Let’s say you are a foreign entrepreneur looking to expand your trade and business practices into the United States market. Well, in this case, you may be happy to learn that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) may offer you certain avenues to do so. That is, the USCIS promotes a few types of investor visas (i.e., E visas) you may opt for, so you may trade, develop enterprises, or direct business operations within its country’s borders. If this piques your interest, please follow along to find out the benefits of investor visas and how one of the proficient work visa lawyers at Lupton Law LLC can help you potentially take advantage of this visa opportunity.

What are the different types of investor visas offered?

Namely, the three types of investor visas available to you are the E-1 Treaty Trader Visa, the E-2 Treaty Investor Visa, and the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa.

On the one hand, E-1 and E-2 visas fall under the E visa category, particularly designated for business owners, managers, and employees looking for temporary resident status in the United States. For one, an E-1 visa is intended for individuals wishing to engage in substantial international trade between the U.S. and their home country. Secondly, an E-2 visa is meant for individuals who have made or are in the process of making a significant investment in a U.S. business. Either way, these visas may hold a two-year duration but may be renewed for two-year increments so long as an individual continually meets its specified eligibility criteria.

On the other hand, an EB-5 visa is considered an employment-based visa for investors wanting permanent residency in the U.S. For this, an eligible investor must invest a significant amount of capital in a new commercial enterprise in the U.S. that subsequently creates jobs. Examples of qualified capital investments include cash, equipment, inventory, secured debt, and other property. This visa may last for five years, and may similarly be renewed for five-year increments when eligibility requirements are still met.

What are the benefits of investor visas over other work visas?

Understandably, you may find it more difficult to meet the criteria for an investor visa than any other work visa type. In the end, though, an investor visa may carry more benefits that make it all worth while. Examples of such benefits may include, but may not be limited to, the following:

  • An individual may not be an employer sponsor to enter and reside in the United States.
  • An individual may clear a more direct path for permanent residency or citizenship in the future.
  • An individual may obtain the freedom of investing and working in any business venture that most interests them.
  • An individual may easily bring over their spouse and unmarried children under 21 with them, who may also obtain work authorization.

We hope that this blog offers the insight you were searching for. For more information, we encourage you to contact one of the talented work visa lawyers from Lupton Law LLC today.