Services

Can I buy multiple franchises at once?

Generally, yes. However, depending on your investment and immigration goals it is typically advised if you start small. If this is your first investment in a real business (non-financial market investment) in the United States, as well as an investment that is being directly connected to a US visa application (i.e. L1 or E2 visa), we strongly urge you to consider a strategic approach. After operating the first unit, you can always open up more franchises in the same brand. That being said, there are many U.S. franchises that require a commitment of at least 3 franchises over a certain time frame (generally 2-3 years).

Can I invest in any franchise the same way as an American?

Unfortunately, roughly 30% of franchises do not accept franchisees who are not already Americans or green card holders. Typically, the franchises with these restrictions are the more established and well-known companies, such as Subway, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Baskin Robbins. However, Globalvisas.me specializes in working with franchises that are more than willing to accept franchisees that are foreign nationals pursuing an investor visa. Our franchise analysts and consultants have completed research and analysis on over 2000 franchises on behalf of our clients.

 Will the Franchisor provide employees, or will I have to find them myself?

The franchisor will support you with training and depending on the franchise, they help with recruiting employees as well.

How many employees will I have to manage?

That depends on the franchise business as well as the visa requirements. For some franchises, it may remain a small operation of just 1-2 full-time employees. Others may grow exponentially to employ a staff of 50 or more. This needs to be thought through carefully in the franchise selection based upon your desire to manage a larger team, as well as core considerations of the visa requirements.

Do I need specific industry experience to successfully own a franchise?

No. In fact, most companies are looking for candidates with no experience in their industry. This is because they want their business operator to focus on running the business and not performing the labor their concepts require. Franchisers need people who can be effective in areas such as motivating employees, generating sales, and running the day-to-day operations as efficiently as possible. The franchisee role is typically one of management rather than labor.

Are there special qualifications that I will have to meet to become a franchisee?

Some franchises are much more stringent than other franchises, and will vet your previous work experience, net worth, liquid cash, as well as other criteria. In general, the franchises want someone that is entrepreneurial and willing to roll up ‘their sleeves’ to get the job done.  

What is the largest investment I could make?

We have advised clients who are opening up multiple franchises given their experience in the U.S. or their past jobs in management that surmount to well over $1 million.

In which cities or states does globalvisas.me have franchise opportunities?

We work with franchises with territory availability throughout the entire United States. In fact, our professionals have supported client businesses in every-single state within the United States, including Hawaii. Where you choose to have your principal place of business, is a mixture of both personal and economic factors.

 I am not 100% confident in my English abilities. How can I best communicate with a Franchisor?

Many franchisors do require that the franchisee speaks professional level English. We have some clients who will have another partner as a franchisee that will facilitate the English requirement. We have franchisors who speak many different languages, including: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Turkish, Chinese, and many other languages.