Do I Need to Invest Money for an E-1 Visa?

E-1 visa  is a great visa option for people who engage in international trade between the U.S. and their home country. One big advantage of an E-1 visa is that you do not need to invest any money in the U.S. before the E-1 visa is granted (unlike an E-2 visa).

One of the very common questions we get from prospective clients is whether they have to invest money in the U.S. (and if so how much) to qualify for an E-1 visa.

The short answer is: no! While a substantial investment is required for an E-2 visa (for an E-2 visa, you should generally invest around $100,000) you do not need to invest money in the U.S. business for an E-1 visa. This means, that as long as you meet all the E-1 visa requirements, you do not need to make any upfront investment in the U.S. before your E1 visa is approved. This is a big advantage of an E-1 visa and many applicants who qualify for both E-1 or E-2 visa prefer E-1 visa, as they do not need to make that significant upfront investment.

Please see our Chart that compares the E-1 and E-2 visa when you click here.