Welcome to The Immigrant Stories, where we decode the strategies and mindsets behind successful relocation. In this episode, we sit down with Marieta Oslanec, an accomplished immigration attorney, business coach, and author.
Marieta Oslanec’s journey is a masterclass in turning lemons into lemonade. From arriving in the US with barely any money to facing the harsh realities of the American legal job market, she didn’t just survive the immigrant experience—she reverse-engineered it. Today, she uses her hard-won expertise to help other immigrant entrepreneurs build their American dreams.
📌 Quick Takeaways
- The Leap: Moved to the US from Slovakia in 2007 with just $700, driven by deep intuition.
- The Pivot: Faced with no H-1 B sponsors after law school, she started a virtual firm abroad and returned on an investor visa.
- The Awakening: Navigated a simultaneous collapse of her business and personal life, sparking a spiritual journey and leading her to write Love is the Law.
- The Mission: Now an immigration attorney and business coach, she helps immigrant entrepreneurs turn their passions into profit and secure their visas.
The Call to Leave: From Slovakia to the US
Marieta Oslanec’s immigration journey didn’t begin with a desperate escape, but with a profound, intuitive calling. Originally from Slovakia, a post-communist country, she first visited the US as an exchange student in 1999. That single year shaped her future.
Her drive to become a lawyer was deeply personal. Growing up, she watched her father, a capable entrepreneur, lose his business—not because of a lack of skill, but because of a flawed, unforgiving legal system.
“I witnessed how his business collapsed. It wasn’t because he wasn’t successful; it was because of the legal system in Slovakia. That was my ‘why’. I wanted to have the power to change things and ensure fairness.”
By 2007, despite already being a law school graduate in Slovakia, Marieta Oslanec knew she couldn’t stay. She packed her bags, moved to the US entirely on her own, and started her new life with just $700 to her name.
The Visa Trap and the Ultimate Pivot
The romanticized version of the American Dream often skips the grueling middle chapter. For Marieta, that chapter was the US immigration system itself.
After enrolling in school, mastering English, and graduating from law school in New York, she hit a massive wall. It was a time when the US legal market was saturated with unemployed American lawyers. Despite her qualifications, no law firm was willing to sponsor her for an H1B visa.
“I was forced to actually leave the country. I never wanted to stay illegally, so that was my number one priority. But I also knew I wanted to practice law.”
Instead of giving up, Marieta pivoted. She started her first law firm virtually while outside the US, built it up, and eventually returned to the US on an investor visa.
This struggle became her superpower. Because she couldn’t find an employer to sponsor her, she became the employer. She found her niche helping immigrant entrepreneurs—people who, like her, were “outside-the-box” thinkers trying to build businesses and secure their own visas.
The Collapse and the Spiritual Awakening
Success in the US wasn’t a straight line. About eight years ago, Marieta faced a devastating dual collapse: her business partnership fell apart, and her romantic relationship ended at the same time.
Financially broken and heartbroken, she was forced to reinvent herself. This rock-bottom moment triggered a profound spiritual awakening.
“Spiritual awakening usually happens to people who are going through challenging times. I was forced to find the answers within. You can’t blame outside circumstances; you have to go within and do the inner work.”
This period of deep reflection led her to write her book, Love is the Law. The book isn’t about romantic love; it’s a blueprint detailing 21 universal laws to help people overcome scarcity mindsets, activate their inner genius, and live their dreams. It was the tool she used to put her own life back together, and now it serves as a guide for her coaching clients.
The Immigrant Intuition: Why We Really Leave
When asked what drives people to immigrate, Marieta points to something deeper than logic: intuition.
“If you logically look at it, I wouldn’t have died if I stayed in Slovakia. I was already a lawyer. But energetically, I knew if I stayed, my energy would just disappear into a black hole. I felt a sense of suffocation. That feeling is the driving force behind true immigration.”
She advises aspiring immigrants to trust this gut feeling, even when friends and family back home call them crazy.
“People will tell you it’s a stupid idea. Don’t listen to the naysayers. If you have a burning desire, follow it. If you suppress it, you will self-sabotage your happiness and end up living a fake life.”
Marieta Oslanec’s Golden Rules for Immigrant Success
1. Shift from “Push and Pull” to Alignment
Early in her journey, Marieta Oslanec operated in “push and pull” mode—forcing things to happen out of sheer survival. Through her spiritual work, she learned to live “effortlessly” by aligning with her true mission. When you are aligned, opportunities flow without the constant struggle.
2. Turn Your Struggle into Your Niche
Marieta Oslanec’s law firm focuses exclusively on immigrant entrepreneurs because she knows their pain points intimately. She advises immigrants to look at their own struggles and ask: How can I solve this problem for others?
3. Admire the Immigrant Spirit
Marieta Oslanec wishes the world would stop judging immigrants and start admiring them.
“Immigrants are amazing people facing incredible challenges. Many don’t even have a choice; it’s a matter of life and death. We should admire their bravery, not discriminate against them.”
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is the desire to immigrate usually a logical decision or a gut feeling?
According to Marieta Oslanec, while external factors (like the economy or politics) provide the logical trigger, the actual drive to leave is almost always a deep, intuitive gut feeling. It’s a sense of “suffocation” in your home country that tells you your energy belongs elsewhere.
How did Marieta Oslanec overcome the H1B visa rejection after law school?
Instead of staying illegally or giving up, she left the US, started a virtual law firm from abroad, built a successful business, and eventually qualified to return to the US on an investor visa, turning a major setback into a lucrative entrepreneurial niche.
What is Marieta Oslanec’s book Love is the Law about?
It is not about romantic love. It is a spiritual and practical blueprint detailing 21 universal laws designed to help people overcome scarcity mindsets, activate their inner genius, and build a life of abundance and alignment.
What advice does Marieta Oslanec give to immigrants facing naysayers back home?
She advises them to ignore the critics. People who haven’t leaped will often call your dreams “crazy.” She emphasizes that if you have a burning desire to move, you must follow it; otherwise, you will self-sabotage your own happiness.
Connect with Marieta Oslanec
- Law Firm & Business Coaching: ImmigrationBiz
- Listen to the Full Podcast: My Immigration Story (From a struggling immigrant to a successful immigration lawyer and biz coach)