What is the E-2 Treaty Investor VISA and How Can I Apply?
E-2 VISA
For Treaty Investors
E-2 TREATY INVESTOR VISA SUMMARY:
The E-2 treaty investor visa was established to facilitate trade between the U.S. and its treaty countries. It is only available to nationals from countries that have an E-2 treaty with the United States. It allows the foreign investor to live and work in the United States. It can also be used for managers and essential employees of larger companies to be brought over to the U.S.
E-2 TREATY INVESTOR VISA ELIGIBILITY:
There are certain requirements that a treaty national must meet to be eligible for the E-2 visa. These include:
You are a citizen of a E-2 treaty country.
The U.S. company must be at least 50% owned by citizens of the treaty country
You are either the owner or a key employee of the U.S. company
You have made a substantial investment in the U.S. company (generally, at least $100,000 USD, depending on the investment needs and operational cost of the company)
The U.S. company must be up and running or close to opening its doors
There is a business plan to hire U.S. workers over time (show that the business was for more than self-employment)
PROCESSING TIME:
Most E-2 petitions are filed with the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the treaty country. Most U.S. consulates will try to review a petition within 30 days and then notify the applicant for an interview. After the interview, it generally takes 1 week to receive the passport back with the E-2 VISA stamp.
LIST OF E-2 TREATY COUNTRIES:
Albania
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belgium
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Cameroon
Canada
Chile
China (Taiwan)
Colombia
Congo (Brazzaville)
Congo (Kinshasa)
Costa Rica
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
Egypt
Estonia
Ethiopia
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Grenada
Honduras
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Korea (South)
Kosovo
Kyrgyzstan
Latvia
Liberia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Mexico
Moldova
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Panama
Paraguay
Philippines
Poland
Romania
Senegal
Serbia
Singapore
Slovak Republic
Slovenia
Spain
Sri Lanka
Suriname
Sweden
Switzerland
Thailand
Togo
Trinidad & Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Ukraine
United Kingdom
Yugoslavia
For a more in-depth analysis of theE-2 visa, read this Ultimate Guide to E-2 Visa.