Things You Need To Know About The E-2 Visa

With E-2 visas, a select group of foreign investors and business owners are permitted to visit the United States and work to establish and run their companies. A few key workers, managers, and executives may also reside and work in the US at qualifying companies on E-2 visas.

Larger businesses may send executive workers rather than the owners to the United States. As long as your company continues to operate in the United States, an E-2 visa can be obtained and renewed indefinitely. 

Your employees who are citizens of your native country may be eligible for E-2 visas as E-2 treaty investors. If you are ready and able to make a sizable investment in a company that will create jobs, the E-2 visa offers a way to live and work in the United States.

If you're interested in applying for an E-2 visa, then you need to educate yourself on the matter. For that reason, everything you need to know about E-2 visas is provided below.

Understanding The E-2 Visa

The E-2 treaty investor visa is another name for the E-2 visa. It is a kind of nonimmigrant visa that enables you to live and work in the United States if you invest a sizable sum of money in a U.S. company. Some of your employees could also be able to acquire E-2 visas so they can accompany you to the United States and assist in running the company. If your company is eligible, senior executives and managers can be allowed to visit the country to assist with running your operations in your absence.

Your E-2 visa will be good for two years after you obtain it. As long as you fulfill the commitments and conditions established by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, it is renewable for two-year intervals.

The best way to make sure that your visa-obtaining process goes as smoothly as possible is to hire an E2 visa lawyer to help you with the process and especially with sorting out the needed paperwork. Keep in mind that this visa is only available to businesspeople and investors from nations with which the United States has trade or commerce agreements.

 Qualification For An E-2 Visa

There are two requirements you must fulfill to be granted an E-2 visa. First, you have to be from a nation that qualifies and has a trade agreement with the United States. The second requirement is that you must invest a sizable sum in a US company.

Requesting An E-2 Visa

First, you need to fill out Form DS-160 if you want to apply for an E-2 visa. This is the form that needs to be filled out to apply for a nonimmigrant visa. You should fill out the application completely and submit it online.

You will get a confirmation page with a barcode after you submit it. You must bring the confirmation paper and barcode with you to your visa interview, so print them off. Keep in mind that you also need to upload a photo at the time of application. The specifications for U.S. passport pictures must be met by your photo.

In addition, you must pay the $205 visa application cost for E-2 visas. You might also need to pay a visa issuance fee if your visa is granted. However, citizens of other nations might not be required to pay the price for the issue of a visa. To find out if you must pay the visa issuance fee, search your home country on the U.S. Department of State website.

Plan Your Visa Interview

To book a visa interview, get in touch with the American consulate or embassy in your country after submitting your visa application and receiving your confirmation page and bar code. While it is feasible to arrange an interview at a U.S. consulate or embassy abroad, applying at the consulate or embassy in your home country will increase your chances of being accepted. The official list of American embassies and consulates is made available by the U.S. Department of State. By looking through the list, you can find the consulate or embassy in your nation.

What Counts As a Significant Investment?

An investment in a U.S. business, according to the USCIS, entails putting money or other assets at risk in a company. Putting assets at risk means that if the business fails, you could lose your investment. Additionally, you must be able to demonstrate that the money you invested was not obtained via illegal means.

Although a business investment of less than $100,000 may qualify for an E-2 visa, the majority of such investments won't be seen as significant. To improve your chances of receiving an E-2 visa, you should aim to invest at least $100,000 and work to satisfy all other requirements.

Final Thoughts

A significant investment in a U.S. company requires thoughtful consideration. While E-2 is a nonimmigrant visa, having one allows you to stay in the United States for business purposes. After being granted an E-2 visa and finishing your other preparations, you can start the thrilling process of creating a prosperous company in the United States.