E-2 Visa, also known as “Treaty Investor Visa,” is a non-immigrant visa that allows nationals of treaty countries to enter and work in the United States by making a substantial investment. Through this visa type, investors can get the chance to live, work, or run a business in the US.
To be eligible for this program, you must be a citizen of one of the E-2 Visa countries. For instance, the citizens of the UK, Japan, and Germany can apply for this visa type thanks to the Treaty of Trade and Commerce.
In this article, we will give you the top 10 E-2 Visa countries, along with the benefits, eligibility criteria, and application process.
Key Aspects of E-2 Visa Countries
- The E-2 Visa is a nonimmigrant visa that the United States offers to foreign investors in exchange for a substantial investment.
- To qualify, you must be a citizen with whom the United States maintains a treaty of commerce and navigation and have legally obtained funds to invest in a real and active US business.
- Eligible countries are those that have signed a treaty of commerce and navigation with the United States. Some of these include Taiwan, Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
- The countries that do not have a qualifying international agreement are China, India, Russia, and Vietnam.
- Once investors are granted an E-2 Visa through a substantial investment, the visa validity will initially be 2 years, with the option to renew it as long as the investment is maintained.
- E-2 visa holders can live and work in the US, manage their business, and bring their family with them.
- Although the E-2 visa does not directly lead to a green card, it may be possible to transition to one through the EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW) if you meet certain qualifications.
- The cost of an E-2 Visa is $315; however, you can expect to pay more than that due to the attorney fees, business plan costs, or biometric costs.
What to Discover in This Guide?
What is an E-2 Visa?
The E-2 Visa, often called the Treaty Investor Visa, allows foreign nationals from countries with trade agreements with the US to come and start or run a business in America. If you are from one of these treaty countries, you can qualify for this visa.
Difference between E-1 and E-2 Visa
E visas are treaty visas, which are based on a reciprocal treaty investor treatment. Accordingly, it highlights the mutual agreement between the US and some countries that have a treaty of commerce and navigation or a bilateral investment treaty.
The two main types are: E-1 and E-2 Visa. Below, you will find a detailed comparison table for E1 vs E2 visas.
| Feature | E-1 Visa (Treaty Trader) | E-2 Visa (Treaty Investor) |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | For individuals conducting substantial trade with their home country | For individuals investing in a commercial U.S. enterprise |
| Primary Activity | Exchange of goods, services, or technology across borders | Significant capital commitment to start or grow a business |
| Business Stage | Requires an established and operational international trade business | Supports startups or acquisitions, but must be more than an idea |
| Operational Control | Applicant must direct trade operations or serve as an essential employee | Requires at least 50% ownership or active managerial control |
| Profitability | No minimum income, but trade must be substantial and ongoing | Business cannot be marginal; ideally should create jobs or show growth |
| Visa Duration | 2 Years | 2 Years |
| Treaty Country Rule | Yes | Yes |
Benefits of E-2 Investor Visa
- To acquire the E-2 Investor Visa, there is no minimum investment requirement; all you have to do is make a substantial investment.
- As an E-2 Visa holder, you can reside, work, or maintain a business in the US during your visa validity period, which is 2 years.
- You can renew your visa as long as you keep your substantial investment.
- You and your dependents can travel to the US without any restrictions.
- Family inclusion is also another major benefit of the program. You can include your spouse, unmarried children up to 21 years old. However, you cannot include your parents. They need to go for another available visa option for themselves.
- Your children under the age of 21 can benefit from the education system in the US.
Who is Eligible for an E-2 Visa?
Now that we have covered the basics about the E2 Visa, it is time to move on to the eligibility criteria for investors and employees.
Eligibility Criteria For Investors
To be eligible for an E-2 Visa, you must comply with the following criteria:
- Being a national of a country with which the US has signed a treaty of commerce and navigation.
- Have already invested, or are in the process of investing, a significant amount of money into a real existing business in the US (bona fide enterprise).
- Plan to come to the US to run and grow the business. This means you should either own at least half of it or have control through a management role.
- Make sure the money comes from legal sources.
Here, what investors need to keep in mind is that they can lose their money if the business fails.
Plus, the substantial investment must be:
- Big enough compared to how much the business costs to buy or start.
- Enough to show the investor is serious about making the business work.
- High enough to give a good chance that the business remains operational.
Eligibility Criteria for Employees
To get an E-2 visa as an employee, you must:
- Be from the same country as the person or business that invested. The person or business must be from one of the E2 Visa countries.
- Be a legal employee under US rules.
- Be in a high-level role (like a manager or executive), or have special skills the business really needs
If the investor is a business
- The business must be at least 50% owned by people from the treaty country.
- Those owners must either already have E-2 status or be eligible for E-2 if they were applying from outside the US.
Requirements for E-2 Visa
During your application process for an E-2 Visa, qualified treaty investors will be asked to gather some documentation. These include:
- DS-160 form
- Your passport
- Proof of citizenship from a treaty country
- Two photographs (passport-sized, colored)
- The proof of payment of the visa application fee $315
- Proof of investment funds
- Form DS-156E, If you are working as an Executive/Manager/Essential employee
- Property deeds, or apartment leases, etc.
- The documents of your business
- Business licenses and registration documents
- Financial statements
- Office lease agreements
- Organizational chart
- Tax returns
- Bank statements
- Employees and client contracts
- Registration documents for your business if you are just starting it
- CV
- Detailed business plan showing your covered investments
List of the E-2 Visa Countries in 2025
Based on the United States Department of State’s data, you can see the updated list of E2 Visa treaty countries in 2025.
| E-2 Visa Countries | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | Argentina | Armenia | Australia | Austria |
| Azerbaijan | Bahrain | Bangladesh | Belgium | Bolivia |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | Bulgaria | Cameroon | Canada | Chile |
| Taiwan (China) | Colombia | Congo (Brazzaville) | Congo (Kinshasa) | Costa Rica |
| Croatia | Czech Republic | Denmark | Ecuador | Egypt |
| Estonia | Ethiopia | Finland | France | Georgia |
| Germany | Greece | Grenada | Honduras | Ireland |
| Israel | Italy | Jamaica | Japan | Jordan |
| Kazakhstan | Korea (South) | Kosovo | Kyrgyzstan | Latvia |
| Liberia | Lithuania | Luxembourg | Macedonia | Mexico |
| Moldova | Mongolia | Montenegro | Morocco | Netherlands |
| New Zealand | Norway | Oman | Pakistan | Panama |
| Paraguay | Philippines | Poland | Portugal | Romania |
| Senegal | Serbia | Singapore | Slovak Republic | Slovenia |
| Spain | Sri Lanka | Suriname | Sweden | Switzerland |
| Thailand | Togo | Trinidad & Tobago | Tunisia | Turkey |
| Ukraine | United Kingdom | Yugoslavia | ||
What are the Non-Treaty Countries?
Here ae the list of countries with which the US does not have any treaty of commerce and navigation:
| Non-Treaty Countries | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Algeria | Angola | Belize | Botswana |
| Brunei | Cambodia | China (Hong Kong) | Cyprus | El Salvador |
| Eritrea | Faroe Islands | Gabon | Gambia | Guatemala |
| Haiti | India | Israel | Isle of Man | Kenya |
| Kuwait | Libya | Madagascar | Mauritius | Namibia |
| Nepal | Nigeria | Nicaragua | Peru | Qatar |
| Russia | Saudi Arabia | San Marino | South Africa | United Arab Emirates |
| Uruguay | Vatican City | Venezuela | Vietnam | Zimbabwe |
E2 Visa to Green Card
E2 Visa holders often come up with this question: Can I convert an E2 visa to a Green Card? Yes, you can transition your E-2 Visa into a Green Card, but you have to choose the right path for yourself:
- Marriage-based (straightforward if applicable),
- Employer-sponsored,
- EB-2 NIW or EB-1A
- EB‑5 Visa
However, each route has its own requirements and implications. Therefore, you should consult an immigration lawyer before choosing your path.
E-2 Visa Statistics
Between 2020 and 2024, the number of E-2 visas issued rose steadily from 23,493 to 55,324. This shows a significant upward trend in investor interest in the program itself.
Below, you can see a detailed chart highlighting both approval and refusal rates over the years.
The List of E2 Visa Countries: Top 10
Now that we have covered the essentials about E-2 Visas, it is time to move on to treaty countries.
1. Taiwan
Under the Taiwan Relations Act, the US handled its agreement with the Taiwan authorities before 1979 through the nonprofit American Institute in Taiwan. This is a District of Columbia corporation.
This arrangement allows nationals of Taiwan to apply for E visas. However, the agreement is on a non-governmental basis as the US does not officially recognize Taiwan as a separate country.
2. Costa Rica
As a citizen of Costa Rica, you can apply for an E-2 Visa if you meet the necessary criteria, as the country is one of the treaty countries since May 26. To qualify for treaty trade or treaty investor status, you will need a valid passport and make a qualifying investment in a bona fide or active business.
3. Czech Republic and Slovak Republic
The US and the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic signed a treaty before it split into two on December 19, 1922. However, this did not change the validity of the agreement. The treaty is still in place for both countries. Therefore, people from the Czech Republic and Slovakia can still apply for an E2 Visa.
4. Canada
As one of the treaty countries, Canada signed a treaty with the US on January 1, 1994. You can apply for an E-2 Visa if you are:
- Born in Canada
- Naturalized Canadian citizen
- A dual national who holds a Canadian passport.
5. Portugal
In 2022, the US passed a law that allows Portuguese citizens to apply for E-1 and E-2 Visas. However, it was not unconditional. In return for this, Portugal also had to offer similar visa privileges to US citizens. As a result of this reciprocal agreement, Portuguese citizens can now get E-1 and E-2 Visas since March 15, 2025.
Accordingly, to be eligible for the E2 Visa, you have to be a Portuguese citizen. This can be done in several ways: by birth, marriage, descent, and naturalization. One common path to naturalization is through Portugal Golden Visa program. Within the framework of this program, you can get citizenship after holding your investment (minimum €500,000 fund investment) for at least 5 years.*
*This 5-year rule may be subject to change.
6. Grenada
Located on the Caribbean Peninsula, Grenada has been one of the E2 Visa countries since March 3, 1989. This connection makes Grenada’s Citizenship by Investment program attractive for foreigners who are not from E-2 treaty countries.
By making a minimum $270,000 investment in the program, you can obtain Grenadian citizenship and apply for an E-2 Visa. Once you get your E2 Visa status through a substantial amount of investment, you can reside, work, or run a business in the US.
7. Yugoslavia
The US recognizes that the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) no longer exists. However, Yugoslavia used to be made up of several countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Kosovo when they made a treaty agreement.
Nevertheless, the US still treats these countries like they follow the same rules as before the SFRY split up. So, if you come from one of these countries, you can still apply for the E2 visa.
8. Ecuador
If you are an Ecuadorian national, you can only get an E-2 investor visa. However, you must come to the US to work on a covered investment established or acquired before May 18, 2018. As long as that qualifying investment was in place by that date, you are eligible to apply for or continue using the E-2 visa until May 18, 2028.
On the other hand, if your investment was made after May 18, 2018, you are not eligible for a new E-2 visa unless you are a family member (like a spouse or child) of someone who qualified through an earlier investment.
8. Germany
Germany has been a treaty country for the E-2 visa since July 14, 1956. This means German citizens are eligible to apply for E-2 visas. If you are coming from a country that has no E-2 agreement with the US, you can get it through a German citizenship by descent, marriage, naturalization, or adoption.
9. Italy
On July 26, 1949, Italy signed the treaty agreement with the US. Through this agreement, Italian citizens can apply for E-2 visas by investing in and running businesses in the United States.
However, if you are from a country that does not have an E-2 treaty with the US, you can try to get an Italian citizenship by birth, descent, marriage, or naturalization. Among these, you can go for Italy Golden Visa program. Although the program does not give you a direct path to citizenship, you can legally reside in the country for 10 consecutive years and apply for citizenship via naturalization.
10. United Kingdom
According to the Convention, which came into effect on July 3, 1815, the E2 Visa treaty only applies to certain parts of British territory in Europe. This specifically includes the British Isles, the Channel Islands, and Gibraltar.
To qualify for an E-1 or E-2 visa, you need to be both a national of the UK and someone who lives there permanently.
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FAQs on E2 Visa Countries
Does an E2 visa lead to a green card?
Although the E-2 visa does not lead directly to a green card, you can still obtain one through other paths such as marriage to a US citizen, employer sponsorship, self-petition, or the EB-5 investor program.
Can you work in the USA with an E2 visa?
Yes, you can live and work in the USA with an E-2 Visa as long as your visa is valid.
How much money is needed for an E2 visa?
The E-2 visa does not have a fixed minimum investment requirement. However, you need to invest a substantial amount in a US business.
Does an E2 visa get a Social Security Number?
Yes, you and your spouse can get a Social Security Number. However, your children cannot get it since they are not authorized to work in America.
Can undocumented immigrants get an E2 visa?
In theory, undocumented immigrants can apply for an E-2 visa if they have a passport from a treaty country and meet all the requirements.
Can I bring my parents to us on an E2 visa?
No, you cannot bring your parents to the US on an E-2 visa. Only your spouse and unmarried children under 21 qualify as dependents and can accompany you under E-2 status. If you want to bring your parents, they would need to qualify for another type of visa.
Can I buy a house in the US with an E2 visa?
Yes, you can buy a house in the US while on an E-2 visa. There are no restrictions on property ownership for E-2 visa holders.
How long does it take to get an E2 visa?
Depending on where you apply and your application conditions, it can take around 5 months to receive your E-2 Visa status.
