Visa/Immigration

Please Treat the Information in the Digest as Confidential. Do Not Circulate Outside of the Lex Mundi Network.

If you are interested in a matter, please let us know as soon as possible by emailing Isis Bous and Allison Laubach through the “Ask About This Matter” button on the details page or directly (ibous@lexmundiprobono.org; alaubach@lexmundiprobono.org) and let us know which project(s) interests you. We will place matches with Lex Mundi member firms on a first-come, first-served basis.

You can view all matter summaries on the “Digest” page(s). To view matters by legal need, select the category of interest. See details of individual matters via the “Read More” link in a matter. To view all details of all available matters, choose “View All”.

View by Legal Need
Advocacy/Legislation (1) Consultation (8) Contracts (5) Corporate Formation (2) Corporate Governance (2) Employment/Labor (2) Intellectual Property (1) Nonprofit Governance (2) Real Estate (1) Regulatory (3) Research (1) Risk Management (1) Tax (1) Tax Exempt/Nonprofit (5) Visa/Immigration (1) Webinars/Trainings (1)

Digest |  View All

African Leadership University

Visa Consultation and Review of Letter of Invitation

Summary:

Assist a nonprofit that supports African students by providing a consultation to address discrete visa questions and reviewing a Letter of Invitation.

Referred by:

  • Anonymous Collaborator
Jurisdictions: U.S.
About the Organization: African Leadership University (“ALU”) is a pan-African university with campuses in Rwanda and Mauritius and students from 50 African countries. They believe that young people hold the potential to become the ethical, entrepreneurial leaders that Africa and the planet need. Their role is to unlock that potential through a one-of-a-kind learning experience that gives students the foundation for a lifetime of leading positive change.
Legal Entity Type: Nonprofit/Charity
SDG(s):Climate Action, Gender Equality, Partnerships to achieve the Goals, Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, Quality Education, Reduced Inequalities
Legal Issue(s):

As part of their programming, African Leadership University (“ALU”) brings cohorts of their students from across Africa to Silicon Valley for a transformative, month-long leadership and entrepreneurship immersion program at the Carnegie Foundation and Stanford University.

Because this is a short, non-degree, professional exposure program, their students apply exclusively for B-1/B-2 visitor visas. In 2025, the students applied for their visas a few weeks after the inauguration and only 32% were approved (in past years, they have had anywhere from 60-100% approval).

The ALU team is now seeking a consultation with an immigration attorney to ask a handful of discrete questions (e.g., what eligibility criteria might ALU introduce to improve visa outcomes?). These questions and additional background information can be provided upon request. They would also appreciate assistance reviewing and updating their Letter of Invitation.

Ask About a Matter
,