E-1 visa is a great visa for treaty traders who engage in international trade between the U.S. and their home country.
If you want to find out more about an E-1 visa, click here.
What is visa validity period?
The amount of time on E-1 visa can be granted for varies by country and depends on the agreement (the legal term is reciprocity) between your country and the United States. For example Jordan has reciprocity periods of as little as 3 months while other countries allow applicants to get an E-1 visa for up to 5 years. Even in cases where the country reciprocity allows the applicant to apply for 5 years, the actual amount of time granted to the applicant is also based on the discretion of the consular officer adjudicating the application. A consular officer may issue less than the maximum period if they would like to monitor the progress of the business and see if the business is on track after a year or two.
What is reciprocity period?
The Reciprocity Period is the maximum amount of time a non-immigrant visa can be issued for. We have included a Reciprocity Table below for the designated E-1 treaty countries. While E-1 visas may be issued for a maximum period of 5 years for most countries, for some countries, it is a very short period (e.g. 3 months for Jordan).
What is period of stay?
Upon entry on an E-1 visa, you are allowed a maximum stay of two years regardless of how long the visa is valid for. E-1 treaty traders with multiple entry E-1 visas in their passports can leave the U.S. and reenter until the expiration date of their visa and each time they reenter, they are given 2 years in E-1 status.
List of E-1 Treaty countries
| E-1 Country | How long can the E-1 visa be issued for | Number of entries to the U.S. |
| Argentina | 60 months | multiple |
| Australia | 48 months | multiple |
| Austria | 60 months | multiple |
| Belgium | 60 months | multiple |
| Bolivia | 60 months | multiple |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 12 months | multiple |
| Brunei | 41 months | multiple |
| Canada | 60 months | multiple |
| Chile | 12 months | multiple |
| China (Taiwan) | 60 months | multiple |
| Colombia | 60 months | multiple |
| Costa Rica | 60 months | multiple |
| Croatia | 60 months | multiple |
| Denmark | 18 months | multiple |
| Estonia | 60 months | multiple |
| Ethiopia | 6 months | multiple |
| Finland | 24 months | multiple |
| France | 25 months | multiple |
| Germany | 60 months | multiple |
| Greece | 60 months | multiple |
| Honduras | 60 months | multiple |
| Ireland | 60 months | multiple |
| Israel | 52 months | multiple |
| Italy | 60 months | multiple |
| Japan | 60 months | multiple |
| Jordan | 3 months | one |
| Korea (South) | 60 months | multiple |
| Kosovo | 12 months | multiple |
| Latvia | 34 months | multiple |
| Liberia | 12 months | multiple |
| Luxembourg | 60 months | multiple |
| Macedonia | 60 months | multiple |
| Mexico | 12 months | multiple |
| Montenegro | 12 months | multiple |
| Netherlands | 36 months | multiple |
| New Zealand | 60 months | multiple |
| Norway | 36 months | multiple |
| Oman | 6 months | multiple |
| Pakistan | 60 months | multiple |
| Paraguay | 60 months | multiple |
| Philippines | 60 months | multiple |
| Poland | 12 months | multiple |
| Serbia | 12 months | multiple |
| Singapore | 24 months | multiple |
| Slovenia | 60 months | multiple |
| Spain | 60 months | multiple |
| Suriname | 60 months | multiple |
| Sweden | 24 months | multiple |
| Switzerland | 48 months | multiple |
| Thailand | 6 months | multiple |
| Togo | 36 months | multiple |
| Turkey | 60 months | multiple |
| United Kingdom | 60 months | multiple |
Please see our blog post discussing whether you need a business plan for an E-1visa when you click here.
Please see our blog post discussing whether your business has to continue in your home country once you get an E-1 visa when you click here.
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