E-2 Treaty Investor Visa

The E-2 visa. Buy a business. Move to America.

No lottery. No line. No quota.

Citizens of 80+ treaty countries can live in the US by investing in a business they run. Approvals in weeks, renewable for life, and your spouse can work.

See If You Qualify Free E-2 Qualification Assessment →

Why founders call the E-2 the best visa

01No quota, no lottery, no queue
02Renewable indefinitely, as long as the business runs
03Spouse gets US work authorization
04Kids under 21 come with you

The 4-question test

Could you move on an E-2?

Four questions, then a straight answer on whether this route fits you.

Loading the eligibility check…

No lottery Renewable for life Spouse can work Kids under 21 come too

Three paths in

Three ways into an E-2

Buy an existing business

The fastest to approve. Revenue, payroll, and tax returns already prove the case; no projections to defend.

Typical range $150k–500k

Start from scratch

Works, but expect scrutiny: a signed lease, money already spent, and a credible plan before you file.

Typical range $80k–200k

Buy a franchise

A proven model officers recognize, with brand support while you learn the market.

Typical range $150k–300k

No business yet? No broker? Fine.

Most of our waitlist starts before they've found the business. We help you scope the search, work with your broker if you have one, and structure the deal so your money is protected if the visa is denied.

The five requirements

What an E-2 actually asks of you

Five tests, and every approval clears all five. Two of them you already know the answer to.

1

Treaty nationality

Yours, or majority ownership by treaty nationals. Roughly 80 countries qualify, Canada among them. It runs on the passport, not where you live.

2

Substantial investment

No statutory minimum. It is measured against the cost of the business — the cheaper the business, the higher the proportion you must put in. Most approvals sit between $100,000 and $500,000.

3

Funds at risk and committed

Capital must be at commercial risk and already spent or irrevocably committed. Money sitting in a bank account does not qualify.

4

A real, operating business

Not a shell, not a holding vehicle, not a plan. Trading or ready to trade on day one.

5

You direct and develop it

At least 50% ownership, or documented operational control.

And one test behind all five: the business must show present or future capacity to earn more than a living for you and your family, evidenced by a credible five-year plan.

Check your eligibility

The journey

The E-2 journey, start to finish

1

Choose and find

Buy, build, or franchise. Then diligence: tax returns, financials, lease, staff.

2

Structure and file

Escrow that refunds if the visa is denied. Attorneys file the petition.

3

Interview and move

Consulate in weeks at most posts. Family comes; spouse works anywhere.

1

Pick your path

Buy, build, or franchise. Budget and risk appetite decide.

2

Find the business

Through your broker or our network. Due diligence: three years of tax returns, financials, leases, staff.

3

Structure the deal

LOI, then escrow that releases only on visa approval. Denied means refunded; that's the point of the structure.

4

File the E-2

Business plan, source-of-funds evidence, the full petition. Our software assembles; attorneys review.

5

Interview at the consulate

Weeks, not years, at most posts. Already in the US? A change of status can work instead.

6

Move and run it

Family comes with you, spouse works anywhere, and the visa renews as long as the business does.

How a Belong case works

Three to six months, and most of the clock is yours

From engagement to visa in hand runs three to six months. Almost none of that is government processing — it is business setup, capital deployment and evidence assembly. Which means the pace is largely set by how fast the business side moves, not by a queue.

Business setup

The business, the lease, the entity, the staff. The longest stretch, and the one you control.

intake
Belong intake mapping applicant details onto the filing fields

Capital deployment

Spent or irrevocably committed before you file, traced to its source. The most common reason a good file fails.

source of funds
Source-of-funds trail from a Canadian account into the US operating account

Evidence assembly

The five-year plan, the funds trail, the ownership record. Attorneys judge, software assembles — which is why this part is fast.

evidence
Document checklist showing every item collected, grouped by E-2 legal gate
Check your eligibility

Pricing

What an E-2 costs, in full

Two sets of numbers, and most firms only show you the first. What you pay us is fixed and quoted before we start. What you pay the government depends on how you file — and it never passes through us.

Belong legal fee

Fixed, not hourly. Quoted before anyone starts.

Main applicant $9,000
Each additional applicant
Spouse, or a child under 21 $2,000

Covers the eligibility read, the source-of-funds trail, the business documentation, the five-year plan, the filing, and responses to any request for evidence.

Government fees

Paid directly to the government. Never to us.

Visa application fee
Consular route · per applicant $315
USCIS filing, Form I-129
Only if you are already in the US · small employer rate $810
Premium processing, Form I-907
Optional · only if you are already in the US · 15 business days $2,965

Which of these apply depends on your route. Applying from Canada at a consulate means the visa fee only — there is no I-129 and no premium processing. Rates current as of September 2026; some countries also charge a reciprocity fee.

Check your eligibility

Questions

E-2 questions, answered

My country isn't a treaty country. Any options?＋

The E-2 follows citizenship, not residence. Some clients qualify through a second citizenship; others fit better on L-1 or EB-5. Take the four-question test and say so; we'll point you at the right route.

Is my money gone if the visa is denied?＋

Not if the deal is structured properly. Purchase funds sit in escrow that releases to the seller only when the visa is approved, and refunds only if it's denied. That structure satisfies the "at risk" rule while protecting you.

Do I apply at a consulate or from inside the US?＋

Either. Consular means DS-160 and DS-156E at the treaty investor unit; it produces a visa valid up to five years depending on your country's reciprocity schedule, and each entry gives a two-year stay. If you are already in the US in another status, Form I-129 with USCIS changes your status instead — that gives two years of E-2 status but no visa, so the first trip abroad still needs a consular application.

Does the E-2 lead to a green card?＋

Not directly; it's a nonimmigrant visa you can renew forever. Many holders later move to EB-5, EB-1, or employer sponsorship once established. We plan that path with you from day one.

Why Belong

One platform for the whole move

Technology, business plan, franchise and lawyers usually mean four vendors. Here they are one AI-powered platform, run with a process you can check.

01

Technology

AI does the paperwork and assembles the evidence, so attorneys spend their time on judgment calls.

02

Business plans

The five-year plan officers scrutinize, drafted with you and built to survive review.

03

Franchise partners

Franchise partners we vet, with documented unit economics, so the investment is easy to evidence.

04

Lawyers

US-licensed immigration attorneys on every file, working inside the same platform as you.

Process integrity

✓Legitimate businesses only: every business is vetted before you put money in.
✓US-licensed attorneys review and sign off on every filing.
✓Your purchase funds sit in escrow and refund if the visa is denied.
✓Backed by a venture-funded firm, with a track record to protect.

About Belong

An AI-native immigration practice: attorneys make the judgment calls, software does the paperwork. You get a straight answer on whether this route fits you, and a fixed fee before anyone starts.

The best visa is the one you can actually get. That's the E-2.

Four questions, then the calendar. We run your eligibility read, map the path, and get to work.

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Four questions. A straight answer on whether this fits.

Check your eligibility Book a 30-minute call
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