He Had 60 Days Before Deportation. So He Built a Startup, and Stayed 🇺🇸

Before I tell you this sweet story, you should come out and hang with us tonight at our New York Tech Week Event.

Alrighty, story time…

In early 2021, Sampei Omichi had 60 days before he’d be forced to leave the U.S.

His student visa was running out. His H-1B had been rejected. He was 21 years old, staring down a one-way ticket out of the country. Most people would’ve packed their bags.

Instead, Sampei decided to build a startup.

He called it Ellis. The idea came straight from his own experience—moving from Vietnam to Boston at 17 and spending years wrestling with immigration forms, visa deadlines, and the simple but brutal problem of not having a U.S. bank account or phone plan.

So he set out to fix it. Ellis helps international students land in America with the essentials already in place. A debit card. A 5G phone plan. Even a co-signer for rent. All before they ever step off the plane.

And here’s the wild part. He pulled it off. In just two months, Sampei raised $250,000. That kept him in the country. Then he raised $5.6 million from people like Balaji Srinivasan, 20VC, and the founders of DoNotPay, Monzo, and EightSleep.

This wasn’t some polished MBA story. This was survival. It was Sampei betting on himself, using the last 60 days on his visa to build something that now helps thousands of students avoid the same trap.

Ask him why he did it, and he’ll tell you about his little brother. He’s about to move to the U.S. for college too.

Sampei just wanted to make sure he had it easier.

Today, Ellis is a high-tech, high-touch immigration law firm offering premier immigration services.

Sampei’s story represents everything I love about America.

You should come meet him at tonight’s event!

Making in America is hitting the streets of NYC to interview immigrant founders and hustlers. We’re capturing real stories—why they moved to America, how they got started, and all the things we usually save for the group chat. This time, we're putting it on the feed—because it’s time immigrant hustle stories went mainstream.

Check out the interviews on Instagram

That’s it for now!

Check out our mission, past panelists, and event videos at: www.makinginamerica.org

​​​Check out this video from last year's a16z NY Tech Week event!
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​Who are we?

Making It in America is a community for immigrant founders and builders who aim to establish businesses, often navigating the complexities of immigration logistics. 

We are dedicated to supporting these entrepreneurs by:

• Building Networks: Connecting them with like-minded individuals, potential employers, and sponsors.

• Fostering Partnerships: Helping them find co-founders to bring their visions to life.

• Finding Their Groove: Assisting in their acclimation and success in the U.S. business landscape.

Join us to meet ambitious leaders and professionals who have moved to America to pursue their dreams, start companies, and generate employment opportunities.

👋 This event is organized by Sagnik Basu, an immigrant entrepreneur currently working in the news and a builder in the production space. Sagnik was born in India and sought education in the United Kingdom. He moved to the USA by himself in 2017 with $300, because he likes bigger portion sizes.

He believes in American dynamism and wants to support others who are building in the USA. This community represents the essence of creativity, advancement, and perseverance that propels the United States onward.

He also believes in the limitless potential for creating jobs and companies, emphasizing that legal immigration should fuel entrepreneurial growth in the USA to ensure America remains THE global leader.

Build in America. For America.

​-Sag