Problem

The U.S. immigration and citizenship process is brutally complex, opaque, and expensive. Millions of people—students, founders, workers, families—are forced to navigate:

  • Fragmented forms (USCIS, DOS, CBP… good luck)

  • Vague eligibility rules

  • Zero visibility into timelines

  • $5k–$20k legal fees for glorified form-filling

The system isn’t broken because it’s impossible. It’s broken because it’s unintelligible.

Your Mission

Build a tool that makes U.S. visas and citizenship radically more understandable, predictable, and accessible—without pretending you’re an immigration lawyer.

You’re not here to replace attorneys.
 You’re here to replace confusion.

Requirements

What to Build

Create a product that helps users figure out what they qualify for, what to do next, and how not to screw it up.

Your tool should help with at least one of the following:

🔍 1. Eligibility Intelligence

  • Ask plain-English questions

  • Determine which visas / pathways a user likely qualifies for (H-1B, O-1, EB-2 NIW, F-1 → OPT → GC, asylum, naturalization, etc.)

  • Explain why or why not in human language

🧭 2. Immigration Pathway Mapping

  • Show a step-by-step roadmap from today → legal status → permanent residency → citizenship

  • Include dependencies, timing windows, risks, and decision points

  • Visual timelines > walls of text

🗂️ 3. Paperwork & Process Automation

  • Smart form pre-filling (no one should type their address 47 times)

  • Document checklists customized to visa type

  • Deadline reminders, renewal alerts, RFE preparedness

🤖 4. AI Immigration Copilot (Careful, Not Reckless)

  • Answer questions using official sources only

  • Cite USCIS / State Dept docs

  • Say “I don’t know” when it doesn’t know

  • Escalate to “talk to a lawyer” when appropriate

📈 5. Transparency & Prediction

  • Track processing times by visa type

  • Surface historical trends

Set expectations (hope is good, false hope is evil)

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

1 non-cash prize
TBA
1 winner

To be announced as surprise!

Devpost Achievements

Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:

Judges

Mitchell Itkin

Mitchell Itkin
Pulse

Peter Lu

Peter Lu
Pulse

Judging Criteria

  • Clarity
    Does this reduce confusion?
  • Commercializability
    Could you build a business out of it?
  • Impact
    Does this lower cost, time, or anxiety?

Questions? Email the hackathon manager

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