TLDR: Priya Kulkarni, a former Microsoft machine learning scientist, has launched Casium, an AI startup aimed at simplifying the complex US employment-based immigration process. The platform offers an end-to-end portal for employers, significantly reducing paperwork time from months to less than 10 business days and boasting a high approval rate by leveraging artificial intelligence to detect errors and enhance transparency.
Priya Kulkarni, a 34-year-old machine learning scientist and former Microsoft techie, has introduced Casium, an innovative AI-driven startup designed to revolutionize the US employment-based immigration process. Kulkarni, who spent nine years navigating the US visa system herself, founded Casium with the explicit goal of injecting speed and transparency into a process often plagued by delays and confusion.
Casium’s core offering is a sophisticated portal that enables employers to manage visa cases comprehensively, from initiation to completion. This platform aims to replace outdated manual methods, such as reliance on Excel spreadsheets and, in many instances, external law firms. According to Business Insider, Kulkarni designed the product to address the inherent volatility of employment immigration, citing challenges like the Trump administration’s proposed $100,000 fee for new H-1B applications.
The startup claims to have already assisted hundreds of candidates with assessments, compliance reviews, and actual filings, reporting an ‘exceptionally high approval rate.’ A key benefit highlighted by Kulkarni is the dramatic reduction in the time required to gather application paperwork. While traditional law firms might take three to six months, Casium’s technology can complete this process in less than 10 business days. Furthermore, the system is equipped to detect errors, which is crucial for a smoother application journey.
Born and raised in India, Priya Kulkarni holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Mumbai and a Master’s in Applied Mathematics from Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering. She was recruited by Microsoft directly out of college on an H-1B visa, where she dedicated nearly a decade to shaping AI strategy for enterprise products like Office. Kulkarni described the H-1B system, tied to a specific employer and awarded by lottery, as ‘exhausting, confusing, and at times can feel very career-limiting.’ Her personal experience fueled her determination to create a more efficient and user-friendly system.
After securing a spot in the Ai2 Incubator’s 2024 cohort in Seattle, Kulkarni pursued an EB-1 visa, also known as the ‘Einstein visa,’ for foreign nationals with extraordinary abilities. Her experience working with a law firm for three months to manage the extensive paperwork solidified her vision. On her first day at the incubator, she unequivocally stated her intention to build immigration tech, asserting, ‘Everything I’ve done has culminated to this point.’
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Casium currently offers free initial assessments and charges a flat fee for filings based on the visa type, with a subscription model reportedly under development.
