also called E-2 Treaty Investor · treaty investor visa
A US visa for citizens of treaty countries who invest a substantial amount in a US business they direct, renewable as long as the business runs.
The E-2 is a US visa for citizens of countries that hold the right investment treaty with the United States, who put a substantial sum into a US business they actively direct. It renews as long as the business keeps running. Two things trip people up: it only exists for the right nationalities, and it never leads directly to a green card, so it is a way to run a business in the US, not a path to settling permanently.
You plan to move to the US by investing in a business, until you check the treaty list and find your nationality is not on it, which rules you out before you spend a cent. Even for someone who does qualify, the investment has to be real and at risk, and it will not on its own turn into a green card down the line.
It only exists for nationals of countries that have the right treaty with the US, so many people are ineligible by passport alone, and the investment must be real and at risk, not nominal. It also never leads directly to a green card. Check whether your nationality has a treaty before you build a plan around it.
The difference is the whole point, so here is each one in a line.
These are two US routes that suit entrepreneurs and creators.
The E-2 visa is for citizens of treaty countries who invest a substantial sum in a US business they run, renewable while it operates, while the O-1 visa is for people with extraordinary ability in fields like science, arts or business, based on achievement rather than investment.
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