What are the E2 investment visa requirements?
You may have heard about the E2 visa, which is a business visa to the US. Israeli citizens have been eligible to apply for an E-2 investment visa since 2019. How much money do you need to invest? What professional experience do you need? What should your business plan consist of?
Our law office specializes in immigration and visas to the US. In this article we will go through some of the investment requirements needed to obtain the E-2 investor’s visa to the US.
E2 visa application process
In order to get an E2 visa, your US immigration lawyer needs to file an application for the company and for any employees. They will attach to the petition the documents needed to prove that you fit the E-2 visa investment requirements. Your lawyer help you rehearse the basics of your proposal and replies to common questions prior to the interview at the embassy.
Our immigration lawyers can handle all aspects of the case, due to their familiarity with the local US embassies preferences in terms of filing and organizing the application. At our offices, we start the process with an initial consultation to make sure there is a good chance of success with your case. We will then provide you with a list of required documents and start working on the application. We are available throughout the process to answer any questions.
What amount is enough to invest?
The amount of the investment needs to be substantial enough to start the business – in other words, the sum of investment for an E-2 visa needs to be enough to get the business up and running. Depending on the field your business is in, this amount of investment will be different.
There is a common “baseline” of at least 100,000$, but the actual figure depends on the demographics of the area you wish to invest in, the specifics of the established business, etc. However, generally speaking the more you are able to invest, the easier it will be to get your application approved.
E-2 visa requirements involve using the investment to directly benefit the business. Using the investment could be, for example, renting an office, paying employees salaries, buying equipment etc. You will need documents proving these expenses.
What professional experience do I need?
In order to fit the E-2 investor’s visa requirements, you don’t need a degree or a certain amount of experience. However, you generally need to prove that you will supervise the business listed in the application as a manager or executive. The petition should prove that you are qualified to take on this role.
You need to show that you have previous experience as a manager in the same field. This will show the Embassy that you are likely to succeed in this position since you have previously succeeded in a similar role.
It’s very important to show that you will be playing an active role in the business. The investment you make cannot be a passive investment such as a real-estate property, where you don’t need to reside in the US on a full-time basis to supervise the investment. Although property investments can involve very big sums of money, it’s very hard to qualify for an E-2 visa with such an investment. This is due to investors normally being able to stay in their home country and take a very passive role in the property.
You need to show what your role will be on a day-to-day basis and how there is room for growth, particularly bringing in US citizen employees, encouraging job creation.
Business Plan
One of the documents you are required to provide is an extensive business plan for the next five years. You may be wondering what information you need to provide in your business plan. The plan needs to detail the current status of the business and expand projections into the future. This will include information such as company background, financial data, plans on hiring employees, plans for expanding the business, income and expenditures, and other financial projections. It’s important to note that the business plan will be brought up when you renew your E-2 visa. Therefore, the projections should be realistic otherwise you may be questioned on this matter. The E-2 visa is issued for two years, but your investment business plan should cover a longer period of time.
Other Business Visas
If you don’t think you fit the E-2 visa investment requirements, there are other business visas which allow you to work in the US. Each business visa has its unique criteria. The E-1 visa, the L-1 visa and the O-1 visa may be a better fit.
Your US immigration lawyer can check if other visa types fit your unique business better. We can explain the advantages and disadvantages of each visa type that is relevant to you. It’s important to note that obtaining a US business visa is a lengthy process with many requirements. A US immigration lawyer can handle the process for you and give you the highest chance of success.
Contact a US immigration expert for advice and help
For the E-2 visa, you will need to invest most of the money in the business before you even make your E-2 visa application. Therefore, it’s really important to have your case in the right hands to succeed in your application. The E-2 visa investment requirements are not straight forward to understand and there are updates and changes that can happen from time to time. Your US immigration lawyer can help you from once you have a business idea until after you receive your E-2 visa.
If you want to check if you fulfill the E-2 investment visa requirements and are eligible for an E-2 visa, please get in contact with us to make a consultation. We will go through the financial and company documents you have, review your professional background and plans, and address any issues that you may have, such as previous immigration violations. We will then advise on the steps you need to undertake in order to have the best chance of successfully obtaining an E-2 visa. Call us now at 03-3724722.
