Immigration status shouldn’t depend on a paperwork nightmare.
But for many immigrants, navigating the US immigration system means months of uncertainty, complicated filings, and life-changing consequences when something goes wrong.
Aizada Marat knows this firsthand. After experiencing the system’s challenges herself, she founded Alma to transform how immigration legal services are delivered.
Aizada joins me on the pod to discuss how Alma combines AI, technology, and experienced attorneys to make immigration law more efficient, transparent, and predictable.
We explore:
→ Why AI could make legal services more human
→ Where AI will - and won’t - disrupt the legal industry
→ How companies are rethinking immigration as they compete for talent
→ Why skilled immigration matters to America’s innovation economy
Special thank you to Aizada for joining the pod and to Alma for all of the amazing work they’re doing.
⏱️ Chapter Markers:
00:00 — Introduction: Meet Aizada Marat and Alma
00:51 — What Is Alma? Rethinking Immigration Law
02:15 — From Cooley to Alma: A Founder’s Personal Immigration Journey
05:14 — Why Immigration Is a Systemic Challenge
06:15 — The Problem With Traditional Immigration Legal Services
06:46 — How AI Makes Legal Services More Human
10:26 — Alma’s Model: Technology Meets Experienced Attorneys
13:03 — Measuring Success: Quality, Speed, and Transparency
16:21 — Which Parts of the Legal Industry Are Most Vulnerable to AI?
20:41 — Why AI Will Augment Lawyers Rather Than Replace Them
24:18 — Immigration as a Competitive Advantage in the AI Talent Race
28:15 — Rethinking the Debate Around Skilled Immigration
29:56 — The Connection Between Immigration, STEM, and Innovation
38:32 — Aizada’s Policy Priorities: Digitizing USCIS
40:42 — Closing Thoughts
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