Business Investment

Business Investment Visas

If you are contemplating the starting of a business, purchasing a business or looking to invest in a new business, the United States is one of the best countries on the planet to consider. There are unlimited opportunities in the US and with all of the Franchise opportunities foreign investors have many relatively safe and proven options whereby they can choose to live and work in the US.

If you are looking to invest in the US, generally speaking, there are two options:

E-2 Visa for Investors and
EB-5 Visa for Immigrant Investors (please see business investment under “Green Cards” category)

This section contains information on E-2 non-immigrant visas only. For information on EB-5 immigrant visas, please see the section under business investment under our “Green Cards” section.

What’s the difference between E-2 and EB-5?

E-2 is a non-immigrant visa category for person seeking to enter the US as an investor. For persons already in the US, they can change legal status to that of an E-2 investor if they invest a substantial amount of money in the US. E-2 status is not for permanent residence and does not automatically lead to a green card. However, an E-2 investor may remain in the US for as long as the investment business continues to operate. For an E-2 investor to obtain permanent residence in the US (green card), they must apply separately.

EB-5 is an immigrant visa category for persons investing at least $500,000 in the US. Persons investing under the EB-5 category will receive permanent residence (green card) in the US.

How do I qualify for E-2?

To qualify as an E-2 investor, you must:

• Be a citizen of an E-2 treaty country with the US. Click here for a list of E-2 treaty countries.
• Own at least 50% of the E-2 investment business.
• Actively direct and develop your E-2 investment business.
• Make a substantial investment in the US. This amount varies depending on type and location of your business.
• Have control of your investment funds.

How Do I Begin?

Call an California Immigration Attorney who will explain the entire E-2 process. An experienced Immigration Lawyer from The Law Office of Andy Miri is expert in business immigration and can help you through the process.