E2 Visa Application

[Emre Görü]

Hi all, I've graduated as Civil Engineer from Buffalo, NY. Currently I live in Istanbul / Turkey. My plans are to move to US with E2 visa and invest in real estate rehabilitation. I am planning to fix and flip old distressed properties in Desert Areas (Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Indio, Indian Wells, Coachella Valley, Palm Springs etc.) Do you have any experience about getting an E2 visa via real estate investing?

[Matt Curtis]

I'm an immigration attorney so what I'm saying cannot be taken as legal advice for your situation, but the E-2 is definitely less costly than the EB-5. However, the E-2 is for citizens of treaty countries (like Turkey) to be ACTIVELY involved in the management of the company ("develop and direct"). Passive investments won't get you there, you need to develop, direct and actively manage a business. The requisite funds must be "at-risk", and the amount is determined on a reverse sliding scale based on the nature of your business. The process is a bit more involved than simply buying homes, fixing, then reselling on your own but REI is definitely not a bad option to pursue if you have the funds and the right guidance.