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Global Mobility · E-1 / E-2

The treaty door

For nationals of treaty countries — most of Europe included — trade and investment open a US work status with no lottery and indefinite renewals.

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The E visas are the most underused instruments in US business immigration. They reward what European founders and family businesses already have — a treaty nationality and a real enterprise — and they scale from a single investor to a workforce of essential employees. The cases turn on evidence discipline: source of funds, substantiality, and the business's future told credibly.

E-2 — treaty investors

A substantial, at-risk investment in a real US enterprise.

  • Source-of-funds records built to banking standards
  • Substantiality and marginality analysis before money moves
  • Business plans written for adjudicators, not investors

E-1 — treaty traders

For companies whose trade with the US is already substantial.

  • Trade volume and principality documented from the books
  • Structuring so the trading entity holds the right nationality
  • Employee E-1s for the people who run the trade

Employee E visas

Executives, supervisors, and essential-skills employees of treaty enterprises.

  • Nationality matching between company and employee
  • Essentiality documented against the US labor market
  • Renewal strategy — E status renews as long as the enterprise does
FAQ

Common questions

How much do I need to invest for an E-2?
There is no fixed minimum. The investment must be substantial relative to the business and genuinely at risk in a real, operating enterprise — a proportionality test, not a price tag. The analysis happens before funds are committed.
Which countries have E treaties?
Most of Europe — including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom — plus dozens of others. Eligibility follows the nationality of the investor and, for employees, of the enterprise.
Is the E-2 a path to a green card?
Not directly — E status is nonimmigrant. But it renews indefinitely while the business operates, and it pairs with EB categories when permanent residence becomes the goal.

Map the route before you file

One consultation, every viable category, timelines in writing.

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