The E2 visa, also known as the treaty investor visa, is a non-immigrant visa type that allows an individual to enter and work in the United States. The visa is given to an individual having a substantial investment in a U.S. business. The term “substantial” here means at least $100,000 in a startup, business, or franchise. Only the citizens of certain countries are allowed to avail of the visa.
In this article, we will go over all the details and answer a few commonly asked questions about the E2 Investors visa, USA.
Table of Contents
The E-2 nonimmigrant visa allows a national of a treaty country to enter the United States when investing a substantial amount of capital in a U.S. business. Certain non-investor employees of the same nationality as the investor holding an executive or supervisory position may also be eligible for the classification.
As per USCIS guidelines, E-2 investors visa USA can only be availed by a national of a treaty country. A Treaty country here means any nation which maintains a treaty of commerce or is in an international agreement with the United States. Here is a list of all the countries eligible to apply for an E-2 visa:
The USCIS generally uses an “Inverted Sliding scale” to determine the substantiality of the investment. Typically, startups are required to have a sizable amount of investment to start and operate a business. Although there’s no official minimum or maximum investment amount set up by the U.S. government, applications for investments of less than $150,000 are more likely to be rejected. If the investment is not enough to capitalize on the entire venture, USCIS will not consider it. Furthermore, ownership of the investor is also checked in the business, and ownership of less than 50% is generally not entertained.
Many E-2 visa investors prefer to buy a franchise or a business for sale in the U.S. as the interview process gets effortless in that case. The proven business model, as opposed to risky startups, sounds more credible to the investigating officers.
In short, these are the basic qualifications criterion for an E-2 visa:
The UK came under the E2 treaty Visa scheme with the US in 1815. For UK citizens, it is necessary to show residency in the UK to get a visa. It may get complicated for people living abroad however, there are a few means by which a British investor can show residence in the UK:
In addition, every applicant is required to pay a nonrefundable $205 visa application fee, and some countries are required to pay a visa issuance reciprocity fee.
Here is a general list of documents required for an E-2 investors visa in the US:
All the E-2 petitions generally go to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate, and they’re required to give an interview as part of the application process. You can either apply while you are in the US or outside of the country. The application process for both are:
a). Applying while you’re already in the US
Legal immigrants can apply directly to the USCIS via form I-129, a petition for the non-immigrant worker. On average, this type of application takes around five months to process, but the period might vary depending on your case.
On approval, the USCIS will provide you with a Form I-797.
The fee for filing form I-129 is $460.
Many people apply for E-2 Visa by this method. After applying, the US consulates living abroad will review your application and set up an interview with you. In case of approval, you will get your E-2 visa in a week, but the process depends upon the consulate. Some consulates take two weeks, while others take up to four weeks.
These are the steps you will need to follow if you’re living outside of the US and applying for the E-2 Visa:
After the approval of your visa, it will be valid for anywhere between three months to five years, depending on your home country. It can also be extended indefinitely in some cases.
One major advantage of the E-2 visa is that spouses and dependents of the principal visa holder can also apply and are normally granted the same period of stay in the US. Furthermore, the spouses and dependents need not be of the same nationality as the principal applicant.
The spouse can work, but it is advisable to apply for work authorization beforehand. Children under the age of 21 however, cannot work but are permitted to continue their studies.
With an E-2 investors visa, you will be able to work legally in the U.S. and take your spouse and children (under 21) with you for the entire tenure. Moreover, USCIS does not put any stay requirements or travel restrictions on E-2 visa holders.
Originally posted 2022-04-15 13:57:45.
Hello, I am a professional writer and blogger at Adclays.com. I love to explore the latest topics and write on those topics. I spend the maximum of my time on reading and writing interesting topics which provide valuable piece of information to my readers whether it comes to the latest fashion, technology, healthy lifestyle, business information, etc. Explore my writings by visiting the website.
The importance of localization in today's global market The globalized business scenario has drastically changed…
CBD products are getting popular with every passing day. There are lots of buzzz running…
Utilizing Kodi on Samsung Smart TV with Chromecast If you have a Chromecast, it is…
For skin cancer patients, hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be a game-changer. Exposing the body to…
Finance is defined as the management of money and includes activities related to banking, investing,…
If you heard of a funding opportunity that might be fit for your business or…