Investor visa in the USA

Examples of Recent U.S. Visas Obtained Through the Vizaus Visa Center

Video Guide for Obtaining a U.S. Visa

The U.S. Investor Visa (category E2) is a non-immigrant visa type that allows Ukrainians, as citizens of a country with which America has a treaty of commerce and navigation, to conduct business, invest in existing enterprises, and establish new ones within the state. This type of visa is also available to citizens of countries such as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Turkey, and Estonia. Currently, there is no such agreement with Russia and Belarus.

For more details, please visit: travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/fees/treaty.html.

In other words, this type of entry permit is granted to any citizen of the aforementioned countries planning to visit the U.S. to develop and manage a company in which they have invested significant funds.

More About the Visa

The U.S. Investment Visa is very advantageous for travel if you wish to establish business cooperation with American companies. According to U.S. law, any E2 visa holder must enter the country solely to develop and manage the enterprise in which funds have been invested. This visa category does not provide the right to further immigrate to the United States. To obtain such an opportunity, you should apply, for example, for an EB-5 immigrant visa. However, it is important to note that the latter requires more substantial investments in the U.S. economy (starting from $500,000).

The validity of the E-2 investor visa in the U.S. depends on the applicant’s country of citizenship. For Ukraine, it is valid for 3 months with the possibility of two entries into the country. Meanwhile, the stay in the U.S. as an investor is two years. After this period, you can renew the visa (an unlimited number of times), provided that your enterprise continues to meet the requirements for the E-2 visa.

Differences Between the Investor Visa and the B1/B2 Visa Category

As is known, Ukrainian citizens traveling to America for investment purposes, contract signing, and making business decisions can also use the B1/B2 business visa category. However, only by entering the country with an investment visa can one legally develop and manage their business in addition to performing the aforementioned actions.

To obtain an investor visa, the applicant must meet certain requirements:

• The investor must be a citizen of a country with which the U.S. maintains a treaty of commerce and navigation.
• At least 50% of the shareholders of the company in which you have invested must be citizens of a country with which the U.S. has the appropriate treaty;
• Investments must be made in a real operating enterprise, meaning an active and functioning commercial enterprise that produces services or goods for profit;
• Investments must be substantial and irrevocable. Substantial investments are generally considered to be from $100,000, but in exceptional cases, a smaller amount is possible (if the enterprise is small and this amount is significant for it);
• The legal origin of the funds intended for investment;
• The enterprise must generate income that exceeds the expenses necessary to maintain a normal standard of living for the investor and their family, or the enterprise must have the potential to make a substantial economic contribution in the present or future;
• The investor must have control over the funds, and the investments must be at risk in a commercial sense. If the funds are not subject to full or partial loss in the event of business failure, such capital contributions are not considered investments;
• Investments must contribute to the creation of new jobs for U.S. citizens and residents;
• The primary purpose of the applicant’s stay in the U.S. is to develop and manage the enterprise, owning at least 50% of its shares. If the applicant is not the principal investor, they must hold a managerial position or possess special skills and knowledge.
• Willingness to leave the U.S. when their investor status expires.

For more details, please visit:

• www.ustraveldocs.com/ua_ru/ua-niv-typee.asp
• www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/temporary-workers/e-2-treaty-investors

Applying for a Visa

To successfully obtain an E2 visa in the U.S., in addition to the basic set of documents (application form, passport, photos, etc.), you will also need to provide:

1. Documentary evidence that you are associated with the company (e.g., contracts or international certificates indicating that you are the owner of the company or have the necessary controlling interest).
2. A cover letter with a detailed description of your company.
3. Documentary evidence of your financial capacity for investment.
4. Documents on the origin of the invested funds, their movement, and intended use.
5. A detailed business plan with real dates of proposed actions and specific investment figures.
6. Financial statements or other securities confirming that your business is operational.
7. Documents confirming your qualifications (diplomas, certificates, etc.)
8. Photos of premises, utility bills.
9. U.S. tax returns.
10. Other documents and papers that will allow embassy staff to be convinced that you can be issued a visa.

You can find the complete list of documents during a consultation with our company or on the official embassy website www.ukrainian.ukraine.usembassy.gov.

Investors may be accompanied by spouses and unmarried children under the age of 21. Spouses may obtain work authorization, and children have the right to study in American schools and colleges.

For more details, please visit: www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/temporary-workers/e-2-treaty-investors

The procedure for obtaining an investor visa has certain features and includes the following steps:

• collecting a package of documents and preparing them in electronic form according to embassy requirements: only PDF format is allowed, and the size of one file should not exceed 7MB (about 100 pages);
• completing the DS-160 application form and submitting it for review to the embassy;
• paying the consular fee of 205 USD;
• sending all necessary documents to the special embassy email address;
• after a thorough review of all submitted documents, the applicant receives a notification with a list of additional documents to be provided, and dates for scheduling an interview will be offered;
• successfully passing the interview (within three months from the receipt of the first message from the embassy).

For more details, please visit: www.ustraveldocs.com/ua_ru/ua-niv-typee.asp

Visa Processing with Our Company

The cost of processing depends on the services you choose. For more information, please contact us.

The consular fee is 205 USD.

Our company’s staff will help you with the formation of the document package (which is quite large for this type of visa), consult you, and prepare you for a successful interview.

With us, you can obtain a visa within 5 business days.