A Concise Guide to the E-2 Investor Visa

The E-2 investor visa is a visa category for people who want to invest in the United States. The person applying for the visa is usually the person who wants to personally run the investment operation in the US.

The E-2 investor visa is only available to citizens of countries the US has a treaty of commerce and friendship with.

There is no specific dollar amount that a prospective investor has to invest in the US. All that matters is that the investment is not marginal and is substantial. E-2 investor visas are typically valid for a period ranging from 2 to 5 years, but you can renew it indefinitely.

This visa category is good for all businesses that want to invest in the US economy. It is also ideal for families that either want to buy an existing business or establish a new one.

General Requirements for an E-2 Investor Visa

The following are some of the general requirements that have to be fulfilled for a successful E-2 investor visa application:

• The investor, whether a person or a corporate entity, has to be from a country the US has a treaty of friendship with.
• The proposed investment has to be substantial. What this means is that the amount to be invested has to be reasonable when compared to the type of business sought. For instance, substantial investment funds for a car assembly plant will be different from an investment in a restaurant.
• The business has to be an operating one and not a passive one. This means that investments like stocks and bonds do not qualify you for an E-2 investor visa.
• The returns from the investment must not be marginal. This means that the returns have to be more than enough to take care of the investor and his family.
• The investor needs to have personal control of the funds and the funds have to be at risk. This means that loans obtained while using company assets as collateral would not qualify.
• The applicant needs to be the one personally directing the business. If not, the investor has to be in a managerial or supervisory role.

What Countries Qualify For The E-2 Investor Visa?

There is a limited number of countries that can qualify for an E-2 investor visa. You can access them from this list by the state department.

What Is A Substantial Investment?

Another requirement is that the investment has to be substantial. There is no specific dollar amount for determining a specific investment. The government uses other tests for this metric. The funds have to be proportional to the ones required for the specific business in mind. If you want to invest in a capital-intensive venture, then you need funds to the tune of millions of dollars.