GetMeAVisa have significant experience with the E-1 Treaty Trader Visa, please contact us if you would like more information.

The E-1 Treaty Trader Visas is was created to permit foreign nationals of eligible countries to live in the U.S. with the purpose of engaging in trade of a ‘substantial nature’ between the U.S. and the applicant’s country of nationality. The trade involved can be either goods or services, but the trade must be an international direct exchange of ‘items’ between the United States and a treaty country. There are certain stringent conditions and criteria that you must meet and prove before the visa is issued, but there is no restriction (quota) on the number issued each year.

To qualify for an E-1 visa, a company or individual must plan to establish an office in the U.S. You must also have a sufficient volume of trade to justify the Treaty Trader or his employee(s) residing in the US to manage the trade. It is also required that this trade must constitute majority of the trader’s international trade – for example, at least 50 percent of the trader’s exports/imports must be to/from the U.S. While there is not a set minimum of trade, lower volume means you are less likely to qualify for the visa.

Smaller businesses are expected to yield income sufficient to support the Treaty Trader and his family. Importantly, the trading company must also exist at the time of application.

An example of a Treaty Trader business would be a clothing business which is located in a European country that designs and manufactures clothes – and sells many of its products inside the U.S. but has no retail stores of its own, and does not manufacture any items inside the States. If this volume of trade grows to become significant and continuous, and the Europe-U.S. trade comprises over 50 percent of its total international trade, then the business in question could qualify for the E-1 Treaty Trader status. This could permit owner of the business, or some of the businesses employees to become eligible to receive the visa. It is important to note that you must be active in the Treaty Trade, the E-1 visa is not intended to serve as a means for foreigners to merely reside within the U.S.

The requirements for the E-1 Treaty Trader Visa include the following:

1. The Applicant must be a national of a treaty country.
2. The trading company for which the applicant is coming to the U.S. on behalf of must have the nationality of the treaty country. At least 50 percent of the ownership of the company must have nationality of the treaty country.
3. The international trade must be ‘substantial’ in the sense that there is a sizeable and continuing volume of trade between the treaty country and the United States of America.
4. The trade must be principally between the U.S. and the treaty country; this is defined as over 50 percent of the international trade involved must be between the US and the applicant’s country of nationality.
5. The applicant for the E-1 visa must be employed in either an executive or supervisory capacity, or possess specialized skills essential to the efficient operation of the company in question. Ordinary skilled or unskilled workers do not qualify for the E-1 visa, please contact GetMeAVisa for more information on this.

Trade means the international exchange of goods, services and technology, where title of the trade items must pass from one party to the other.

Help with the E-1 Visa Application Process

GetMeAVisa have significant experience dealing with both E-1 and E-2 visas, and because of the complicated nature of U.S. Immigration law it is highly advisable that you book a legal consultation or call us for more information on 0207 078 4127 or use the contact form on the right of this webpage. We are an American Immigration Lawfirm with over ten years of experience, and will be able to provide you with an in-depth consultation and guide you through the entire immigration procedure.