E-2 Visa

E-2 vs E-1 compared: investment vs trade volume, how each qualifies, and how business owners pick between the two treaty visas.

E-2 vs L-1 compared: treaty investment vs intracompany transfer, who qualifies, time limits, the EB-1C green card angle, and the non-treaty country factor.

E-2 vs H-1B compared: lottery vs no lottery, employer sponsorship vs your own business, spouse work rights, time limits, and who should pick which.

Loans, seller financing, and down payments in E-2 cases: personal loans and gifts can count, loans secured by the business itself generally cannot. The rules investors ask about most.

India, China, Brazil, Vietnam, and Russia have no E-2 treaty. The two-step route investors use: obtain citizenship in a treaty country like Grenada or Turkey, then apply for the E-2.

The real E-2 interview questions, grouped by what the officer is testing: your money trail, the business reality, marginality, and your role. Plus what to bring.

E-2 spouses are employment authorized and can work for any U.S. employer, freelance, or join the family business. How the authorization works and what children can do.

The E-2 visa has no legal minimum investment. Most approved cases invest between roughly $50,000 and $150,000 or more; the real test is proportionality.

The E-2 visa has no direct green card path, but E-2 owners use four routes: EB-5, EB-2 NIW, EB-1A, and family sponsorship. How each works from E-2 status.

How E-2 visa holders are taxed: the substantial presence test, resident vs nonresident alien status, worldwide income, how LLCs and corporations are taxed, state differences, and the planning moves to make before arriving.