Can I Get A Visa If I Am From A Treaty Country?
E1 and E2 visas are visas for foreign workers to come to the United States based on a treaty that exists with the United States and the Foreign Nationals country. Depending on the nationality of the person as well as the makeup of the company, certain persons can apply for E1 or E2 status. The E1 status is reserved for treaty traders, and E2 status is reserved for treaty investors. There are many technical differences between the two visas and require the assistance of an immigration attorney to fully understand the procedure and steps that need to be followed.
Regardless of whether you are applying for an E-1 visa or an E-2 visa, your country will be one of the Treaty Countries. In order for a person to obtain an E-1 visa, they must be the employee of a treaty trader. There must be a substantial and constant amount of trade between the treaty country and the United States. Over 50% of the treaty country’s international trade must be with the United States in order for an employee of that country to qualify for the E-1 visa. When a person obtains an E-1 visa, they are only allowed to stay in the United States for a maximum of two years but they are allowed to request an unlimited amount of two-year extensions.
The requirements for applying for an E-2 visa are that your country must be a Treaty Country and you must also have invested a substantial amount of money into a legitimate and active United States company or corporation. In addition to the investment, you must also own at least 50-percent of that company or show that you have a corporate or managerial position with that company. Should you require assistance, please contact an experienced immigration attorney.
If you are in need of experienced legal counsel for matters of immigration, please contact the Law Offices of Salvatore A. Falletta, LLC.