Close
Updated:

Entrepreneur Immigration: How to Obtain an E-2 Investment Visa

In this video, attorney Jacob J. Sapochnick, explains the process of applying for an E-2 visa and the steps involved in that process. The E-2 visa is a non-immigrant visa type (temporary) that allows foreign entrepreneurs from treaty nations to enter the United States and carry out investment and trade activities.

Overview: 

The E-2 ‘investor visa’ is available to an applicant who invests a substantial amount of his own money into a U.S. business, which he can control and direct. This visa type is a great option for individuals who wish to invest their money to purchase an existing business or to start up a new one.

In order to qualify for the E-2 visa, you must be a foreign national of a country that has a treaty-trader agreement with the United States.

The following countries have treaties with the United States that allow qualifying nationals to apply for Treaty Trader status:

Albania Czech Republic Kosovo Romania
Argentina Denmark Kyrgyzstan Serbia
Armenia Ecuador Latvia Senegal
Australia Egypt Liberia Singapore
Austria Estonia Lithuania Slovak Republic
Azerbaijan Ethiopia Luxembourg Slovenia
Bahrain Finland Macedonia Spain
Bangladesh France Mexico Sri Lanka
Belgium Georgia Moldova Suriname
Bolivia Germany Mongolia Sweden
Bosnia and Herzegovina Grenada Montenegro Switzerland
Bulgaria Honduras Morocco Thailand
Cameroon Iran The Netherlands Togo
Canada Ireland Norway Trinidad and Tobago
Chile Italy Oman Tunisia
China (Taiwan) Jamaica Pakistan Turkey
Colombia Japan Panama Ukraine
Congo (Brazzaville and Kinshasa) Jordan Paraguay United Kingdom
Costa Rica Kazakhstan Philippines Yugoslavia
Croatia South Korea Poland

The Process of Applying for an E-2 visa:

Step One: Set up and register your business in the United States (LLC or C corp) to start the planning of your new company in anticipation of your investor visa

Step Two: Once the company is formed, the next step is to open the corporate bank account where the funds will be transferred by the foreign national to be committed to the business enterprise

Step Three: Once the bank account is set up, then the funds to be committed to the business enterprise can be transferred from the foreign country to the corporate bank account, to be able to use those funds for the purpose of investing them in the business

Step Four: After the money has been transferred, the company can being the process of investing the funds into the business such as obtaining a lease for the business and making rent payment toward the lease, purchasing equipment, hire employees, begin marketing the business. This step is known as the “investment period.” The investment period can be anywhere from 60-90 days.

Step Five: Once the investment period has been completed, then the case is filed with the U.S. embassy of your treaty country, of if you are in the United States on a valid visa, you can file a change of status application along with your E visa petition.

To read more about visa options for entrepreneurs please click here.

To schedule a consultation, please contact our office at 619-819-9204.

Remember to follow us on FacebookYoutubeTwitter, and Instagram.

Suggest a Story