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The US government provides an unlimited
number of non-immigrant treaty trader visas (E-1
visas) to individuals wishing to live and work in the
United States by investing in U.S. businesses. The applicant
must be a citizen of a country possessing a trade treaty (pdf) with the U.S. To learn about immigrant
visas for investors, click here.
Quota: none
Length of Visa: up to two years at a time
Application Processing Time: 2-3 months*
*For faster visa processing, we recommend Premium Processing,
which speeds up processing time to 15 days or less.
Eligibility:
In order to qualify for an E1 treaty trader
visa you must demonstrate that you:
(1) be from a qualifying country: half of the country's trade must be with the US
(2) will work for a business at least 50% of which is owned by citizens of a single trade treaty country
(3) work for a company currently engaging in a "substantial" amount of trade with the US (based on dollar amount, volume and frequency)
(4) be either a 50% owner, a supervisor, a manager or a key employee of the company
(5) intend to leave the U.S. upon termination of
your business there. You must show proof you intend to return (e.g. owning property in home country; having family members based outside the US, etc.)
(6) Owners must live outside the US and be eligible for E-1 status or live inside the US with E-1 visas
Accompanying
relatives of E-1 visa holders are also eligible for E-1 visas. They
may stay and work in the U.S.
Extensions: Up to 5 years at a time for E-1 visa holders; up to two years at a time for E-1 status holders; no specified limit on number of extensions.
To be eligible for an E-1 visa extension, the investor must
prove:
- that (s)he has at all times maintained the terms and
conditions of the E visa
- was physically present at the time of filing the application
for extension of stay, and
- has not abandoned their extension request.
Do you have a question about treaty trader or investor
visas? Let our experienced attorneys
and paralegals answer your questions. Your first consultation
is FREE.
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Definitions:
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Trade
Treaty:
A certain number of countries possess an agreement with
the United States to encourage international trade. The
current list includes these countries (See E-1 visa countries on this list.)
Accompanying Relative:
The spouse or child under the age of 21 of the holder
of an immigrant or nonimmigrant visa, who is accompanying
them to the US
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