Move to the US to run the business
you actually invested in.
The E-2 is the treaty investor visa that lets citizens of US treaty countries relocate to run a substantial US investment. It renews indefinitely while the business stays active. Monezzi structures the LLC, EIN, US bank, ITIN and operational evidence attorneys need.
Focus on your customers, we will handle the bureaucracy.
Sources: official US Department of State page on the Treaty Trader and Investor Visa (E), USCIS guidance on E-2 Treaty Investors, and the State Department visa classification page Treaty Trader and Investor Visa.
Why founders choose the E-2 visa
The E-2 is the most practical route for a non-US founder to actually live in the United States and operate the US business they own. No employer sponsor, no lottery, no green card requirement, renewable for as long as the business runs.
Direct the business you own
You run the US LLC you invested in — no US employer sponsor required, no H-1B lottery, no waiting for a year-long quota.
Renewable indefinitely
As long as the business stays active and you direct it, the E-2 can be renewed without a hard cap. Founders have held E-2 status for decades.
Spouse works from day one
The E-2 dependent spouse is work-authorized on arrival — no separate work permit application. Children can attend US schools without restrictions.
Lower capital bar than EB-5
EB-5 currently requires 800,000 US dollars and up. A typical E-2 investment runs 100,000 to 200,000 US dollars for a service business — a quarter of the capital, faster processing, no green card track but renewable.
The E-2 has three trap doors most founders only discover at the consular interview.
There are 30+ treaty countries, but the list is amended and the reciprocity terms (validity years, number of entries) change per nationality. Turkey is in, Brazil is not, India is not, China is not. We confirm your eligibility against the live State Department list before you spend a dollar.
The Department of State expects the investment to be substantial in proportion to the business cost. A service business near 100,000 to 200,000 US dollars typically clears the bar; a capital-intensive business needs more. Founders who fix on a round number without modeling the business cost get rejected for under-investment.
The visa requires an active, operating business. A brokerage account, a real estate purchase, a wire transfer that has not moved into operating expenses — all flagged. You need a real US LLC with an EIN, a US bank account, paid invoices, signed contracts and a working business plan by interview day.
The ITIN is independent of any visa. Apply for it now and you land in the US with a tax ID already in hand — open ITIN-friendly US bank accounts, apply for ITIN-accepting US credit cards, file the federal taxes your LLC owes from year one. When your SSN is issued after you move, the IRS lets you transition the ITIN history to the SSN so your US credit file does not start at zero.
"Consular officers reject E-2 applications when the investment looks passive — a real estate purchase, a brokerage account, money sitting in escrow. The visa requires active business operations. We structure the LLC, the EIN, the bank, and the operational evidence so the investment is clearly active before the interview."
E-2 Visa Overview and Key Details
The E-2 is a non-immigrant treaty investor visa issued under the Immigration and Nationality Act. It is available only to citizens of countries with a treaty of commerce and navigation with the United States, and only when the applicant has made a substantial, active, at-risk investment in a real US enterprise that they will direct and develop.
Who qualifies
A citizen of an E-2 treaty country who has invested or is actively investing a substantial amount of capital in a bona fide US enterprise and is coming to the US to direct and develop it.
How to apply
File DS-160 online, prepare a complete E-2 business package (DS-156E, source-of-funds documentation, business plan, US LLC formation docs, EIN letter, bank statements, contracts) and attend a consular interview at the US Embassy or Consulate.
Validity
Initial validity is set by the reciprocity schedule for your treaty country — typically two to five years. Admission stays of up to two years per entry are granted regardless of the visa expiration date.
Renewal
Renewable indefinitely as long as the business stays operational and you continue to direct and develop it. There is no fixed cap on the number of renewals.
How we assist — step by step
We build the US side of your file — LLC, EIN, ITIN, US bank, operational evidence — and partner with US immigration counsel for the filing itself. The consular interview is the only part we cannot control.
Eligibility check
We confirm your citizenship against the live US Department of State treaty country list, review your investment plan and the proportionality of the investment to the business cost.
US entity, EIN and bank
We form your US LLC, secure the EIN by the IRS international fax route, open a US business bank account, and apply for your ITIN so you can sign US tax filings before relocation.
Operational evidence built
We help you assemble the file consular officers actually look at — business plan, source-of-funds, signed contracts, paid invoices, bookkeeping records, lease — so the investment reads as active, not passive.
Filing with US immigration counsel
The DS-160, DS-156E, and the full E-2 package are filed by a partnered US immigration attorney licensed to represent you. Monezzi does not practice law — we hand off a complete file so counsel does not start from scratch.
Consular interview and arrival
You attend the consular interview at the US Embassy or Consulate. We brief you on the questions officers actually ask. After approval, you arrive in the US to direct and develop the business — and we keep the LLC compliant year over year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to common questions about the E-2 treaty investor visa for non-US founders.
Only citizens of countries that hold a treaty of commerce and navigation with the United States can apply. The list is maintained by the US Department of State and shifts over time. Turkey, Spain, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan and South Korea are on it; Brazil, India, China and Russia are not. We confirm your eligibility against the current official list during the first call.
The US Department of State sets no fixed dollar minimum. Consular officers apply a proportionality test — the investment must be substantial relative to the total cost of starting and operating the business. In practice, service-business E-2 applications cluster around 100,000 to 200,000 US dollars; capital-intensive businesses (restaurants, manufacturing) often need more. Anyone quoting a single number is oversimplifying.
Most E-2 founders form a US LLC or a C-Corporation. The LLC is simpler and lower cost; the C-Corp can be useful if you plan to raise outside investment later. Either entity needs an EIN, a US bank account, and operational evidence of active business activity — bookkeeping, contracts, invoices — by the time you sit for the consular interview.
Yes. The spouse and unmarried children under age 21 of an E-2 principal applicant are eligible for E-2 dependent status. The spouse is automatically authorized to work in the United States from arrival — no separate work permit application required since the rule change. Dependent children can attend US public or private schools.
Initial validity depends on the reciprocity schedule for your treaty country and runs from a few months to five years. The visa is renewable indefinitely as long as the underlying business stays active and you continue to direct and develop it. There is no hard cap on the number of renewals — founders have held E-2 status for decades.
Not directly. E-2 is a non-immigrant status — you must show intent to depart the US when the visa ends. But many E-2 holders transition to a green card later through a separate route (EB-5 investor green card, EB-1A extraordinary ability, EB-2 National Interest Waiver, or an employment-based EB-1C / EB-2 / EB-3 sponsored by their own US company). We can sketch the long path during the consultation.
E-2 is a non-immigrant treaty investor visa — typically 100,000 US dollars and up, renewable indefinitely, but no green card. EB-5 is an immigrant investor visa — currently 800,000 to 1,050,000 US dollars depending on the target area, with a direct path to a green card after the conditional period. E-2 is faster, cheaper and treaty-restricted; EB-5 is open to any nationality but heavier on capital and processing time.