The Story
I'm a software engineer on the EB immigration path. The data you need to make informed decisions about your case is public, but it's scattered across DOL, State Dept, BLS, and USCIS websites in formats that aren't built for individual use.
Compass started as a set of Python scripts I used to track my own priority date and evaluate sponsors. Over time it grew into a full pipeline: 18.5 million records ingested, forecasting models trained, employer reliability scores computed, and everything surfaced through dashboards that work for your specific situation.
It's open-source, free, and runs entirely in your browser. No accounts, no tracking, no servers. Your profile stays in localStorage and never leaves your device.
This took a lot of late nights to build right. The goal is simple: give you the tools and data to navigate this process with less uncertainty and better decisions.
The Vision: NorthStar
NorthStar is the guiding vision for this entire app. Just as a North Star guides sailors across uncertain oceans, this initiative aims to guide immigrants through the complex employment-based visa system with clarity, data, and hope.
To make this vision real, the work is organized into three distinct layers, each with its own meaningful name:
Horizon: The Data Collection Layer
Continuously scans the horizon for new immigration data: scraping government announcements, monitoring visa bulletin changes, and aggregating labor statistics. The foundation that keeps everything current.
Meridian: The Analytics Backbone
The measurement layer that curates raw data into intelligence. Meridian processes 18.5M+ records, trains ML models for predictions, computes employer reliability scores, and synthesizes insights. Like a surveyor using a meridian to map the land, this layer maps the immigration landscape.
Compass: The User Experience
The tool that guides you. Compass takes Meridian's intelligence and presents it through interactive, personalized dashboards. It's your compass in this process, helping you make sense of the data and plan with confidence.
Together, these three layers form a complete system for understanding employment-based immigration: collecting truth from the horizon, measuring it with precision, and guiding individuals with clarity.
Guiding Principles
Privacy First
Your data never leaves your browser. No accounts, no tracking, no analytics. All personalization runs client-side using localStorage.
Open Source
Every line of code is open in three repositories: Horizon (data collection), Meridian (analytics), and Compass (this app). All available for review and contribution.
Free Forever
Hosted globally on AWS with S3 and CloudFront - fast, reliable, and always accessible. No premium tiers, no paywalls, no ads. Immigration tools shouldn't have a price tag.
Community Driven
Built by immigrants, for immigrants. Feature requests, bug reports, and contributions are welcome. Help shape the tools you wish existed.
Data Sources
NorthStar processes data from five official U.S. government sources, totaling 18.5M+ records across 46 data tables.
Dept. of Labor (DOL)
1.7M employer sponsorship records + 9.6M work visa applications including job classifications, wages, and approval rates
State Dept. Visa Bulletin
14K+ historical priority date cutoffs tracking how the employment-based visa queue moves each month since 2011
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
446K national wage records for salary benchmarks by job type, geographic area, and income percentile
USCIS
Approval/denial trends, processing times, and adjudication data
DHS
Visa issuance volumes, admission statistics, and policy impacts
How It Works
Three repositories work together as the NorthStar pipeline:
Horizon
Data collection: scans official sources and ingests raw records
Meridian
Analytics backbone: curates, measures, models. Produces 46 artifact tables
Compass
User experience: renders pre-computed JSON into interactive dashboards
Complete Tech Stack
Horizon (data collection): Python web scrapers, APIs, scheduled tasks.
Meridian (analytics & models): Python data pipelines, ML models, statistical analysis.
Compass (user experience): React/Next.js frontend, interactive dashboards, visualizations.
Get Involved
NorthStar Compass is an open-source community app. Whether you want to report a bug, suggest a feature, contribute code, or just say hello, you're welcome here.