Moving from Canada

How to move from Canada to the US

To move to the US from Canada, your legal options are limited. Either you are married to a citizen or have immediate relatives in the US, or you need to choose the right visa pathway.

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The options

What are the different visas?

E-2 Treaty Investor Visa

Meant for founders and executives who want to start a business in the US quickly. Buy an existing business, start fresh, or take a franchise. No lottery, renewable for as long as the business runs, and your spouse can work.

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EB-5 Business Visa

Open to anyone who invests in or starts a US business, not just E-2 treaty passport holders. That makes it the most expensive option for Canadian founders: $800K minimum, and approval can take years.

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H-1B cap-exempt visa

For professionals sponsored by a university, nonprofit or research employer. Those employers are exempt from the annual H-1B lottery, so there is no lottery to win.

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L-1 intracompany visa

Built for international companies moving employees to a US branch or office. Allows a stay of up to 7 years, and your spouse can work.

TN professional visa

Educated professionals can apply at a US port of entry with a job offer letter and the required degree and credentials. Quick, and good for up to 3 years, but your spouse can’t work on it.

F-1 student visa

For studying in the US for the length of a degree program. It is tied to school, and work is limited.

We can help

Need help figuring out the right visa for you?

We specialize in E-2 and H-1B visas and can help you make the move within months, not years.

E-2 business visa

You want to buy or start a US business. Treaty country passport, $100K+ to invest.

H-1B cap-exempt

You are a professional and want a sponsor that isn’t subject to the lottery.

Our recommendation

We recommend the E-2 visa

For those who can have their pick, the E-2 is the shortcut most people don’t know about. It’s the least capital-intensive, moves you and your family within months, and lets your spouse work.

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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

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.

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.

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