Immigrant visas to reside in the USA
On this page, we present the EB5 and E2 visas, which allow you to live and work in the USA.
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The EB-5 visa
The EB-5 program
U.S. authorities created the EB-5 program to stimulate the U.S. economy through job creation and capital investment by foreign investors.
The EB-5 visa allows foreign nationals who invest money in the United States to obtain a "green card" (which may subsequently lead to obtaining a U.S. passport). To obtain the visa, applicants must invest at least USD 900,000 and create at least 10 jobs.
The investor, as well as their spouse and unmarried children under 21, will be eligible for a "green card".
It should be noted that to obtain this visa, foreign investors must make a "at-risk" investment in an "EB-5 Regional Center" (a company listed by the authorities to manage EB-5 investment projects).
Investment and job creation
All EB-5 investments must lead to the creation of 10 full-time U.S. jobs for at least two years. The required investment under the EB-5 program is USD 900,000 or USD 1.8 million, depending on the location of the EB-5 project:
- If the EB-5 project is located in a TEA (Targeted Employment Area), the investment will be USD 500,000.
- If the EB-5 project is not located in a TEA, the minimum investment will be USD 1 million.
The E2 visa
E-2 visa principle
The E-2 investor visa allows a person to enter and work in the United States based on an investment they have made in the USA. This visa generally must be renewed every two years (there is no limit to the number of possible renewals). The investment must be "substantial" (there is no legal minimum).
Eligible passports
The E-2 visa is only available to people holding a passport issued by one of the following countries:
Albania, Germany, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China (Taiwan), Colombia, Congo, South Korea, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark (excluding Greenland), Egypt, Ecuador, Spain, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Georgia, Grenada, Honduras, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, Austria, Latvia, Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Morocco, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Poland, the Slovak Republic, the Czech Republic, Romania, the United Kingdom, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Suriname, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, Yugoslavia.
The E-2 visa is a temporary visa, whereas green cards are permanent. Family members of the E-2 visa holder are authorized to enter the United States with the visa holder. This category includes the visa holder's spouse, as well as unmarried minor children under 21.