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E2 visa is a non-immigrant visa for entrepreneurs, persons, and investors, who want to run a business in the United States. With an E2 visa, individuals can invest or start a business in the United States in the US and work on that business. To obtain an E2 visa, they must invest a respective amount of capital in a US business and they must manage and develop that business. In order to qualify for an E2 visa they must invest in an existing business. E2 Visa can be renewed an unlimited number of times as long as the E2 business continues to operate and meets the eligibility requirements. Check the guide below to get complete information on E2 visa processing time.
What is an E2 Visa?
E2 visa is basically an investment-based non-immigrant visa for investors and entrepreneurs. E2 visa allows the candidates to invest a substantial amount of money in a US business. In order to qualify for an E2 visa they must possess the nationality of a country that has an E2 treaty with the United States. Since this visa is a non-immigrant visa it’s a temporary visa and hence does not lead to a green card. However, the E2 visa can be renewed unlimited times as long as the E2 business is satisfying the E2 visa requirements.
E2 Visa Requirements
Check below the list of E2 visa requirements:
- They should invest a substantial amount of capital in a US business
- The US business must be a profit business and an active one
- Candidates should be from a country that has an E2 treaty with the US
- They must have the intent to depart the US once the status of E2 status ends
- The investment funds should have been obtained lawfully
- The candidates should come to the US to direct and develop the E2 business
- The US business cannot be a marginal enterprise
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Eligibility Criteria for E2 Visa
Check below the eligibility requirements for an E2 Visa:
- The candidate should be a national from an eligible E-2 treaty country that maintains a treaty of commerce and navigation
- They should have a non-immigrant intent to prove that they will depart once the E2 nonimmigrant status ends
- They should have invested a substantial amount of investment in a bona fide enterprise in the US to ensure the successful operation of the enterprise.
- They should own at least 50% of the enterprise’s possession of operational control through a managerial position or other corporate device.
Difference between E2 Visa and E2 Status
Check the difference between an E2 visa and an E2 status:
E2 Visa
- After getting approval for an E2 visa, the candidates will get a physical visa affixed to their passport. Using an E2 visa, one can easily travel in and out of the United States as long as their visa is valid. With each entry to the United States, they are permitted to stay continuously for up to 2 years with E2 status. In order to get an E2 visa, they should apply directly to a US Consulate or Embassy in their home country.
- In order to apply for an E2 visa, they will submit a form DS-160. They can also submit all the required documents proving that they satisfy the E2 visa requirements. Once the Consulate or Embassy reviews the application, they can then schedule an appointment for a visa interview.
E2 Status
- If they are already in the US in some other valid non-immigrant status, they may be eligible to do what is known as a change of status. It is the process of going from one non-immigrant status to another non-immigrant status.
- In order to do an E2 change of status, the immigration lawyer will file a form I-129 with USCIS.
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E2 Visa Processing Time
Given below is the breakdown of E2 processing time with the US Consulate or Embassy:
Step 1: Once the candidates submit the E2 visa application with the US Consulate or Embassy, it takes an average time of about 6 to 8 weeks for them to review their documentation. After reviewing, either the documentation is accepted and then move forward to schedule a visa interview or they may ask for additional documentation to clarify something.
Step 2: Once the application is accepted, the next step involves scheduling an interview. Generally, an interview can be scheduled within 1 week of their application being reviewed and accepted. This may vary depending on the consulate.
Step 3: After a successful visa interview, they should be issued their E2 visa within a week
Step 4: After submitting Form I-129, this will take about two to three months for USCIS to review and issue a response. If USCIS may issue a request for additional evidence (RFE). An RFE Can cause an additional delay of three to six months.
FAQs
For the year 2021, the E2 visa success rate was recorded at 92.51%. However, the success rate increases once the documents required are submitted and the eligibility criteria is met.
Investors will be allowed a maximum stay of two years. Requests to extend the stay or any change in status, E-2 classification may be granted in increments of up to 2 years each.
This is an optional service offered by the US citizenship and immigration services for certain cases. Applicants are required to pay an additional fee to shorten their processing time and receive a decision within 15 business days.
Here we end our article which was about the E2 Visa processing time and to get more information about jobs abroad, universities and visas abroad you can stay connected to Leverage Edu’s page.
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