Alma vs Fragomen

When high-skilled professionals and growing companies need U.S. immigration legal services, the choice of provider can determine everything from timeline to total cost. Fragomen, the world's largest dedicated immigration law firm, has built its reputation serving large multinationals with 60+ offices worldwide supporting 170+ countries. Alma represents a fundamentally different approach—an attorney-led, tech-enabled platform built specifically for employment-based visas like H-1B, O-1, EB-1, and EB-2 NIW. This comparison reveals why Alma delivers strong results for startups, tech companies, and individual talent seeking speed, transparency, and exceptional outcomes.

Understanding Each Provider's Core Positioning

Alma Immigration launched in October 2023 as a venture-backed legal tech startup, raising $5.1 million to transform employment-based immigration. Founded by Aizada Marat, a Harvard Law attorney who personally experienced bad immigration advice resulting in over a year of work prohibition, Alma combines seasoned legal expertise with AI-powered workflows. The company now serves hundreds of clients with a team focused exclusively on high-skilled talent visas: H-1B, O-1A/B, L-1, EB-1A/B/C, EB-2 NIW, TN, and E-2.

Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy LLP operates as the world's largest immigration-only law firm, with 60+ offices worldwide supporting clients in 170+ countries. Founded decades ago, Fragomen primarily serves multinational corporations and enterprise clients managing high volumes of cases simultaneously. The firm handles comprehensive immigration services focused on employment-based categories.

The fundamental difference: Alma builds technology to accelerate immigration outcomes, while Fragomen scales through traditional law firm infrastructure. For companies and individuals who need speed and specialization in employment-based visas, this distinction matters significantly.

Transparent and Predictable Pricing: A Clear Advantage

Understanding Alma's Flat-Rate Structure

Alma publishes complete fee schedules for every visa type—a practice virtually unheard of among traditional immigration law firms. This transparency eliminates surprise billing and enables accurate budgeting.

Alma's published attorney fees:

• Check Alma’s Transparent Pricing Page

Fragomen's pricing model requires custom quotes for all services. The firm does not publicly disclose fees, with only UK pricing published due to regulatory requirements (£2,500–£4,500 + VAT + disbursements for specific UK categories). Industry analysis suggests Fragomen at the "high end" of typical ranges, with pricing varying widely by employer program and case complexity.

No Hidden Fees: What's Included in Your Alma Package

Alma's flat rates include services that traditional firms typically bill separately:

• RFE responses: Included at no extra cost (traditional firms may charge $1,000-$3,000 per RFE)
• Free refile: One free refile if initially denied (Growth & Enterprise plans)
• Administrative costs: FedEx, printing, copying, postage all included
• Platform access: Case tracking software and compliance dashboards included
• Attorney consultations: Free calls per matter

For businesses managing immigration programs, this predictability transforms budgeting from guesswork to precision planning.

Speed and Efficiency: Accelerating Your Immigration Journey

Two-Week Turnaround: How Alma Delivers Speed

Alma guarantees 2-week document processing for all employment petitions—a commitment backed by the company's technology infrastructure. Client testimonials consistently describe this speed:

"Luke, the attorney who managed my case, was knowledgeable, transparent, and extremely efficient—getting everything filed in just four weeks (a process that can take weeks to months)." — Ramya Ganti

Compare this to Fragomen, where client reviews cite an "extremely slow moving" process and 5-6 weeks before a transfer petition was sent to USCIS.

From Application to Approval: Alma's Efficient Processes

Alma's speed advantage stems from purpose-built technology:

• AI-powered document automation reduces attorney time on repetitive tasks
• Real-time dashboards provide instant case visibility
• Proactive alerts prevent deadline issues before they occur
• Streamlined workflows eliminate traditional firm bottlenecks

For startup founders operating on tight runways, the difference between a 4-week O-1 filing and a longer process can determine whether key talent joins before funding runs out.

Exceptional Approval Rates and Expert Legal Talent

Alma's Commitment to Excellence: A Track Record of Success

Alma maintains a 99%+ approval rate across all visa categories—a metric the company publicly documents and stands behind. This success rate reflects the combination of experienced attorneys and technology-enhanced case preparation.

Fragomen doesn't appear to publish approval rates, making direct comparison impossible. However, the existence of Alma's published metrics demonstrates confidence in outcomes that traditional firms rarely express publicly.

The Alma Legal Team: Experience You Can Trust

Alma's approach centers on direct attorney access—not layers of paralegals and account managers between you and legal expertise. The company's founder, Aizada Marat, brings firsthand understanding of immigration challenges:

"After years of working with college international services, lawyer firms that had partnered with my previous and current employers, I am happy to sincerely state that Alma is absolutely the best company that I had a chance to work with!" — Technical PM @ Tesla

Traditional firms like Fragomen often reserve senior attorney attention for enterprise accounts, leaving individual applicants and smaller companies working primarily with junior staff.

Personalized Support and Care for Every Client

Your Partner on the Path: Alma's Personalized Approach

Alma's service philosophy reflects its core values: speed, excellence, and care. This manifests in several ways:

• Dedicated attorneys: Each case receives focused attention from experienced legal professionals
• Responsive communication: Client testimonials describe response times in "minutes to hours"
• Founder empathy: Leadership that personally experienced immigration struggles understands client anxiety
• Net Promoter Score reported 90+: Among the highest in legal services

Full Transparency: Always Know Your Case Status

Unlike traditional law firms where case updates require chasing down attorneys, Alma provides:

• Real-time case tracking dashboards
• Automated milestone notifications
• Direct Slack/email access to your legal team
• Bi-weekly status calls for business clients

Fragomen client reviews frequently cite communication challenges. One reviewer noted: "They don't understand" their carelessness is negatively impacting our lives. Alma's technology-enabled transparency eliminates this friction.

Comprehensive Compliance and Audit-Ready Records

Maintaining Compliance with Alma's Robust Platform

For businesses sponsoring foreign national employees, compliance isn't optional—it's existential. Alma's platform includes built-in compliance tools:

• LCA manager: Track Labor Condition Application requirements
• Expiration reminders: Automated alerts before visa deadlines
• I-9 compliance tracking: Ensure employment eligibility verification stays current
• HRIS/ATS integration: Connect with Workday, BambooHR, Rippling, Greenhouse, and more
• Audit-ready records: Exportable documentation for any regulatory review

Effortless Audits: Alma's Built-in Record Keeping

Alma's platform creates a single source of truth for immigration compliance:

• Secure document vault for HR and employees
• Role-based access controls
• Complete case history documentation
• Compliance timeline visualization

While Fragomen offers enterprise compliance programs for its largest clients, these capabilities often come at premium pricing tiers unavailable to startups and mid-market companies.

Scalability for Businesses: From Startups to Enterprises

Alma's Solutions for Every Business Size

Alma structures its business immigration services around company scale:

Startup Plan (0-25 foreign nationals):

• Per-case flat-rate pricing
• Fast onboarding and guided workflows
• Special discounts for Y Combinator, Techstars, Pear VC portfolios
• Two-week document preparation guarantee

Growth Plan (26-250 foreign nationals):

• Custom pricing with volume considerations
• Dedicated account manager
• Automated compliance and amendment alerts
• Employee-facing tracker and education portal

Enterprise Plan (250+ foreign nationals):

• Custom pricing through consultation
• Enterprise-grade compliance and audit-ready logs
• Role-based access controls
• Real-time analytics and dashboards

Seamless Migration for Growing Companies

Companies switching from Fragomen or other providers receive white-glove migration support included at no extra cost. Alma's team handles:

• Case file transfers
• Pending petition management
• Employee communication
• Compliance record migration

"Having initially filed my case with a different legal firm and having all kinds of challenges, I can say with certainty that Luke is the most dedicated immigration lawyer I have met." — Marcos Brisson, Kaizntree

Reimagining Immigration with Technology: Alma's Differentiators

The Power of AI and ML in Immigration

Alma's $5.1 million in venture funding supports continued investment in legal technology that traditional firms cannot easily replicate:

• AI-powered document automation: Reduces manual work while improving accuracy
• Intelligent case assessment: Technology analyzes visa eligibility across multiple pathways
• Customer and competitor data analysis: Informs positioning strategies for O-1 and EB-1A petitions
• Workflow optimization: Eliminates bottlenecks that slow traditional firms

Seamless Client Experience Through Technology

Every Alma client—whether individual professional or enterprise HR team—benefits from:

• Intuitive case management portal
• Mobile-accessible status updates
• Secure document upload and storage
• Automated reminder systems
• Integration with existing business tools

Fragomen maintains its own technology platform for enterprise clients, but startup and mid-market companies rarely access these capabilities without premium pricing.

Addressing Denials and RFEs: Built-in Support for Challenges

Expert Guidance Through RFEs

Requests for Evidence (RFEs) can derail unprepared applicants. Alma's approach:

• Free RFE responses included in all flat-rate fees
• Experienced attorneys who anticipate common RFE triggers
• Strategic documentation that minimizes RFE likelihood
• Rapid turnaround when RFEs do occur

Traditional firms may bill RFEs at hourly rates, adding substantial costs per occurrence to already significant legal fees.

What Happens If My Case Is Denied? Alma's Refile Policy

For Growth and Enterprise clients, Alma provides one free refile if a petition is initially denied or receives a comprehensive RFE. This policy:

• Eliminates financial risk from unpredictable USCIS decisions
• Demonstrates Alma's confidence in case quality
• Provides peace of mind for sponsored employees
• Removes barriers to trying for competitive visa categories

When Fragomen May Be the Better Choice

Fair assessment requires acknowledging where Fragomen excels:

Global multinational operations: Companies managing immigration across 170+ countries benefit from Fragomen's worldwide office network

Enterprise scale: Organizations handling high volumes of cases simultaneously may require Fragomen's proven enterprise infrastructure

24/7 emergency support: Fragomen's travel entry hotline serves clients with urgent global travel issues

However, many businesses successfully use Alma for U.S. immigration while maintaining separate providers for other jurisdictions—achieving optimal results without global firm overhead.

Why Alma Delivers Strong Value for High-Skilled Immigration

For startups, scaling tech companies, and individual talent pursuing employment-based U.S. visas, Alma provides clear advantages:

Speed advantage:

• 2-week guaranteed document processing vs. longer timelines at traditional firms
• 4-week O-1 filings vs. processes that can take weeks to months

Cost advantage:

• Published flat-rate fees vs. undisclosed custom quotes
• Free RFE responses and refiles vs. hourly billing
• Administrative costs included vs. billed separately

Quality advantage:

• 99%+ approval rate documented and published
• Direct attorney access without layers of account management
• Founder-led mission driven by personal immigration experience

Technology advantage:

• AI-powered workflows for faster, more accurate processing
• Real-time dashboards and compliance automation
• HRIS integration for seamless business operations

For individuals seeking their American Dream or businesses building globally competitive teams, Alma represents the evolved approach to immigration legal services—combining attorney expertise with technology to deliver speed, excellence, and care at every step.