Immigrate to the United States with a Business Investment Visa
Many people across the world have the goal of working in the U.S. Fortunately, there are different options available for individuals seeking temporary employment in the United States, depending on the type of work they are seeking. Business investment visas may be a great option if you are an individual or entrepreneur who wishes to work in the U.S. by starting or investing in a new or existing U.S. business. Although not every country is eligible for business investment visas, business owners and investors from treaty countries with the U.S. may qualify as long as they meet certain requirements. Through a business investment visa, employees, spouses and children of the principal visa applicant may also qualify for a visa
The more common types of business visas for investors are, the E-1 visa (for treaty traders), E-2 visa (for treaty investors), E-B5 (for direct or indirect investment no less than $900,000 dollars – since Nov. 21, 2019) and L-1 visa (for intracompany transferees working as managers or executives).
If you want to explore securing a business visa in the U.S., you can contact Immigration Attorney Group. The process to apply for business investment visas is not an easy task, but with our help, it becomes a seamless process. Our expert immigration legal team understands the laws and regulations for processing business investment visas, and we can help you and your family get through it successfully.
What is the business investment immigration visa?
In general, a business investment visa is a type of immigration visa accessible to foreign investors who wish to immigrate to the United States. It is an excellent opportunity to invest and secure legal status and possibly permanent residency in the U.S. while establishing a business in the U.S. There is a constant demand for immigrant workers in the U.S. Benefiting people wishing to invest, the United States actively promotes and welcomes investors and business people who can contribute to the country’s economic growth.
Types business visa
It is essential to know the different types of business visas available. With this knowledge, you can decide which option is most suitable for your immigration goals before applying.
Our firm, Immigration Attorney Group, has selected some of the most common business visa categories that meet diverse immigration plans. The visa categories are as follows;
E-1 Visa (Treaty Trader)
This visa is open for nationals of a treaty country that maintains commerce and navigation relations with the U.S. while engaging in international trade between such country and the United States. Some of these foreign nationals include managers, executives, specialists or supervisors of enterprises directing or operating trade to the United States. In order to be eligible for this visa, you meet the following requirements:
- You must be a national of a country that maintains a treaty and navigation relationship with the U.S.
- You must own at least 50% owner of the treaty trader company
- The treaty trader must carry on substantial trade principally between the U.S. and the treaty country
E-2 Visa (Treaty Investor)
The E-2 visa is commonly known as the investor visa. This visa is also available to nationals of a treaty country maintaining commerce and navigation treaty with the U.S. Generally speaking, if you want to apply for this type of visa you must show and satisfy the following eligibility requirements:
- You must be a citizen of a treaty country
- You must have invested, or in the process of actively investing a substantial investment amount in a company / business in the United States
- You must direct and develop the company you have invested in the United States
The E-1 or E-2 visa classification is also available for an employee of a Treaty Trader or Treaty investor. The requirements for this are similar to the respective visas, with some exceptions.
Most E1 and E-2 visas are usually approved for five years, all of them are granted for at least two years, and you can apply indefinitely for renewals, if the company continues doing business in the United States.
EB-5 Visa
The EB-5 visa program is open for immigrant investors seeking permanent financial investment and relocation to the United States. Through this program, an entrepreneur may be eligible to apply for an EB-5 visa and potentially obtain U.S. permanent residence in exchange for an investment of at least $900,000 – if conditions are met. Essentially, a substantial investment must be made by either establishing your own company in the U.S. (direct investment) or by investing through third-party companies or specialized Regional Centers. Your investment cannot be borrowed and within two years, your company is required to create 10 new, full-time jobs or more for American citizens, lawful permanent residents, or other immigrants with authorization to work in the U.S. This visa also allows spouses and minor children to apply for immigrant visas with principal investor applicant.
Intra Company Transferee Visa (L-1)
Companies in the U.S. that have established offices in foreign countries can facilitate the transfer of key staff from the foreign office to work in the US.
The L-1 visa allows internal managers or executives to be transferred from within a company overseas to a U.S. branch, office, or location, to live and work temporarily in the United States. This visa is suitable in most industries such as manufacturing, technology commerce, trading and retail marketing, among others. Normally, employers from other countries looking to transfer their employees as managers or executives to establish a new office must certain requirements. Some of these include:
- S. Company must have a relationship with the foreign company such as parent company, branch, subsidiary, or affiliate
- Must have a physical location for the new office / U.S. branch
- The employee who will be transferred must has been employed as a manager or executive abroad for at least one year within the three years before filing
- The employee being transferred to the U.S. must work in a managerial or executive position for the same company
The L-1 visa validity can reach up to seven years, and the employee’s spouse and minor children (under 21 years old) may also apply together with the main applicant. There are no limits to the number of people granted the L-1 visa, so you should prepare and apply if you are eligible.
If you would like to learn more details about your eligibility for business investment visas, contact us and we will be happy to assist you. We understand the work and process involved for these types of visas is complex and confusing, but we have the knowledge and experience in these processes to guide you every step of the way.
Let us help you reach your immigration goals to the U.S.
Immigration Attorney Group offers quality and expert legal services to all our clients. We aim to make the entire process smooth to meet and exceed your expectations.
We attribute our success rate to attention to detail and excellent communication with you to determine the most suitable business visa category for your immigration goals. Give us a call today.