The Entrepreneurs & Investors category visas were created to lure foreign (either individual or corporate) investors into the United States to further enrich the American economy. The US presents a massive and lucrative market for those investors.
The E-1/E-2 and L-1 nonimmigrant visas are often easier and quicker to obtain than an EB-5 immigrant visa, but do not automatically allow for permanent residence (but the US authorities do often grant extensions past the initial period), although a permanent option maybe available after a business has been in operation for at least one year.
The documentation the American immigration authorities will require is usually substantial and the process can be very complicated. For this reason, most people who are successful in their applications use a specialist immigration lawyer who will file the application on their behalf.
GetMeAVisa.com offer assistance with all aspects of your immigration, including an in-depth consultation, step by step help filling in all paperwork, and even help finding the right business for you (such as ensuring that it matches the requirements set for the specific visa). We have a proven high success rate, and have been in business for over ten years.
Once you are residing inside the US we can also help with visa extensions or an application for permanent residence.
Categories of US Investment Visas
See the handy comparison table below to give you a simple side by side comparison of the various investment visas.
Subject |
Individual |
Regional Center |
Investment Sum |
Not Fixed
Usually $100,000+ |
$500.000 or $1m |
Minimum of $500,000
|
Job Creation |
Minimal | 10 direct jobs |
10 direct OR indirect jobs
|
Investors’ Skills |
Manager or essential skills unless Investor | Policy Making | Limited Partner |
Procedure |
Can go direct to consul | USCIS, then consul or form I-485 | USCIS, then conul or form I-485 |
Visa Processing |
Minimum of 1-2 months | Around one year | Around one year |
Can visa be expedited |
Depends on country & premium proccess | No | No |
Initial visa validy |
Up to five years | Two-year conditional Green Card | Two-year conditional Green Card |
US Permanent Resident |
Possible EB-1 after one year
|
Yes, after two-year conditional Period |
Yes, after two-year conditional period
|
Maximum Period |
Unlimited extensions | US Permanent residence |
USA Permanent Residence
|
Working Spouse |
Yes | Three months after
I-485 |
Three months after I-485 |
Employment Authorization |
Around 90 days | Usually 6 months | Usually 6months |