For Canadians searching EB-5

Searched EB-5? If you’re Canadian, E-2 is usually the visa you actually want.

EB-5 is a green card for people putting in $800K+. E-2 is how Canadians buy or start a US business and move in months, with capital they already have. No lottery. No quota.

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Side by side

The split

E-2
EB-5
What do you get?
Fast entry to the US + business ownership
Permanent residency & citizenship
Capital needed
$80K+
$800K+
Speed
Weeks at most consulates
Months to years
You run it?
Yes. That’s the point.
Not usually.
Built for Canadians?
Yes!
Open to anyone.
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The E-2 alternative

What are the E-2 business visa requirements?

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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.

Who it fits

The business decides it, not the paperwork

Your passport and your capital are the easy part. What officers actually scrutinise is the business — whether it is real, operating, and big enough to earn more than a living. Here is where that lands in practice.

Well suited to an E-2

  • Restaurants and hospitality
  • Retail and franchises
  • Logistics and distribution
  • Construction and trades
  • Healthcare and clinics
  • Professional services with real staff
  • Manufacturing
  • E-commerce with inventory and operations

Franchises are common: documented unit economics, an investment figure that is easy to evidence.

Faces challenges

  • Passive real estate
  • Holding companies
  • Consulting practices with no employees and no fixed costs
  • Anything where the capital sits in a bank account
  • Non-profits
  • Businesses where the applicant holds a minority stake with no control

None are automatic refusals. They need a stronger file, and we will say so before you spend anything.

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The 4-question test

Still not sure if this is you?

No need to guess. Four questions, instant answer.

Loading the eligibility check…

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

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
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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.

Questions

Before you book

Does the E-2 become a green card?＋

Not by itself. It is a nonimmigrant visa you can renew for as long as the business runs. Some holders later explore EB-5, EB-1, or an employer case once the US company is established. We plan the E-2 so those doors stay open, and Belong’s attorneys handle the filing when EB-5 is the next step.

What’s the real E-2 minimum?＋

The law says substantial, not a number. In practice many approvals sit above $100K; the test is whether the amount fits the business.

I’m Canadian with about $100K. Is EB-5 realistic?＋

EB-5 needs $800K USD or more. At that level of capital, the E-2 is usually the path that fits.

When is EB-5 the right answer?＋

When you have $800K+ to put at risk, want the green card first, and are fine not running the business day to day. Belong’s attorneys file EB-5 when that is the goal.

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.

Check your eligibility Book a 30-minute call

Four questions. A straight answer on whether this fits.

Check your eligibility Book a 30-minute call
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