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E2 Visa
The US has entered into treaties with several countries and established an E-2 visa that allows business owners from those countries to work in the US for a business in which they have invested. The E-2 visa is a nonimmigrant visa and is temporary. This visa enables people who have adequate funds to invest to come into the US to set up a practice, office, or business. Although it doesn’t provide a Green Card, one of the biggest advantages of the E2 visa is that you can extend this visa indefinitely for as long as the business is viable.
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E2 Visa investment requirements
You need to be in the process of investing money while applying for the E2 registration of a business. If an escrow arrangement is not an option, you need to show that substantial investments have been made. You need not worry about investing money even before you are granted a visa. You can have the money held in an escrow account to be spent only to be spent if the E2 visa is granted.
The qualifying E2 visa business should be able to create employment for residents of the US.

E2 Visa requirements
To be eligible to apply for an E2 visa, you need to invest in a bona fide enterprise that is a real and active commercial undertaking that produces goods and services for profit. There are minimum investment requirements too, depending upon the nature of your business. Some of the evidence that you need to submit to prove that your business is legitimate:

1. Notice of assignment of an Employer Identification Number from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
2. Financial statements
3. Tax returns
4. Business licenses
5. Business organizational chart
6. Escrow documents
7. Vendor agreements or contracts
8. Lease agreement

In addition to this, the investor must be a native of a treaty country. There are thirty treaty countries. You should not just maintain legal permanent residency in one of these countries but should have a passport from one of these treaty countries. Under the E2 visa treaty, nationals of only treaty countries can apply. It is important to note that people of China and India cannot apply under the E2 visa treaty, as their countries are not a part of the investor treaty with the United States.

The investment should be substantial for the successful operation of the business. The ideal investment capital and reserve should be at least $100,000. You can additionally provide evidence that the investment is substantial by providing business or personal bank statements, a list of materials and goods purchased to start the business, and other related financial accounting documents. It is also a good idea to put a business plan that clearly illustrates the success of your project. This will help USCIS to see that your business will help in creating jobs and help in improving the US economy. The experienced E2 Attorneys at Rijal Law firm help you prepare a strong application and ensure high chances of approval.

Processing Time
The processing time for the E2 visa varies depending on the native country from which you are applying for the visa. Some embassies take just a few weeks while others might have to wait for a few months. If you are in the US, you can take advantage of a premium processing service to get your application processed within fifteen days. The other factor that can expedite the processing time is if you decide to buy an existing business that is registered as an E2 treaty enterprise.

Requirements of E2 visa extension
There are two ways to extend the status of an E2 visa. The first is to travel outside of the US and then re-enter. This makes you eligible for a two-year renewal. The other way is to seek renewal from USCIS by filing an extension request. You just need to submit a new I-129 petition, I-539 form, and other E-2 visa extension documents. E2 extension is a complicated process as USCIS needs to ensure the viability of your business and check on its operations and financial viability. Attorneys at Rijal Law firm have successfully helped numerous clients to renew their E2 visa and continue their business in the United States.

E2 visa requirement varies with your nationality
Though the E2 visa is open to nationals of the countries listed in the treaty, certain country-specific requirements largely depend on the applicant’s nationality. There are some unusual requirements for the nationals of the United Kingdom as it was the first nation-state to have an E2 visa treaty agreement in 1815 with the US. Nationals of the United Kingdom are needed to show residence in the UK before they qualify for an E2 visa. If you are a UK citizen but living in another country, you need to provide one of the following documents to get the E2 visa:

Rental or ownership of a home in the UK
UK payslips
UK tax returns
Connections in the UK
UK based investments

If you want assistance in filing for an E2 visa our lawyers at Rijal Law can help you file an E2 visa based on the US Department of State and the USCIS guidelines. Our team will help you get started in the US by making sure that your paperwork and documents are in order. Contact Rijal Law firm today and book a consultation with one of our experienced immigration attorneys.

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