Minimum USD 150,000
An E-2 treaty investor visa is the fastest form of obtain a visa which allows residing in the USA. The E-2 is a non-immigrant visa reserved for foreign entrepreneurs of countries that have a Treaty of Trade and Commerce with the United States. E-2 investor visa allows foreign investors to enter and work inside of the United States based on a substantial investment in a bona fide enterprise.
Processing time - Average of 3 months
Investment type - new business or franchise in the USA
Investment cost - approximately USD 150,000 (and above without specific limit)
Family dependents - Spouse, dependent children below 21 years old and business employees
CITIZENSHIP LAW OR RESIDENCY LAW
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services defines an E-2 investment as “the investor’s placing of capital, including funds and other assets, at risk in the commercial sense with the objective of generating a profit. Your investment may be to establish a new business venture, or purchase a pre-existing business.”
The E-2 Investor Visa nonimmigrant classification allows a national of a treaty country (a country with which the United States maintains a treaty of commerce and navigation, or with which the United States maintains a qualifying international agreement, or which has been deemed a qualifying country by legislation) to be admitted to the United States when investing a substantial amount of capital in a U.S. business. Certain employees of such a person or of a qualifying organization may also be eligible for this classification. (For dependent family members, see “Family of E-2 Treaty Investors and Employees” below.
COUNTRY INFO
The United States has long been known over the world as the land of opportunity, with its rich and diverse culture and one of the strongest currencies in the world.
Throughout its history, the United States has been a nation of immigrants. Currently, more than 325 million people live in the US. Of these, about 62 percent originally are of European descent,13 percent are African-American, 16 percent are Hispanic, and 5 percent are Asian. An estimated 20 percent of people living in the US speak a language other than English in their homes. Among the most common second languages are Spanish, Chinese, and Portuguese.
| CAPITAL | Washington, D.C. |
| POPULATION | 325.7 million |
| LANGUAGE | English |
| GOVERNMENT TYPE | Constitutional federal republic |
| CURRENCY | US dollar (USD) |
| EXCHANGE RATE | 1 USD = 0.9214 EUR |
SIMPLE PROCESS
Fastest process to obtain entry to USA
Once residence obtained no need to spend any minimum time in the USA
Active management of business is not required
No language skills required
Not required to live in the same state where business is
No minimum education required
Time of validity varies depending on the country of treaty – generally validity is of 5 years
E2 Visa Renewal can be done unlimited times
FAMILY BENEFITS
All persons covered by E2 visas are permitted to travel in and out of the USA
Investor’s spouse and unmarried children under 21 years old can be included
Their nationalities need not be the same as the treaty investor or employee
Family can live and work anywhere in the USA, it does not have to be in the same Estate where business is
Investor’s spouse can also apply to work anywhere in the USA
Free high school education for children in the USA and in state college tuition rates apply
Children get free access to education for 13 years (K-12) and reduced in State Tuition at University level
ADDITIONAL ADVANTAGES
Tax advantages - as a nonimmigrant resident if main applicant spends no more than 122 days per year in the USA no tax on worldwide income applies
E-2 does not directly lead to a “Green Card” but an E-2 may be converted to EB-5 to apply for citizenship over the course of time if the investment amount is increased to match EB-5 requirements
To qualify for E-2 classification, the employee of a treaty investor must:
Employees can be added under the same application and they must be the same nationality of the principal alien employer (who must have the nationality of the treaty country)
COSTS
The investment used to qualify for an E2 visa must be in an active and operating business that requires people to work in the business.
1. E2 VISA INVESTMENT
Approximate E2 Visa Investment Amount USD 150,000 (and above without specific limit). Funds could be placed into a special escrow account only to be transferred if the E2 visa is granted. Escrow account arrangements are more likely to be relevant if you are buying an existing business instead of starting a new business. In such a situation the seller of the business could agree for money to be held in an escrow account.
Approximate E2 Visa Investment Amount - USD 150,000
Citizenship Invest professional fees, official application forms, certification of citizenship and passport, courier & other disbursements are the only other costs associated. A detailed quotation with no hidden costs is provided for the specific case.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
Citizenship Invest appoints a Document Collection Specialist for each case. The firm offers a bespoke
service that simplifies the application process, requesting from clients the bear minimum. Our job is to
simplify the document collection as much as possible and when required we obtain the documents for the
client without their involvement. Please note the below list is to be used as a guideline only, after assessing
the particular case Citizenship Invest prepares a personalized checklist.
Documents required from each applicant including children:
• Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160.
• Certified copy of valid passport (with a validity date at least six months beyond the applicant’s intended period of stay in the United States)
• One (1) Original 2-by-2-inch (5-by-5-cm) photograph.
Documents required only from the main applicant:
• Nonimmigrant Treaty Trader/Treaty Investor Application DS-156E,
completed and signed, for executives/managers/essential employees.
• A credible business plan showing that the US business will generate
enough money to support the applicant during his/her stay in the US
along with all his dependents. The business cannot be marginal.
• A business registration for the United States business.
• Proof of wire transfer.
• Proof of source of income.
• Proof of intent to return to your country (because this visa does not allow
dual intent)
Documents required only if married persons apply together:
• Original excerpt of marriage record or certified copy of marriage
certificates
• Certified copy of divorce certificate (if applicable).