E-2 Investor Visa

What is a E-2 visa?

Treaty Investor (E-2) visa allows an individual to enter the U.S. and work based on his or her investment in a U.S. business.

What are the benefits of a E-2 visa?

• The visa is issued for a period from three months up to five years depending on the country of origin and in theory can be extended indefinitely
• Compared to an immigration visa available for investors, the EB-5 visa, necessary investment amount is much lower: generally it must be at least $100.000
• Family members of E-2 applicants may receive dependent E visas: these include the spouse and unmarried children (under 21 years of age); also they are not required to have the same nationality as the main E-2 applicant

What are the requirements of a E-2 visa?

• The applicant must be a citizen of a country that has a relevant treaty with the U.S. To see if your country is on this list, please see the official list from the U.S. Department of State.
• The applicant must be coming to work in the U.S. for a company that he or she either owns or that is at a minimum 50% owned by other nationals of the country of origin.
• The applicant must be either the owner or a key employee (executive or supervisor, or someone with essential skills) of the U.S. business.
• The applicant or the company must have made a substantial investment in the U.S. business. There's no legal minimum, but the applicant or company must be putting capital or assets at risk, be trying to make a profit, and the amount must be substantial relative to the type of business. The minimum investment is normally $100,000.
• The U.S. company must be actively engaged in commercial activities and meet the applicable legal requirements for doing business in its state or region. It also cannot be merely a means to support the investor. The underlying goal of the treaty investor visa is to create jobs for U.S. workers. Suitable investments are income producing real estate, small businesses such as motels, hotels, restaurants, etc, but not vacant land.
• The applicant must intend to leave the U.S. when his or her business in the U.S. is completed, although the person is not required to maintain a foreign residence abroad. The applicant will likely be asked to show the U.S. consulate evidence of eventual plans to leave the United States.

E-2 process at Catlett, Inc.

Catlett, Inc. will offer to assist an investor obtain a business investment and acquire a U.S. E-2 visa. The following steps allow the investor to choose which services it wants to retain Catlett, Inc. to perform.

1. Catlett, Inc. will provide an investor with a list of available investments.
2. If the investor wants to investigate one or more of the proposed investments or others, then the Investor signs a contract with Catlett, Inc. If the investor is not satisfied with any of the proposed investments, then Catlett, Inc. will search for more proposed investments under specific criteria; Catlett, Inc. is not obligated to search for more if it does not think the investor is likely to purchase. Upon receiving payment, Catlett, Inc. will request details for each investment selected by the investor and send to the investor.
3. If the Investor wants Catlett, Inc. to conduct a further review of an investment, Catlett, Inc will (a) visit the business premises if the business is located in the State of Arkansas, (b) review all the information that theseller has submitted, (c) discuss with the investor his or her questions about the business and the strengths and weaknesses of the investment, but Catlett, Inc. will offer no advice as to whether this is a profitable or worthwhile investment, (d) prepare a business plan.
4. If the investor wants to submit an offer, Catlett, Inc. will work with the investor and an attorney to submit an offer for an additional fee.
5. If the investor is successfully buying the business, Catlett, Inc. will work with the investor to handle the documents necessary to acquire the business for an additional fee based on the purchase price of the business.
6. Once the investor has the business, Catlett, Inc. will introduce the investor to one or two immigration attorneys who can handle the visa process. Or the investor can choose his or her own immigration attorney.

What are the risks in getting a E-2 visa?

The E-2 visa relies on an investment in a foreign business. As always with international trade transactions, there are risks involved that the investor has to consider.

The responsibility of determining the suitability of an investment lies solely with the investor. Catlett, Inc. does not recommend any investment and does not warrant that the information provided by the seller or the agent is true, accurate or complete.

Interested in learning more about E-2?

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