Treaty Traders and Treaty Investors Visas

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Overview

Introduction

Treaty Investor visas (E-2) are non-immigrant visas for nationals of a country with which the United States maintains a treaty of friendship, commerce and navigation who wish to go to the United States to develop and direct the operations of an enterprise in which the national has invested or is in the process of investing a substantial amount of capital.  The United States does not have a treaty of commerce and navigation with Venezuela.  However, Venezuelan nationals who hold citizenship with a Treaty Country may qualify for an E-2 visa in order to develop and direct the operations of an enterprise in which the national has invested. 

Treaty Investor visas were established to facilitate and enhance economic interaction between the United States and other countries.  U.S. immigration law explicitly states that E-2 visa holders must enter “solely to develop and direct the operations of an enterprise” in which he or she has invested. Moreover, these visas are non-immigrant visas and thus temporary. Treaty investor visas can be renewed or extended only if the investment continues to meet all applicable requirements of U.S. immigration laws and regulations. Persons wishing to remain indefinitely in the United States should apply for the appropriate immigrant visa.

Additional information about E visas is available at the Department of State’s website: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/employment/treaty-trader-investor-visa-e.html.