Insider Tip: The E-2 Visa From a 30,000 Euro Investment

If you want to move to the USA, there is no getting around the visa question. The common view is that a US visa is either very expensive or requires existing business ties to the States. But there is another way: entrepreneurs can get a visa by investing as little as 30,000 euros in their own US company, with the E-2 investor visa.

The E-2 visa is also one of our 6 visa options for freelancers, the self-employed & influencers.

1The E-2 investor visa: how it works

Many entrepreneurs are confused about the E-2 visa. Some only come across muddled information, others believe you need to invest at least 150,000 euros in the States to get this kind of visa.

So what is actually true?

In fact, the US authorities set no fixed investment amount for the E-2 visa. What they require is a substantial investment. Let's look at what that means in practice:

You need to invest as much in the USA as it takes to build your own US business. It doesn't matter whether you buy a company or start one yourself: in the end, you must be up and running and able to support a certain standard of living.

Depending on the industry, this definition leads to very different amounts. You can either:

• Buy a bed & breakfast for at least 500,000 euros or a retail store for 1 million euros, or
• As a service provider (consultant, coach, software developer and the like), lay the groundwork for your US business with as little as $35,000 to $40,000.

Hotels and retail need a lot of capital up front to get going in the States, but in the service sector a small investment is enough. Office rent, a website, advertising, contracts drafted by an attorney and similar items usually come to around 30,000 euros, enough to set up your US company and meet the requirements for an E-2 investor visa.

We have put together detailed information on the E-2 visa on a dedicated page for you.

2Process, validity & renewal

Once you have invested the money and made all the arrangements to launch your US company, the US authorities review your documents and issue the visa for 2 to 5 years. How long it is valid depends on the size of the investment.

When the 2 to 5 years are up, the visa can be renewed. The business plan is key here. You submit it with your visa application, and the authorities later use it as the basis for deciding on your E-2 renewal. So it pays to keep your projections as realistic as possible.

3A US visa with a small investment?

So if you are looking for a US visa without a big investment and without significant revenue from US customers at your existing company, the E-2 investor visa is well worth a look. We recommend this category to all clients who want to take off in the US market without much starting capital or a long list of requirements.

Not sure whether an E-2 visa is right for you? Start here with our free potential analysis. Our E-2 section answers every detailed question, from the investment amount to the application process, and you'll find more articles on visas and moving abroad in our News.