E-1 & E-2 Visas For Foreign Investors
At Battan Alpert Hutchings LLP, we assist foreign business owners that want to conduct business in the United States. Our Boulder, Colorado, law firm serves clients seeking E-1 and E-2 treaty trader visas. For assistance in a business immigration matter, contact our Denver E-2 visa attorneys.
E-2 Visas
An E-2 visa is for someone who is not a U.S. citizen and will work at and/or own a company in the U.S. which is majority owned by nationals of their country. This individual can work as a high-level manager, person with special knowledge or an owner/operator. If you wish to work at a company in the U.S. which you own, you can either purchase an existing business or you can start your own business.
In order to qualify for the E-2 visa, we must show there is a trade treaty between your country and the United States. Only nationals of certain countries can apply for E visas. If E visas are allowed for nationals of your country, we can proceed.
In order to file the application, we must show that the company has already invested or will invest a large sum of money in the company. The law does not dictate the exact amount of the investment. However, the law does require a significant amount of money be invested in comparison to the overall worth of the business. The company is also required to have employees from the U.S.; it cannot only employ the foreign national owner. The government may take into account a company hiring independent contractors when deciding whether to issue your E visa.
You must take some steps to start your business before we can start your immigration paper work. If you purchase an existing business, I will need copies of all the purchase documents.
When all the business documentation has been established, we will file the application with USCIS or we can file with the consulate in your home country. If we file in your home country, you will have to return to your home country to get your visa when it is approved, but you would have to file at the consulate at any point you wanted to leave the U.S. Doing the initial filing at the consulate will prevent you from paying for two filings (one with USCIS here and one with the consulate when you leave the country.)
You can reapply for your E-2 status as long as you continue to own and run your business. But E-2 status is not a way to obtain either permanent residence (commonly called a “green card”) or citizenship in the U.S. If you want to seek E-2 immigration status as a foreign business investor or trader, contact our Colorado immigration lawyers.
E-1 Trade Treaty Visas
E-1 visas are similar to E-2 visas. However, the company must establish that it conducts substantial trade with the treaty country.
Please remember that the above information is general and is not complete. If you are considering applying for a visa, you should contact the Colorado immigration law firm of Battan Alpert Hutchings LLP to discuss your particular situation. Through a personal consultation, we can identify the process which best suites your needs.