The increased popularity and publicity around the EB-5 investor visa program over the past several years has occupied so much attention that some of the other business and investment visa programs have been nearly forgotten. That includes the E2 visa.

Advantages of E2 for Business Investments

Depending on your individual situation, the E2 business investment visa may have several distinct advantages over the EB-5 visa program.

• Processing Time

While there are no guarantees to how long any application approval process may take, processing time to E2 visas is substantially less than for EB-5.

• The approval for an EB-5 visa may take 18 to 24 months or even longer.
• E2 processing, from the time the candidate initiates his application until the application receives final USCIS approval, can be about six months or less.
• Investment Amount
• The EB-5 investment visa currently requires a minimum $1 million USD investment, unless the new business venture is located in a Targeted Employment Area, in which case the minimum investment is currently $500,000.
• There is no defined investment amount required for an E2 business visa. Rather, an investor must demonstrate “a substantial amount” in “a bona fide enterprise.”
• Typically, a 50% equity investment would be considered “a substantial amount.”
• Typically, a “bona fide enterprise” is a business that can “generate more than enough income to provide a minimal living for the treaty investor and his or her family.”
• Immigration Status
• The point of an EB-5 investment visa for the investor is to create a direct path to permanent residence in the USA. An approved applicant is granted conditional permanent residency until the EB-5 project requirements are fulfilled.

• The point of an E2 visa is to be able to invest in a business in the USA without necessarily having to immigrate. However, the E2 visa is renewable every two years for as long as the investor remains invested in the business.

• Bonus: Should an E2 investor desire to become a permanent resident, they may apply for permanent status while holding a lawful E2 visa. The process is relatively straightforward.

It may be that the E2 visa program is a better fit for your business investment and your plans. We would be happy to discuss E2 or any other U.S. visa program details with you. E-2 visa does not fork for Chinese nationalities; however, they can obtain a second citizenship in any Caribbean country in several months, and become eligible for E-2 visa.

Our immigration and investment expertise is available to you by our staff of multilingual immigration and immigration law experts. Contact us at www.Business-Visa-USA.com, www.Business-Visa-USA.cn, www.Business-Visa-USA.hk and www.Business-Visa-USA.ru.

Note: Offer of services is not a guarantee of results. Every case is adjudicated on its own merits. We can help to determine your eligibility and direct you through the process.