The E Category

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The E category visa is useful for foreign business persons, investors, managers, and employees who need to stay in the United States for extended periods of time to oversee: 1) an enterprise that is engaged in trade between the United States and a foreign country; or 2) a major investment in the United States. In order to qualify for an E category visa, the visa must be available pursuant to a treaty between the United States and the foreign national’s country, the E applicant must have the same nationality of the foreign trading or investing company, and the requirements of the particular E category must be met. The E visa is valid for an initial period of two years and is renewable.

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The latter category is referred to as the E1 Treaty Trader visa. In order to qualify for the E1 visa requires that the foreign national trading company must be engaged in substantial trade principally with the United States.

The second category is referred to as the E2 visa. This visa is reserved for aliens who have an active and substantial investment in the United States that is not marginal. Although, E2 visas have been granted for investments as small as $50,000.00, the investment must be large enough to establish that it more than sufficient to merely support the alien and his family.