Two year ago, after Vlad Shipilov, a Russian immigrant, moved to Portugal, his business visa was denied because his lawyer wasn’t aware of certain requirements pertaining to visa applications originating from Russia. It ultimately took $16,000, joining immigration groups on Telegram and Facebook and the help of a Portugal-based friend to secure Shipilov his visa — and residency. Shipilov quickly came to realize that his experience wasn’t unique. “I found that there were many ‘handlers’ and scammers in this market,” Shipilov told TechCrunch in an email interview. “For instance, Portuguese passive-income visa consulting agencies can cost $3,000, $5,000 or even $8,000, while lawyers charge $800 to $1,000 — and none of them provide any guarantees. I believe that your immigration should inspire you, not cause stress and make you pay for nothing.” So Shipilov, along with the friend he met in Portugal, Sergey Kotlov, started writing free guides, providing chat support and finding lawyers to deliver low-cost or free consultations for immigrants. The pair later decided to start a business — MigRun — to scale …