EB1 – Multi-Internationally Award Winning Chief Creative Marketing Officer – Chris

Chris is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of Ripple Creative Strategy, a full-service marketing and communications firm. In this role, he has acted as a consultant working directly with numerous CEO’s and the senior leadership of well-known and highly respected Canadian organizations such as The Gardiner Museum, Kids Help Phone, The Ontario Research Innovation Optical Network, and many more.

Prior to starting his own company in 2013, Chris was the senior-most marketing/communications Director at MaRS Discovery District, the world’s largest urban innovation hub, where Chris reported directly to the CEO and led a team of eight full-time employees. Chris has over seventeen years of marketing, communications and creative direction experience.

With his impressive career, we are so pleased to have secured an EB1 approval for him! Pursue your dreams and great opportunities in the United States – We’re ready to help you! Give us a call today!

Tell me about where you are from and a little bit about what you do.

I’m Canadian and I have been working in marketing, communications, and multimedia for nearly 18 years.

How did you work your way up the ranks to reach your level and what were some of the challenges along the way.

I’ve had a weird and wonderful career, and sort of bounced from thing to thing that interested me. I have always been creative so always did that sort of thing (music, writing etc.). I was a digital publisher very early on in the days of blogs and online magazines, and I have worked with a lot of non-profits and arts organizations. And of course, I worked in marketing, communications, and advertising as well. Magically, this combination of skills are all now considered part of being a great marketer.

Have you ever lived in the US before? If so, under what circumstances? If not, what aroused your interest in a move to the US?

I lived in New York for 4 years in the early 90’s as a student. New York was very different back then! I went to NYC for a visit some years ago and realized I really missed it – I started daydreaming about moving back there years ago, and eventually started Googling. The rest is history.

How did you decide to pursue an EB1?

I initially went to another lawyer seeking other visas that seemed the most basic to me, but he told me it was impossible. I was doing my own research and read about the O1 Visa and asked the lawyer about that and he said there was no way I would get that. While I was doing my research I came across Chris’ videos that gave me some hope that maybe I could be successful in getting a visa.

What was your experience with the EB1 petition process?

It was quite a long process and there were a lot of bumps along the way in dealing with USCIS. It could be frustrating at times, but you just have to keep going one step at a time. Chris and his team were and are there for me every step of the way – even when I was freaking out a little (thanks, guys.)

What were some of the challenges you had to work on in the preparation of your case, for example evidence gathering?

This is a bit of work, kind of like a big side project. Really it was just trying to find all the info and documents that were required. It took a little time, but it wasn’t too bad.

What kind of relationship did/do you have Chris and his team?

I really did feel Chris and his team had my best interest at heart all the way through the process. I am a bit of an A-type and can sometimes be a little uptight, but they were there to calm me down and answer my questions. It was clear from the work they did that they really know their stuff – I had zero issues with any of the work the submitted to USCIS. The guy at the airport said my immigration package was the biggest he’s ever seen!

What were you doing when you found out you were approved? What was your immediate reaction? How did/will you celebrate?

The approval sort of came in stages for me. I was approved at the consulate but then our type of visa was retrogressed, which meant we couldn’t actually move forward to get the actual visa / green card for many months afterward. When I got the immigration package that was a moment of excitement for sure as it had been a bit uphill for a while with USCIS. The moment I really felt truly like it was real was when I got the visa stamped in my passport and the homeland security guard said “OK, Mr. Stevenson, you’re good to go. Welcome to the United States.” That was kinda cool.

What are you looking forward to most about moving to the US?

It’s a new adventure with new possibilities. For now, I intend to call New York home, but maybe one day I will end up in a place with some palm trees – that sounds pretty nice!

What will you miss the most about your home country?

I won’t have to miss very much, fortunately. New York is a one hour flight from Toronto and I will be able to see my family and friends all the time and visit Canada to stock up on Canadian candy that isn’t available in the USA (your Smarties are wrong.) I will miss universal health care, and everyone being incredibly polite all the time (it’s the Canadian way.) And real maple syrup. 

What advice would you give to any immigrant considering an EB1 or who is already in the process?

If you’ve been told “no way” by a lawyer, talk to Chris before you give up. Be prepared for a side project that will go on for quite a while. Stay tenacious and just keep doing the next step. At times it seemed to move slowly, but its worth it in the end. Good luck!