Start or Buy a U.S. Business on an E-2 Treaty Investor Visa

Sugar Land immigration attorneys guiding investors and their families through E-2 cases, from structuring the investment to the consular interview.

Start or Buy a U.S. Business on an E-2 Treaty Investor Visa

Sugar Land immigration attorneys guiding investors and their families through E-2 cases, from structuring the investment to the consular interview.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Trusted Guidance. Proven Results.

Outstanding experience with RAM Law Firm. My green card process was approved within just two months! Shout-out to Mr. Raza Merchant and the team for answering all my questions promptly and handling everything with professionalism and efficiency. Highly recommend their services!

First of all, let me say a big thank you and the Ram family for handling my paperwork and finally completing the process, your time and efforts were remarkable. I appreciate your good gesture .

Raza and his team provided me with the best legal advice and helped me resolve my case quickly and efficiently! Can’t ask for a better attorney then that!

Raza and his team were incredible throughout my green card process. Professional, responsive, and truly cared about my case.

Great advise. Would hire them if I have a future need!

Exceptional service! This firm has a deep understanding of tax laws and provides clear, personalized advice. Their attention to detail and timely communication ensure accuracy and efficiency in all matters. Highly recommended for anyone seeking reliable tax assistance!

I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Raza, Humerah, and the entire RAM family for their incredible support in handling my important contracts and setting up the structure of my business. Their professionalism, expertise, and genuine compassion made the entire process seamless and stress-free. They took the time to understand my needs, ensuring I felt valued and well taken care of every step of the way. I couldn’t ask for a better legal team, and I look forward to working with them again for any future legal matters that may arise. Highly recommended!

What Is the E-2 Visa?

The E-2 treaty investor visa lets a national of a treaty country come to the United States to develop and direct a business they have invested in. It is a nonimmigrant visa rather than a green card, it can be renewed for as long as the business continues to qualify, and your spouse and unmarried children under 21 can apply as your dependents.

E-2 cases are won or lost on documentation. The requirements are not a checklist of amounts, they are a set of judgments about whether the business is real, whether the money is genuinely at risk, and whether you are the one running it. That is where our work goes.

Do You Qualify?

There is no fixed dollar minimum for an E-2. What matters is whether the investment is substantial in proportion to the total cost of the business. A lower-cost business generally requires a higher percentage invested, while a larger one requires less. If you want to know where your situation sits, that is a good first call.

Requirement	What it means
Nationality	You are a national of a country that holds a qualifying treaty with the United States. This is the first gate. Nothing else matters if it is not met.
A real investment	You have invested, or are actively in the process of investing, in a U.S. business.
At risk	The money is committed and genuinely at risk in the business, not held back or guaranteed.
A real business	The business is active and operating, not a passive holding or a shell.
More than marginal	The business can do more than provide a minimal living for you and your family.
Control	You own at least half of the business, or otherwise control its operations.
Your role	You are coming to develop and direct the business, not to take a passive stake.

Do You Qualify?

Requirement	What it means
Nationality	You are a national of a country that holds a qualifying treaty with the United States. This is the first gate. Nothing else matters if it is not met.
A real investment	You have invested, or are actively in the process of investing, in a U.S. business.
At risk	The money is committed and genuinely at risk in the business, not held back or guaranteed.
A real business	The business is active and operating, not a passive holding or a shell.
More than marginal	The business can do more than provide a minimal living for you and your family.
Control	You own at least half of the business, or otherwise control its operations.
Your role	You are coming to develop and direct the business, not to take a passive stake.

Two Ways to Apply

	Apply at a consulate abroad	Change status inside the U.S.
Where you are	Outside the United States	Already in the U.S. in lawful status
Filed with	A U.S. embassy or consulate	USCIS
Interview	Yes, at the consulate	Not usually required
Result	A visa in your passport	E-2 status, but no visa in the passport
If you travel	You already hold the visa for re-entry	You need a visa before you can return

Two Ways to Apply

	Apply at a consulate abroad	Change status inside the U.S.
Where you are	Outside the United States	Already in the U.S. in lawful status
Filed with	A U.S. embassy or consulate	USCIS
Interview	Yes, at the consulate	Not usually required
Result	A visa in your passport	E-2 status, but no visa in the passport
If you travel	You already hold the visa for re-entry	You need a visa before you can return

What the E-2 Does Not Do

The E-2 is not a green card. It can be renewed for as long as the business qualifies, and many investors stay on it for years, but it does not by itself lead to permanent residence. If a green card is what you are after, there may be a separate route that fits your situation, and we will tell you on the first call rather than after you have hired us.

What the E-2 Does Not Do

Bringing Employees

A qualifying E-2 business can also bring in employees who share the nationality of the treaty country, where they are coming in an executive or supervisory role or they have skills the business genuinely needs. If you are planning to staff a U.S. operation, this is worth raising early, because it affects how the business is set up.

Bringing Employees

Why Choose
RAM Law Firm?

E-2 cases are won or lost on documentation. The requirements are not a checklist of amounts, they are a set of judgments about whether the business is real, whether the money is genuinely at risk, and whether you are the one running it. That is where our work goes. If you want to know where your situation sits, that is a good first call.

Why Choose RAM Law Firm?

Talk With Us
About Your E-2 Case

If you want to know where your situation sits,
that is a good first call.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions About the E-2 Visa

It lets a national of a treaty country enter the United States to develop and direct a business they have invested in. It is a nonimmigrant visa and can be renewed for as long as the business continues to qualify.

Only countries that hold a qualifying treaty with the United States. The list is set by treaty and changes rarely, but it does change. Your nationality is the first thing we check, because nothing else matters if that requirement is not met.

There is no fixed minimum. The investment has to be substantial in relation to the total cost of the business, so a smaller business needs less than a larger one. Proportion matters more than the figure.

It has to be lawfully obtained and genuinely at your risk. Money that is guaranteed, or secured against the business itself, generally does not count as at risk. Gifts and loans can work depending on how they are structured, which is worth sorting out early rather than late.

Yes. Buying an operating business is a common route and can be easier to document than a startup, because the business already has a trading history behind it.

Yes. Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 can apply as your dependents.

Yes. Spouses of E-2 holders are generally able to work. The documentation for this has changed in recent years, so we confirm the current position for your case rather than relying on what was true before.

The initial period depends on your country’s reciprocity schedule with the United States. E-2 status can be extended for as long as the business continues to qualify, and there is no cap on renewals.

Not on its own. The E-2 is a nonimmigrant visa and can be renewed indefinitely while the business qualifies, but it does not by itself lead to permanent residence. If a green card is the goal, we will tell you whether a separate route fits your situation.

Yes. A qualifying E-2 business can bring in employees who share the nationality of the treaty country, where they are coming in an executive or supervisory role or they have skills the business genuinely needs.

Sometimes. Someone already here in lawful status may be able to change status with USCIS instead of applying at a consulate. There are trade-offs between the two, including what happens if you need to travel, which is why we go through both.

It is not required. E-2 cases turn on how the investment and the business are documented, and that is where most refusals come from. It is one of the categories where preparation makes the most difference.

Explore Whether the E-2 Fits Your Investment

There is no fixed dollar minimum for an E-2. If you want to know where your situation sits, that is a good first call.