Your company is sending you
You have worked for your company for at least a year and are to set up or run an office in the USA.
Who it's for
For everyone heading to the USA who needs the route in black and white.
You invest and run the business yourself
You are buying or starting a business in the USA, putting in your own capital, and want to run it on the ground.
You want the green card
You are considering an investment that can lead to permanent residence for you and your family.
You don't know yet
You want to move to the USA, for work or as a family, and first need an overview of which routes are open to you at all.
Forming a US company? Then add the Visa Roadmap as an extra on the order card for your formation, for $2,000 per company, covering everyone you want to send to the USA. Visa Roadmap with your formation.
What the roadmap covers
Seven parts, in writing, for your situation.
The roadmap is a document: it checks every route that could work for you, point by point against the agencies' rules, and tells you what is missing.
01The right route
Which visa fits you and what the alternatives are, each checked against the requirements of USCIS and the State Department.
Which visa fits you and what the alternatives are, each checked against the requirements of USCIS and the State Department.
02Gaps and risks
What is still missing today, such as the full year with your company, secured office space or the size of the investment, and how you close the gap.
What is still missing today, such as the full year with your company, secured office space or the size of the investment, and how you close the gap.
03Your family
What applies to your spouse and children under 21, whether your spouse may work, and what to watch for with children close to their 21st birthday.
What applies to your spouse and children under 21, whether your spouse may work, and what to watch for with children close to their 21st birthday.
04Sequence and timeline
Who files what and where, with USCIS or the consulate, with the processing and wait times the agencies publish on the date of the roadmap, dated.
Who files what and where, with USCIS or the consulate, with the processing and wait times the agencies publish on the date of the roadmap, dated.
05Government fees
The fees in force on the date of the roadmap, plus any announced changes.
The fees in force on the date of the roadmap, plus any announced changes.
06Documents
A list per person and per company, from proof of your employment to the source of your capital.
A list per person and per company, from proof of your employment to the source of your capital.
07A consultation on your roadmap
We walk you through it and answer your questions. The application itself is then filed by the immigration attorney on the firm's team if you engage them; their fees are separate.
We walk you through it and answer your questions. The application itself is then filed by the immigration attorney on the firm's team if you engage them; their fees are separate.
L-1, E-2 or EB-5
Three routes, three sets of rules.
Three routes for entrepreneurs and investors from Europe, with the rules as the agencies state them. The roadmap checks which one is open to you.
| Route | Who it's for | What the agencies require | Initial period of stay | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L-1A | Executives sent to the USA by a company abroad | At least one continuous year of employment with the company abroad within the three years before the petition. For a new office: secured office space. | New office up to one year, otherwise up to three years; extensions up to a maximum of seven years | Spouse and unmarried children under 21; the spouse is authorized to work through their status |
| E-2 | Investors from treaty countries who run their US business themselves | Citizenship of a treaty country, Germany since 1956, Austria since 1931. A substantial investment relative to the total cost of the business, with no fixed minimum; at least 50 percent ownership or control. | Up to two years; extensions of up to two years each, with no limit on the number | Spouse and unmarried children under 21; the spouse is authorized to work through their status |
| EB-5 | Investors seeking a green card | Investment in a new business that creates at least ten full-time jobs. The amounts are set by statute, see below. | Green card, not a temporary visa | Spouse and unmarried children under 21 as derivative applicants |
Sources: USCIS, L-1A Intracompany Transferee (as of August 31, 2026) and E-2 Treaty Investors (as of August 20, 2026); 8 CFR 214.2(l); State Department, 9 FAM 402.9 (CT:VISA-2190, February 17, 2026); USCIS, EB-5 Immigrant Investors. Accessed October 22, 2026.
Green card through investment
The amounts change on January 1, 2027.
For the green card through investment, the statute sets the amounts: $1,050,000, or $800,000 in a Targeted Employment Area or for an infrastructure project. From January 1, 2027, the amounts adjust automatically by law, and every five years after that.
Fees are changing too: from November 30, 2026, under the new fee schedule an investor petition with USCIS costs $7,615 (Form I-526) or $7,850 (Form I-526E, through a regional center). The roadmap states the amounts and fees in force on the date of the roadmap.
Sources: 8 U.S.C. § 1153(b)(5)(C); USCIS, EB-5 Immigrant Investors; Federal Register 2026-20016 of September 30, 2026. Accessed October 22, 2026.
How it works
From your order to your finished roadmap.
01You orderTodayWhen you order, tell us your goal, who is coming with you, your company or employer, and when you want to move to the USA.
02We take down your detailsOnce payment is receivedOur team gets in touch and sends you the list of documents we need for the roadmap.
03Your roadmap takes shapeWith the firm's immigration attorneyOur team and the immigration attorney on the firm's team check your situation against the agencies' rules.
04You receive it in writingWith a consultationYou get the roadmap as a document, plus a consultation where we walk you through it.
05The application, if you want itEngaged separatelyThe application is filed by the immigration attorney on the firm's team if you engage them. USCIS and the consulate publish their own processing times; the roadmap states what they publish on the date of the roadmap.
Questions
Questions about the Visa Roadmap.
Which visa is right for me?
It comes down to three questions: Is there a company abroad sending you? Are you investing in a US business yourself and running it? Do you want to stay permanently? The roadmap checks every route that could apply against the agencies' rules and tells you which one is open.
Can my company send me before there is a US office?
Yes, through the L-1 for a new office. Office space in the USA must be secured, and the first approval is valid for one year at most. After that, the US company has to show that it is actually doing business.
How long must I have worked for my company?
For the L-1: at least one continuous year within the three years before you apply, with the company abroad that is sending you.
How much do I need to invest for an E-2?
According to the State Department, there is no fixed minimum. The investment must be substantial in proportion to the total cost of the business, and it must be a real, operating business. Your roadmap spells out what that means for your plans.
Can my spouse work, and can the children come too?
With both the L-1 and the E-2, your spouse and unmarried children under 21 can come with you or join you later. According to USCIS, your spouse is authorized to work under their status. Children who will soon turn 21 get their own section in the roadmap.
How long does the process take?
That is up to USCIS and the consulate, and their timelines change. We don't quote numbers of our own: your roadmap lists the processing and wait times the authorities publish on the day it is prepared, with the date.
Are the application fees included?
No. The fees of the immigration attorney on the firm's team for the petition and the government fees are charged separately. At the consulate, for example, the visa application costs $315 per person for an E visa and $205 for an L visa. Your roadmap lists every fee that applies to you.
Does the roadmap guarantee the visa?
No. Only the US authorities decide on a visa. The roadmap makes sure you know exactly what they require before you invest your money and time.
Is the roadmap priced per person or per family?
Per principal applicant: $2,500, including your spouse and children under 21. Each additional principal applicant in the same order, such as a co-founder, costs $1,000 more.
I'm setting up a US company right now. Do I need this roadmap?
No. If you form your company with us, you can add the visa roadmap as an extra in the formation order form, for $2,000 per company. Visa roadmap with your company formation.
Who prepares the roadmap?
Our team, together with the immigration attorney on the firm's team, who will also file the petition if you engage them.
