VISA FOR BUSINESS AND INVESTORS
Did you know that business owners can live and work in the U.S. indefinitely while they are running their business? With an E2 Investor Visa, business owners are given permission to move to the U.S. with their spouses and children and can remain in the U.S. indefinitely as long as their business is viable.
The investment amount needed for an E2 is much smaller than you might imagine, which makes the E2 Investor Visa a great opportunity for individuals and families who want to live and work in the U.S., but who don’t have a family member or business to sponsor their application.
You don’t need a million dollars to get an E2 investor visa and, in fact, there is NO minimum investment amount required. To get an E2 visa you have to invest as much money as is needed to properly run your business. The minimum investment amount depends on the type of business you own and run. If you’re opening a flower shop, $50,000 may be more than sufficient to properly open and operate your new business. If you’re opening a car manufacturing plant, you’ll likely need quite a bit more to properly get the business going.
You don’t need to start a brand new business to get an E2 Investor Visa. While E2 Investor Visas are available for new business, you can also qualify for an E2 Investor Visa by buying an existing business or opening a franchise.
To qualify for an E2 Investor Visa you must:
- Be a citizen of a country that has an investor treaty with the U.S., such as Mexico, Spain, the U.K., or many other countries. You can find a full list of treaty countries on the State Department website.
- Own at least 50% of your company and have the right to control and direct the business
- Have already invested in the business and taken substantial steps towards opening
- Invest enough money to allow the business to operate properly
- Be able to show you got your investment funds legally, such as through income, real estate sales, gifts from family, or even legal gambling winnings
- Have a 5-year business plan for growth and economic benefit to the U.S. economy, beyond providing just a salary for you as the investor
The E2 Investor Visa is available for any type of business, has no minimum investment amount, and can be renewed indefinitely. This highly flexible visa option provides an amazing opportunity to many people, including individuals and families looking to live and work in the U.S. who don’t have other immigration options through family or employment. With the E2 investor visa, you can be your own sponsor and create your own American Dream!