Starting-a-Business-in-the-USA

The US actively attracts international investment through bilateral cooperation—trade and shipping agreements- increasing capital flows into the country. Foreign investors can obtain an E-2 visa, allowing them to conduct business, invest, and start new companies for an extended period in the United States.

What is an E-2 visa?

US E-2 Visa – Allows foreign investors from participating countries to live and work in the United States based on a significant investment in a US business. The E-2 visa is a nonimmigrant visa but can be renewed indefinitely as long as the investment continues to qualify.

Which countries are eligible for the E-2 visa?

  1. Azerbaijan
  2. Armenia
  3. Georgia
  4. Kazakhstan
  5. Kyrgyzstan
  6. Latvia
  7. Lithuania
  8. Moldova
  9. Ukraine 
  10. Estonia

Benefits of the E-2 Visa

Low Investment: Investors do not need to invest huge amounts. You can start from $20,000.

Fast Application Processing: E-2 visas are processed in an average of 3 months. There is also an option for accelerated review of documents in 2 weeks.

Low denial rate: US Immigration rejects approximately 10% of applications, giving reasons for the denial. This allows investors to correct errors and resubmit their applications.

Unlimited visa extension: The visa can be extended as many times as desired, provided the business continues to operate and generate income.

Spousal rights: Spouses of investors have the right to work in the United States without special permission, although it is recommended to obtain one.

Education for children: children of investors can study for free in American schools. Once they turn 21, they can apply for a student visa to attend a US university.

Is $50,000 enough to get an E-2 visa?

USCIS does not set a specific minimum investment amount for an E-2 visa but emphasizes that the investment must be substantial.

What does this mean? If the value of the business is $1,000,000, then an investment of $50,000 will not be considered significant.

However, if you are planning to open a business worth around $100,000, an amount of $51,000 or more will already be considered significant.

From practice: the higher the amount of initial investment, the higher the likelihood of approval💰

We had cases where our clients received approval with an investment of about $60,000. 📝The correct argument and a good business plan are important here. We always help our clients with this😌

7 steps to obtain a US business visa

Decide on a business idea. Whether you are opening a new company or buying an existing one, work through 3-5 options. I talked more about what types of businesses are suitable for applying for an E-2 visa in this post.

2️⃣ Calculate which of the selected options will help you obtain an E-2 visa. How to do it?

Take the questions listed below and put them in front of each of the options from 1 to 5 points. The more points an option has, the higher the likelihood of being approved.

3️⃣ Can you prove that the funds you plan to invest are not your last money? Do you have enough finances to support yourself and your family?

4️⃣ Do you plan to actively participate in the management and development of the enterprise, and not just invest money once?

5️⃣ If you are planning a partnership, will your share be more than 50%? In almost all cases, an E-2 visa investor must prove that he owns at least 50% of the business.

6️⃣ Will you be able to create jobs for American citizens? There are no clear requirements for the number, but there should not be large excesses towards immigrants.

7️⃣ Does your company comply with all US legal and regulatory requirements?

What else is important:

For a new business, financial forecasts for the next 5 years must be supported by a detailed business plan. 

You need to clearly describe a step-by-step action plan and show that your business will grow year after year. There are no specific requirements for revenue, but all indicators must be digitized! Don’t forget to calculate force majeure.

The enterprise must be a real and active commercial or entrepreneurial enterprise producing some service or product. Simply creating fiction on paper will not work.

A little parting word: don’t just read, but also apply, then you will see results!

Thank you for your attention!

I hope you liked the article. If you have friends and acquaintances who would like to move to the USA, be sure to share this post with them.

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