Everything You Need to Know about E2 Visa

Visa is an important document to have when you travel abroad. It shows a permit and proof to enter, live and even needed as one of the requirements for working in other countries. In the U.S. you can find many different types of Visa for different categories. One of the most common visas is the E2 Visa.

E2 Visa is created for those who want to live and work in the U.S. without immigrates. This non-immigrant visa has 2 years of validation time. After it is expired, you can always renew it. Of course, you also need to fulfill the requirement and obligation to get it renewed. You can find more about it on the USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) official website. 

E2 Visa is also known as a treaty US investor visa. It means this visa is given to the investor or entrepreneur who works or runs their business in the U.S. And, this visa holder only comes from the country in the Treaty of Trade and Commerce relationship with the U.S.

Here are the lists of the E2 Visa Treaty Countries in 2020 that become the most important requirement for applying for E2 Visa.

• Albania
• Argentina
• Armenia
• Australia
• Austria
• Azerbaijan
• Bahrain
• Bangladesh
• Belgium
• Bolivia 
• Bosnia and Herzegovina 
• Bulgaria
• Cameroon
• Canada
• Chile
• China (Taiwan) 
• Colombia
• Congo (Brazzaville)
• Congo (Kinshasa)
• Costa Rica
• Croatia
• Czech Republic 
• Denmark
• Ecuador 
• Egypt
• Estonia

• Ethiopia
• Finland
• France
• Georgia
• Germany
• Grenada
• Honduras
• Ireland
• Israel 
• Italy
• Jamaica
• Japan
• Jordan
• Kazakhstan
• South Korea
• Kosovo 
• Kyrgyzstan
• Latvia
• Liberia
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Macedonia 
• Mexico
• Moldova
• Mongolia
• Montenegro
• Morocco

• Netherlands
• New Zealand 
• Norway 
• Oman
• Pakistan
• Panama
• Paraguay
• Philippines
• Poland
• Romania
• Senegal
• Serbia 
• Singapore
• Slovak Republic 
• Slovenia 
• Spain 
• Sri Lanka
• Suriname
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Thailand
• Togo
• Trinidad & Tobago
• Tunisia
• Turkey
• Ukraine
• United Kingdom

To apply for E2 Visa, you must be eligible. Here are the requirements you need to meet to have a right to apply and receive E2 Visa. 

•  Your nationality or you are a citizen of the Treaty Countries we have listed above,

•  You also must have invested in the U.S. Or, you are now in the middle of working out your investment. For this requirement, you need to show and do at least these three things.

⁃ Your fund for investment is legal. You can use several documents as proof to show you get the fund legally, such as investment account, tax returns, bank statements and many more.

⁃ All of the assets you have or use for investment must be your asset. It means the assets subject to the risk of losing it during your investment.

⁃ When you apply for E2 Visa, your business or investment must be in the phase where you can start it right away.  

•   You must have the skill and ability to develop and run your business. The U.S. government will see your eligibility from this point of view. They see whether your business or investment is viable. In most cases, your background and experience will be used to determine whether you are in a position to be able to direct and develop your business and investment.

•  Your investment and business must contribute to U.S. society. You can just start a business or investment for making living for you and your family. You also need to show that what you are going to do can grow and able to hire an employee in less than 5 years.

•  E2 Visa is a non-immigrant Visa. Therefore, to be eligible, you also need to show that you plan to return to your country after your Visa expired or finished with your business and investment. 

As mentioned above, other than business and working, you also can use E2 Visa to start investment in the U.S. However, there is the minimum amount of investment you need to fulfill, to get the E2 Visa. The standard limit is $100,000. It is a similar number to the requirement to acquire Green Card through investment. 

However, you still have a chance to receive E2 Visa, even if you invest with a lower amount than $100,000. You can even invest with just $15,000, and you can still get the E2 Visa, if your investment or business you start from it, bring good effect and support for the growth of the U.S. economy.  

One more important thing you need to know, the U.S. Government doesn’t set up the standard or minimum limit of the investment. So, the $100,000 is the safest amount you can use to get a better chance for E2 Visa. However, as long as your business and investment are eligible with the requirement, you have a chance to get one.

When you want to apply for E2 Visa, you also need to prepare documents as the application requirement. Here are several documents you must have:

• Valid passport – your passport must be valid at least 6 months before the expiration date when you apply for the E2 Visa.

• Form DS-160 – you need to complete this form and submit it to start your application. You can get this form from the USCIS official website. Moreover, this is an online form, so you just need to fill it up there and submit it. However, you also need to have a copy of it, by printing it, in case you need it later.

• Travel itinerary – as mentioned before, to be eligible, you need to state the plan for return to your country. So, an itinerary like this will be needed as proof of that requirement.

• Form I-94 – it is a form about your arrival and departure to the U.S. 

• Resume or CV – you will start a business, working, or investing in the U.S. Therefore, you also need to have a CV or resume that will become one of the resources for the U.S. Government to assess your business and investment plan. 

Now, you know the eligibility, requirement, as well as documents you must submit to apply for E2 Visa. Next is the guide to apply. You need to follow these 3 simple steps.

• Apply with Form DS-160

Visit USCIS official website, completing a Form DS-160 and submit it. Make sure you also pay the application fee, which is $205 for the filing fee, and $85 for biometric testing. Attach all documents you prepared before, and submit it to USCIS. Once they received your application, you will get a notification letter. Print and copy it for later.

• Attending the Interviews

Once you finished the first step, you will know the interview schedule and location. Bring all documents that can prove your eligibility, and attend the interview on time. Once you answer all the questions, you need to wait for approval.

• Visa Approval

The USCIS will send the approval letter directly to your home address in your country. Or, they inform you to take your Visa at the U.S. embassy in your country, once it is approved. Now, you have an E2 Visa.

It depends on your business type and other elements that affect your eligibility. However, the standard processing time is 4-6 weeks. However, if you are an employee of a company in the U.S. your application can take only 2 weeks.

You can use two methods to renew your E2 Visa. The first method is easy. You just need to travel outside the U.S, then come back and enter again. Your E2 Visa will be automatically renewed this way. You will get 2 years extension. Applying the extension or renewal via USCIS is also doable. Use Form I-539 for this method. Once you fulfill all requirements, and your renewal is accepted and granted, you get another 2 years. 

If you are an investor, you can apply for renewal as many as you want. Moreover, you also can adjust your status to apply for another Visa. For example, if your employer becomes your sponsor, you can also apply for H1B Visa.

E2 Visa also can be used to apply for Green Card. You can use these four methods to do this:

•  Apply for EB-5 Visa to get Green Card through investor way,

•  Apply for EB-1 Visa, if you have a special skill,

•  Use immediate relative or family-based visa,

•  Change your E2 status into a dual intent work visa.

That’s everything you need to know about E2 Visa. Hopefully, with our simple guide, you won’t have any problem and confusion when you apply for E2 Visa.