How Citizens of Non-Treaty Countries Can Get an E-2 Visa
Alcorn Immigration Law has the knowledge and the contacts to assist individuals from countries without an investment trade treaty with the United States to still qualify for an E-2 Visa for Treaty Investors.
Citizens of countries without an investment trade treaty with the U.S., such as China and India, can obtain an E-2 Visa for Treaty Investors to start a company in the U.S. by first obtaining citizenship in the Caribbean island nation of Grenada.
The E-2 visa enables foreign nationals whose home country has a trade treaty for investors with the U.S. to come to the U.S. if investing capital in a U.S. business. The E-2 visa carries substantial advantages:
- The processing time for an E-2 is usually two months or less.
- An E-2 visa offers unlimited extensions.
- The spouse of an E-2 visa holder can work in the U.S.
- Employees of the E-2 visa holder who are also citizens of the Treaty Country may also be eligible for E-2 visas.
Grenada has a trade treaty with the U.S., making citizens of Grenada eligible to petition for an American E-2 visa. Grenada allows citizenship through investment. Grenada citizenship requires an investment of roughly $400,000 plus legal and other fees. What’s more, the process of becoming a Granada citizen presently takes about five to seven months.
Getting on the E-2 Visa Path
Citizens of countries without a trade treaty for investors with the U.S. must first secure citizenship in Grenada. (See below for list of applicable countries.) It is the only country that has an E-2 treaty with the U.S. and offers a citizenship by investment program. Grenada offers two investment programs that lead to citizenship:
- A donation of $200,000 to the government of Granada.
- The purchase of a government-approved real estate project or shares in an approved investment company. An investment worth at least $350,000 must be made in the real-estate project or investment company. This option also requires a $50,000 donation to the government of Grenada.
In order to obtain the E-2 visa, U.S. officials want to also see that you’ve established a residence in Grenada. This includes having a residence in Grenada and spending some time there. Investing in a government-approved real estate development project for Grenada citizenship may help you satisfy the residence requirement.
E-2 Visas and Other Options
If you’re interested in pursuing an E-2 visa to live and work in the U.S., contact the Alcorn Immigration Law team. We have the knowledge and contacts in Grenada to guide you through this process.
We can also help determine other options that may be available to you. Do not hesitate to contact us to set up a strategy session.
Applicable Countries
A list of the more than 100 countries that do not have an investor trade treaty with the United States as of May 1, 2019:
| Afghanistan | Guinea-Bissau | Palau |
| Algeria | Guyana | Palestinian Territories |
| Andorra | Haiti | Papua New Guinea |
| Angola | Holy See | Peru |
| Anguilla | Hungary | Portugal |
| Antigua & Barbuda | Iceland | Qatar |
| Bahamas | India | Russia |
| Barbados | Indonesia | Rwanda |
| Belarus | Iraq | Saint Kitts & Nevis |
| Belize | Kenya | Saint Lucia |
| Benin | Kiribati | Saint Vincent & Grenadines |
| Bhutan | Kuwait | Samoa |
| Botswana | Laos | San Marino |
| Brazil | Lebanon | Sao Tome & Principe |
| Brunei | Lesotho | Saudi Arabia |
| Burkina Faso | Libya | Seychelles |
| Burma | Liechtenstein | Sierra Leone |
| Cape Verde | Madagascar | Solomon Islands |
| Central African Republic | Malawi | Somalia |
| Chad | Malaysia | South Africa |
| China | Maldives | South Sudan |
| Comoros | Mali | Sudan |
| Congo, Democratic Republic of the | Malta | Syria |
| Cote d’Ivoire | Marshall Islands | Tajikistan |
| Cuba | Martinique | Tanzania |
| Cyprus | Mauritania | Timor Leste |
| Djibouti | Mauritius | Tonga |
| Dominica | Micronesia | Turkmenistan |
| Dominican Republic | Monaco | Tuvalu |
| El Salvador | Mozambique | Uganda |
| Equatorial Guinea | Namibia | United Arab Emirates |
| Eritrea | Nauru | Uruguay |
| Eswatini | Nepal | Uzbekistan |
| Fiji | Nicaragua | Vanuatu |
| Gabon | Niger | Venezuela |
| Gambia | Nigeria | Vietnam |
| Ghana | North Korea | Yemen |
| Greece | Zambia | |
| Guatemala | Zimbabwe |
