For those wishing to live, work or be educated in the USA, the E-2 Visa can provide a convenient route to residency, with many benefits.

What Is The E-2 Visa?

The E-2 is a USA non-immigrant visa, allowing residency in the US by investment into a US business.  The applicant can either purchase an existing business or start a new one.  The visa is valid for between three months and five years and can be extended indefinitely.

What Are The Benefits of Having an E-2 Visa?

  • Once the visa is granted, the applicant can live, work and be educated in the USA.
  • Their spouse and children can also obtain the E-2 visa, giving them the same rights.
  • The visa can continue to be extended indefinitely.

The E-2 is a residency visa and does not automatically grant the right to a Green Card.  However, there are ways to convert the E-2 into a Green Card in the future.

Astons’ team of experts can advise on this and all other aspects of the E-2 visa.

What Must I Do To Obtain An E-2 Visa And How Much Money Must I Invest?

To qualify for an E-2 visa, the following requirements must be met:

  • The applicant must have a passport from a country that has an E-2 treaty with the United States.
  • The applicant is required to invest a “substantial” amount of money.  The visa does not specify an amount but around $100,000 is advised as a minimum.
  • The business must be an “active-for-profit” business, in other words, an actively trading business rather than a passive investment.
  • The funds have to be put “at risk”, for example by purchasing inventory, equipment or supplies for the business.
  • The funds used for the investment have to come from a lawful source to prevent money laundering, so the source must be traceable.

How Can I Get An E-2 Visa If My Own Country Does Not Have An E-2 Treaty With The USA?

If the applicant does not hold a passport of a country that has an E-2 treaty with the United States, they will need to obtain citizenship of a country that does.

For example, in the Caribbean, Grenada is the only country that holds a treaty with the USA offering this type of visa to Grenadian citizens, something that is not available in major countries such as China, Russia, India and some countries of the Gulf region. This offers a major advantage to Grenada as it can attract investors to become citizens by investment of a minimum $150,000 donation to the government or a minimum real estate investment of $200,000. The applicant’s children, spouse, parents, grandparents and unmarried siblings can all be included in the application for Grenadian citizenship. Once the investor gains Grenadian citizenship they can then make the application for the E2 visa to the USA, as can their families.

Other benefits of having a Grenadian passport include visa-free access to 144 countries including EU countries and the UK; a fast-track process with the citizenship gained in just 4-8 months; no physical residency in Grenada is required and the application process can take place completely online; no income tax or wealth or inheritance tax, all making Grenada an attractive option in itself. However, its access to the E2 visa for the USA gives it a clear advantage over other countries.

Astons can advise and help you through the application process to become a citizen of Grenada and subsequently obtain the E-2 visa for the USA.  Contact us here for expert and friendly advice.