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 business owners who want to take their company to the USA and need 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 could lead to permanent residence.
You don't know yet
You want to take your company to the USA and first need an overview of which routes are open to you at all.
Forming a US company? Then simply add the Visa Strategy as an extra on your formation order form, for $2,000 per company, covering everyone you want to send to the USA. Visa Strategy with your company formation.
What the strategy covers
Seven parts, in writing, for your situation.
The Visa Strategy is a written document: it checks every route open to you, point by point, against the agencies' rules, and tells you what is still 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 waiting times the agencies publish on the day the strategy is written, dated.
Who files what and where, with USCIS or the consulate, with the processing and waiting times the agencies publish on the day the strategy is written, dated.
05Government fees
The fees in effect on the day the strategy is written, plus any known changes.
The fees in effect on the day the strategy is written, plus any known 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 call about the strategy
We walk you through it and answer your questions. You engage us for the application separately afterwards; its fees come on top.
We walk you through it and answer your questions. You engage us for the application separately afterwards; its fees come on top.
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 Visa Strategy checks which one is open to your business.
| 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 30 November 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 Visa Strategy lists the amounts and fees in force on the day it is prepared.
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 Visa Strategy.
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 strategy.
03We build the strategyAt Mount Bonnell AdvisorsOur team checks your situation against the agencies' rules.
04You get it in writingWith a callYou receive the strategy as a document, plus a call in which we walk you through it.
05The application, if you want itEngaged separatelyYou engage us for the application separately. USCIS and the consulate publish their own processing times; the strategy states what they publish on the day it is written.
Questions
Questions about the Visa Strategy.
Which visa is right for me?
It comes down to three questions: Is there a company abroad sending you over? Are you investing in a US business yourself and running it? Do you want to stay for good? The Visa Strategy checks every possible route 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 relative to the total cost of the business, and it must be a real, operating business. What that means for your plans is set out in the strategy.
Can my spouse work, and can the children come too?
Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 can accompany or join you on an L-1 or E-2. According to USCIS, your spouse is authorized to work in that status. Children turning 21 soon are covered separately in the strategy.
How long does the process take?
That is up to USCIS and the consulate, and their times change. We don't give our own figures: the strategy lists the processing and waiting times the agencies publish on the day it is written, dated.
Are the application fees included?
No. Attorney fees for the application and government fees come separately. At the consulate, for example, the visa application costs $315 per person for an E visa and $205 for an L visa. All fees that apply to you are listed in the strategy.
Does the Visa Strategy guarantee the visa?
No. Only the US authorities decide on a visa. The strategy makes sure you know what they require before you invest money and time.
Is the Visa Strategy priced per person or per company?
Per principal applicant: $2,500. Each additional principal applicant in the same order, such as a co-founder, costs $1,000 more.
I'm forming a US company right now. Do I need this Visa Strategy?
No. If you form your company with us, you add the Visa Strategy as an extra on your formation order form, for $2,000 per company. Visa Strategy with your company formation.
Who prepares the Visa Strategy?
Our team at Mount Bonnell Advisors. You engage us for the application separately afterwards.
