ENTREPRENEUR (INVESTOR/ TRADE) VISAS:


"E" VISA:


The "E" visa allows foreign citizens of designated countries to be eligible for the status of E visa as importer, exporter, or investor. Applicants may apply for either visa at any American consulate or embassy in the world, generally, however, in the applicant's last country of residence. The "E" visas are generally issued for periods of five years and can be renewed for another period of five years. Permanent residency through the use of the "E" visa is available only under narrow circumstances and should be analyzed carefully before proceeding. This visa classification can be broken down as follows:


i. "E-1" VISA: A business person will have to trade goods or services and be able to manage the company. At the present time, "E-1" visas are defined as the trading of goods and services such as: banking services, financial services, and within the airline industry. There are no restrictions as to the types of goods or services that are being traded. An individual can benefit from an E-1 nonimmigrant visa if:


a. He (or his company) are foreign nationals or a foreign corporate entity with at least 50% stock interest in a U.S. company;
b. He comes to the U.S. in order to transact multiple transactions (50% or more of gross volume of the U.S. company) between his home country and the U.S.;
c. He is involved in administrative operations or has specialized qualifications which are essential to the operations of the U.S. employer;
d. He leaves the U.S. upon the expiration of the visa;
e. The applicant is a Treaty Country national. Treaty countries for E-1 visas are:


Bolivia (5 years)

Brunei (3 months)

Denmark (5 years)

Estonia (5 years)

Greece (5 years)

Israel (5 years)


"E-2" VISA:

In order to qualify for an E-2 investor visa, the investor must develop and manage the operations of a company in which he has invested or is in the process of investing a "substantial" amount of money. An E-2 visa can be issued if it has been ascertained by the U.S. Consulate that:


a. The applicant is a foreign national or that his U.S. company has 50% or more foreign shareholders;
b. The U.S. company in which he has invested, will invest, or has already invested a "sizeable" amount of money (generally greater than $100,000.00 of risk capital) in a real commercial business in the United States;
c. That person has been appointed to administer the company or possesses specific qualifications which are essential to the functioning of the company;
d. His investment is not the applicant's only source of income;
e. His investment is real or is imminently in the process of becoming a reality;
f. That person will leave the U.S. upon expiration of his visa (generally up to five years);
g. The applicant is a Treaty Country National; treaty countries are :


(E-2 ONLY) E-1 and E-2:
Albania (12 months)
Armenia (3 months)
Azerbaijan
Bahrain Bangladesh (1 year)
Bulgaria (3 months)
Cameroon (1 year)
Congo (3 months)
Czech Republic (5 years)
Ecuador (3 months)
Egypt (3 months
Grenada (5 years)
Jamaica (5 years)
Kazakhstan (1 year)
Kyrgyzstan (3 months)
Lithuania
Moldova (3 months)
Mongolia (3 months)
Morocco (5 years)
Panama (5 years)
Poland (3 months)
Romania (5 years)
Senegal (1 year)
Slovak Republic (1 year)
Sri Lanka (1 year)
Trinidad & Tobago (1 year)
Tunisia (5 years)
Ukraine (3 months)


Argentina (5 years)
Australia (5 years)
Austria (5 years)
Belgium (5 years)
Bolivia
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Canada (5 years)
China (Taiwan) (5 years)
Colombia (5 years)
Costa Rica (5 years)
Croatia
Estonia
Ethiopia (6 months)
Finland (2 years)
France (5 years)
Germany (5 years)
Honduras (5 years)
Iran (3 months)
Ireland (5 years)
Italy (5 years)
Japan (5 years)
Jordan
Korea (5 years)
Latvia (5 years)
Liberia (3 years)
Luxembourg (5 years)
Macedonia
Mexico (12 months)
Netherlands (5 years)
Norway (5 years)
Oman (6 months)
Pakistan (5 years)
Paraguay (5 years)
Philippines (5 years)
Spain (5 years)
Suriname (5 years)
Sweden (2 years)
Switzerland (4 years)
Thailand (6 months)
Togo (5 years)
Turkey (5 years)
United Kingdom (5 years) Yugoslavia (1 year)


MULTINATIONAL MANAGER OR EXECUTIVE:


A multinational executive or manager is in a category of "priority workers" which receive preference in the employment category. You may cross-reference this section to the L-1 Visa category section above. An employee transferred from a foreign country to the U.S. must have been employed by an American subsidiary for at least one continuous year within the previous three years before applying for lawful permanent residency. Moreover, the American company must have been in business for at least one year. The alien executive or manager must intend to continue employment with the sponsoring employer.