How much capital do you really need for an E-2 visa?

The E-2 visa is an investor visa based on a bilateral treaty of commerce (the "Treaty Investor Visa"). It is a temporary visa that allows citizens of countries with such a treaty with the US to enter the United States to start and run their own business or to invest in an existing one.

The requirements at a glance:

To qualify for an E-2 visa, you must meet the following conditions:

• The applicant is a citizen of a treaty country.

• A "substantial investment" must be made in an active, commercial business in the US.

• The applicant must either control the business or play a key role in running it.

• The investment must not be marginal: the business has to generate more than just a living for the applicant.

• The investment must already be "at risk": the capital is committed and a loss would be genuinely possible.

US law sets no minimum investment amount for an E-2 visa. Unlike the EB-5 visa, for example, where clear thresholds of $800,000 or $1,050,000 apply, everything with the E-2 is at the officer's discretion.

What does "substantial investment" mean?

The investment must:

• be reasonably high in relation to the type and size of the business (the proportionality test),

• be already invested or irrevocably committed when you apply,

• and the business must be able to generate more than just a personal income.

Experience shows:

The smaller the venture, the larger the share of capital invested relative to the total project has to be, often 100% or close to 100%.

Realistic capital amounts by type of business

A real-world example:

A German entrepreneur opens a small restaurant in Florida. He leases a space and invests $40,000 in renovations, $20,000 in kitchen equipment, $30,000 in inventory and marketing, and $30,000 in working capital.

→ Total: $120,000, fully invested, with the business up and running.

Result: Very good E-2 prospects, provided the documentation is solid and the business plan is convincing.

Important: These amounts are heavily simplified guidelines. With the E-2 visa there are no fixed thresholds and no amounts that guarantee success. We have seen applicants who invested $180,000 (but without our advice) still get refused because the structure, timing or presentation did not convince. At the same time, we have had clients in consulting who succeeded with a well-documented investment of $50,000, because everything was tailored precisely to the visa requirements.

👉 That is why it is crucial that you talk to us early. With just a few details, the experienced US immigration attorneys on the firm's team can usually tell you quickly and accurately whether your plan is a fit for the E-2.

It is the only way to avoid costly failed attempts.

By the time of your visa interview, the investment must either:

• already have been spent (for example through payments, purchase agreements, or signed leases with payments made),

• or be irrevocably committed.

A mere "plan" or a letter of intent is not enough. And yes, you are right: if the visa does not come through, you are left out in the cold, so to speak. But that risk is exactly what the law intends.

👉 The capital must be exposed to the risk of loss.

Many applicants underestimate everything that counts toward the investment:

• Startup costs: office equipment, IT, devices

• Fit-out and renovation

• Marketing campaigns and website

• Franchise fees or license costs

• Legal and advisory fees

• Advance payments for rent, insurance, storage, etc.

• Initial stock or merchandise (including drop shipping / Amazon FBA)

• Travel to the USA for site visits, choosing a location and negotiations

• Cash reserves to cover the first few months (if held in the business account)

What is not recognized: private savings, stock portfolios or personal living expenses, for example.

In practice, it takes at least six months from first planning to the visa being issued. The biggest time sinks:

• Setting up and structuring the US company

• Transferring and spending the investment funds

• Writing the business plan

• Gathering all the documents

• Getting an appointment and the consulate interview

If you want to move faster, you need experienced partners and a clear strategy.

A professional business plan is mandatory for every E-2 application and often decisive in how your investment amount is assessed.

It should include:

• Market analysis and competitive landscape

• Financial planning: revenue, costs, cash flow

• Staffing plan: which jobs will be created?

• Timeline for investments and revenue growth

• Proof that the business model is viable

Important: Do not write the business plan yourself unless you have experience with US immigration applications. The requirements are very specific, the format is strict, and any exaggeration will come back to bite you at renewal at the latest.

Why? When you renew, you have to prove that you actually hit the goals in your business plan.

We work with experienced E-2 business plan specialists and are happy to put you in touch.

Here is how the application works in practice:

1. We form a US company for you, such as an LLC or a corporation.

2. You transfer your investment funds from your personal account to the business account.

3. You make the investments in marketing, equipment, startup costs, etc.

4. You keep all receipts, contracts and bank statements.

5. With this file in hand, the actual visa application through the US consulate begins.

We work with excellent US immigration attorneys who review your case before you commit to anything. Speaking from experience: when they say it will work, it works. Trying it without an attorney is, in my view, a suicide mission.

Not every applicant has to start from scratch. Buying an existing US business can also qualify as an E-2 investment, for example a pizzeria, a motel or a hair salon. Here too, what matters is:

• You acquire a majority stake

• The business is active and economically viable

• The purchase price has already been paid or irrevocably committed

The advantage: faster operational start, existing staff, ongoing revenue.

US authorities expect your business to create at least five real jobs in the USA over time: full-time and permanent.

These positions:

• may not be filled by family members

• must be filled by US citizens or green card holders

• can be built up gradually, depending on the business

If you want to work on your own, say as a freelancer, coach or copywriter with no US team, the E-2 visa is not the right fit.

Not every business model fits the E-2. There are alternatives:

• L-1 visa: For managers or specialists transferred from an existing company in Europe to a US subsidiary.

• E-1 visa: For international traders who conduct a substantial share of their trade between their home country and the USA.

We are happy to work out together which route suits you best.

Few topics fascinate European investors as much as real estate in the USA. Securing an E-2 visa with a US property portfolio seems an obvious idea to many. But the reality is far more complex and full of pitfalls.

The basic rule: pure rental doesn't count

The E-2 visa requires an active, commercial business. A mere capital investment (such as one or two residential properties for rent) is not recognized as active business activity.

You may not invest in a property you live in yourself. Even so-called "dual use" properties (such as a home with an attached yoga studio or a horse ranch) are scrutinized extremely closely and often rejected.

What works and what doesn't?

Example: how it could work

A German investor sets up a property management company in the US that actively manages a portfolio of 10+ rental properties. The company has its own office and employs technicians, cleaning staff and bookkeepers.

→ The investment runs to several million dollars, permanent jobs are created, and the investor runs the business day to day.

In this scenario an E-2 visa is possible, but it takes considerable capital and a serious structure.

Our recommendation

In most cases we advise against single real estate projects under the E-2 visa. The most problematic are:

• "Lifestyle" projects with a ranch or a large plot of land

• Combined live/work properties

• Investments without real staff or a business structure

US consulates view these projects with particular skepticism, and they rarely stand a good chance of success.

👉 If you are serious about investing in the US real estate market, you are better off doing it separately from the E-2 visa, or building a real, operating business around it together with us.

We are happy to advise you on this in an individual initial consultation.

There is no one-size-fits-all figure, but below $60,000 it gets very difficult in most cases.

Depending on the type of business, these rules of thumb apply:

• $60,000 to $80,000 for small service businesses, if professionally structured

• $100,000 to $150,000 for retail, restaurants or franchises

• $150,000+ for scalable models that need staff and grow revenue quickly

What matters is not just the amount, but how it was invested, how the business is structured and how convincing the business plan is.

We help you set up the right structure, write an E-2 compliant business plan and guide you through the entire process, from forming your company to your interview. Mount Bonnell Advisors is based in Austin, Texas and specializes in E-2 applications for entrepreneurs from Europe.

If you want to check whether an E-2 visa is realistic for your plans, we recommend a personal consultation. Our page on the E-2 investor visa gives you an overview; our article on the E-2 business plan shows what the plan needs, and you will find the comparison with the green card under E-2 visa or EB-5 green card. More articles are in News.

👉 Book a paid initial consultation now, where we go through your project in detail and, together with experienced US attorneys on the firm's team, assess your chances and next steps.

We tell you clearly and honestly whether your case has a chance of success, before you invest.

Consultation & implementation

If you'd like to find out what this means for your own situation, the best step is to book a consultation.