US non-immigrant E-1 treaty trader visa
E-1 Treaty Traders & E-2 Treaty Investors: Fast, Flexible Business Visas
Who qualifies
- Treaty citizenship : The company and the applicant must share a citizenship that has an E-visa treaty with the U.S.
- E-1 (Treaty Trader): The company carries on substantial, continuous trade in goods, services, or technology, and more than 50% of its international trade is principally between the U.S. and the treaty country.
- E-2 (Treaty Investor): The applicant has made (or is actively making) a substantial, at-risk investment in a real, operating U.S. enterprise that is more than a marginal business (i.e., generates significant income or jobs).
Eligible people
- Principals (owners/executives/supervisors with essential skills).
- Employees of the same treaty citizenship in executive/supervisory roles or with specialized knowledge.
- Family: Spouses and unmarried children under 21; spouses may work in the U.S. incident to E status.
Key requirements
- Documentable operations: Contracts, invoices, bank flows, payroll, leases, licenses.
- E-2 only: Detailed source of funds and use of funds; credible business plan showing job creation and growth.
How to apply
- Abroad: Consular filing with DS-160 (and DS-156E where required) + company package.
Strategy tips
- For E-1, organize trade data by volume/value and counterparties to prove “principal trade.”
- Build a job-creation narrative and margins that surpass sole-owner subsistence.
- Keep ownership at or above 50% treaty ownership and document any holding-company layers.
Common pitfalls
- “Paper” companies with no real operations; thin capitalization; missing source-of-funds trail; or roles that don’t match executive/specialized criteria.
Bottom line: E-1/E-2 visas provide renewable, practical pathways for treaty-nation businesses, executives, and investors to operate and grow in the U.S.
