The E2 Visa Law has been a hot topic in the U.S. for some time now, with many people wondering whether or not they qualify for it and if it is worth pursuing.
It is a document that states the requirements and eligibility for obtaining an E-2 Treaty Investor visa. The United States Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs administers it and is part of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
This article will discuss how to get one and some of the things you should know before applying.
Do I Qualify for the E2 Visa?
Here are the eligibility requirements.
Must Have the Majority Ownership of the Enterprise
To qualify for an E2 visa, you must be the majority owner (more than 50%). Importantly, it is your enterprise that is petitioning for you and not an outside company or location.
U.S. Company Owned by Foreign Nationals
The second requirement to qualify for an E2 visa is that you must be a foreign national and own at least 50% of the company. That means your investment needs to be more than half of the business to qualify for citizenship through the visa.
Majority Ownership by a Treaty Country National
You must prove that you have majority ownership from a United States company owned by a citizen of one of the qualifying treaty countries. It’s among the top requirements of E2 visa law Los Angeles-located, and in many other states.
The E2 Visa is for Treaty Countries Only
The E2 visa law applies only to enterprises in a treaty country which you can find the complete list here. It is not available for citizens living in countries that do not have treaties with the United States.
You Cannot be an Employee of that Company or in a Related Field
The last qualification to get the E2 visa is employment-related and scope of work related to your business and company and prohibits you from working in a related capacity for the company. For example, if you are applying for an E2 visa, you cannot be listed as an employee in the same company you claim to own.
There are many benefits to applying for an E2 visa, including the ability to open a company bank account, have an EIN, work legally in the U.S., travel freely within the country with your family on tourist visas, and apply for citizenship after five years of maintaining status as an E2 visa holder.
