How Immigify is Simplifying Work-life for US Immigrants With $1m Backing

For many skilled professionals, relocating to – and living as an immigrant in – the United States is often less about ambition than navigating one of the world’s most complex immigration systems.

The problem of choosing the wrong visa category, or misunderstanding eligibility requirements or even failing to keep up with compliance rules can delay careers, disrupt businesses and, in some cases, end immigration journeys altogether.

There have been cases of immigration attorneys spending countless hours preparing petitions, and employers wrestle with compliance, while skilled workers frequently lose opportunities simply because they pursued the wrong immigration pathway.

It is this challenge that an African-founded immigration technology company, Immigify, says it is working to solve through artificial intelligence.

The company recently secured a $1 million pre-seed investment led by Gener8tor, with participation from M25, Invest Nebraska, Nelnet and NMotion. While the funding marks an important milestone, Immigify insists that the bigger story is the global problem it is trying to solve.

According to the company, millions of immigrants, employers and immigration professionals still rely heavily on manual processes to navigate an immigration system that is often difficult to understand.

AI solving multiple work-life problems

According to Pew Research Center, about 53.3 million immigrants are living in the United States. That’s a huge figure, which makes immigration one of the country’s largest administrative ecosystems.

Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Emma Olorunsheyi, said the complexity of the U.S. immigration process leaves many qualified professionals struggling to identify the pathway that best fits their qualifications.

“U.S. immigration is complex on purpose. There are over 50 million immigrants in the U.S and these immigrants go through a strenuous immigration process. We support consultants, businesses and even international students to stay compliant and navigate the process in a more streamlined way using AI,” he said.

Olorunsheyi explained that the platform is designed to guide users through every stage of their immigration journey, helping them understand available pathways, organise documentation and remain compliant with immigration requirements.

“We’re building the biggest immigration support platform in the U.S, making sure that anyone going through the immigration process has access to a streamlined tool that guides their experience. Whether you’re from Nigeria, any part of Africa, India or even Canada, Immigify has simplified your process,” he added.

AI is simplifying the laws for attorneys

While much public attention around AI has centred on chatbots and content generation, Immigify says it is applying artificial intelligence to workflow automation and legal process management.

Beyond serving individual immigrants, the company said its technology also addresses operational challenges faced by employers, immigration consultants, attorneys and human resource teams.

Chief Operating Officer, Diana Melendez, noted that many legal professionals still spend significant time preparing petitions, tracking documents and managing compliance manually.

“Our platform supports attorneys, paralegals and consultants by helping them streamline the process and prepare petitions more efficiently. Petitions are submitted up to 10 times faster using our software system. One of the biggest mistakes immigrants make is simply not knowing which petition best fits their profile,” she said.

Where the Immigify community comes in

The company is also building a community around its technology, creating a platform where immigrants and aspiring immigrants can connect, exchange experiences and access reliable guidance throughout their relocation journey.

Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Ayodeji Niyi-Adesola, said more than 5,000 people have already joined the platform’s growing community.

“We’re building one of the largest communities for immigrants in the United States. Wherever you are, we’ve created a platform 

where you can communicate with others, share your concerns and learn from people going through similar experiences,” he said.

According to him, the long-term goal is to create a trusted ecosystem that supports immigrants beyond paperwork by connecting them with practical information and peer support.

“We’ve onboarded over 5,000 immigrants into our community, and we want every immigrant in the United States – all 50 million of them – to have access to it.”

An African startup helping other African startups 

Immigify represents a growing wave of African startups building products for global markets rather than local ones. Although founded by Nigerian entrepreneurs, its customer base spans multiple countries, with its technology designed for anyone navigating U.S immigration.

That global outlook has now attracted international confidence.

The company, based in Nebraska, USA, is backed by Techstars and has secured support from Gener8tor, M25, Invest Nebraska, Nelnet and NMotion, which are investors known for backing high-growth technology companies.

For Olorunsheyi, the investment is about accelerating execution of the Immigify vision.

“We just raised over one million dollars in our pre-seed round to build the biggest immigration support platform in the U.S,” he said.

“Watch how we’ll transform the entire U.S immigration landscape by simplifying the process for more than 50 million immigrants.”

Meanwhile, the company had extended its impact over the past one year, as it successfully hosted multiple editions of the Uplift Hackathon, providing funding and visibility to emerging African technology startups that are tackling local and global problems through innovation.

It also hosted the Global Leadership Roundtable, bringing together professionals, entrepreneurs, policymakers and innovators to discuss leadership, the future of work, global mobility and the role African talent can play on the international stage.