How I formed an LLC in Arkansas as an immigrant (for $45)
· 5 min read
I live in Arkansas. In October 2026 I formed my own company, Ramazan Uludag LLC. I did it alone, online, without a lawyer or a formation service. The whole thing cost $45 and took four days.
Here is exactly what I did, including the small things that confused me.
My timeline
- July 3, 2026: I arrived in the US
- October 3: I decided to form an LLC (3 months after arriving)
- October 10: I filed online and paid $45
- October 14: Approved
Why I wanted an LLC
I build websites and apps, and I run a few YouTube channels. Sooner or later all of that needs a business behind it. Three reasons pushed me to do it now:
- App stores. Google Play and Apple both let you publish as a company instead of as a person. On Google Play, a new personal developer account has to run a closed test with at least 12 testers for 14 days before it can publish. An organization account skips that.
- A separate bank account. I wanted business money and personal money in two different places from day one.
- A real name on the work. A company name on the store page and on invoices looks more serious than a personal name.
Can an immigrant own an LLC?
Yes. You do not need to be a US citizen or a green card holder to own an LLC. Arkansas does not ask about citizenship on the form.
But owning a company and working for it are two different things. Whether you are allowed to work, and earn money from your company, depends on your immigration status. If you are not sure about yours, talk to an immigration attorney before the money starts coming in. I did not skip this question, and you should not either.
Step 1: Pick the name
The name has to end with "LLC" (or "Limited Liability Company") and it cannot be taken already. You can check this for free on the Arkansas Secretary of State business search. I used my own name, so there was no conflict.
Step 2: File the Certificate of Organization online
The form is called the Certificate of Organization (form LL-01). You file it on the Arkansas Secretary of State website. It took me about 20 minutes.
What the form asks for:
- The company name.
- The principal office address.
- The registered agent: the person or company that receives official mail and legal papers for the LLC. It must have a physical address in Arkansas.
- The organizer and members: the people who form and own the company. For a single-member LLC, that is just you.
- A phone number and an email address.
- Your signature, typed.
The middle name problem
This was the part that stopped me. The form wanted a middle name for every person. I do not have one. Leaving it empty was not accepted.
The solution was to write N/A in the middle name field. Then, at the end, the typed signature had to match the officer name exactly, so I signed as "Ramazan N/A Uludag". It looks strange, but it went through without any problem.
If you have no middle name, do this. Do not invent one.
The registered agent: I used myself
You can pay a registered agent service, usually around $100 to $300 per year. I did not. I named myself as the agent with my home address.
The downside: that address goes into a public record. Anyone can look it up. If you care about privacy, a paid agent keeps your home address off the record. For me, the savings mattered more.
Step 3: Pay and wait
The fee was $45: $40 for the filing and $5 for online processing. The card was not charged right away. The state only charges it when the filing is approved, and if it is rejected, you do not pay.
I submitted on a Friday night. I got the approval email on the following Tuesday, four days later. The email had the stamped certificate as a PDF. I saved it in two places. You will need it for the bank and for almost everything after this.
What comes after the certificate
The certificate is the start, not the end. This is the order I followed:
- EIN from the IRS, which is like a Social Security number for the company. It is free and I got mine the same day. I wrote about it in How to get an EIN and a D-U-N-S number for free.
- Operating agreement. Arkansas does not ask you to file it, but banks and partners may want to see it. Even for one person, it is good to have it written down.
- Business bank account. More about that in Opening a business bank account as an immigrant.
- D-U-N-S number, needed for the Apple and Google developer accounts.
The cost that comes every year
Forming the LLC is cheap. Keeping it is not free. Every Arkansas LLC pays an annual franchise tax of $150, due on May 1 every year. My first one is due on May 1, 2027.
If you miss it, there are penalties, and if you keep missing it, the state can revoke the company. I put a reminder in my calendar the same day.
My summary
- Total cost to form: $45.
- Time: 20 minutes of work, 4 days of waiting.
- No middle name: write N/A, and sign with the N/A.
- Using yourself as the registered agent saves money, but puts your address in public records.
- Remember the $150 every May 1.
If you are an immigrant and thinking about this, it is easier than it looks. The hard part is not the form. The hard part is the questions around it, like taxes and your immigration status, and those are worth asking a professional.
Going through the same thing? If you are stuck on this step and need help, send me a message. I read every one.
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I am not a lawyer or an accountant. This is my own experience, written down as it happened. Rules change and every case is different, so check with the official source or a professional.