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Category: Legal Services
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America is the land of entrepreneurship, and the most prosperous economic market in the world. People from all over the world, and from all walks of life and backgrounds have settled there. Investing in a business in America can be an excellent opportunity for many individuals and families. But it's not always easy to know where to begin. Visa applications for business investors are among the most complex of all visa categories, whether you're thinking of buying an existing business or starting a new one. You are much more likely to succeed if you seek professional advice and assistance from an experienced immigration practitioner familiar with the procedures of the American Embassy in London. Lesley Sillitto has made several hundred E-2 investor visa applications in the last fifteen years to the American Embassy in London and has a success rate of approximately 97%.

If you are buying a business in America, there are normally only three visa options - the E-2, the L-1 and the Green Card. Each has different requirements. If you are eligible for a Green Card (permanent residence) this may take a year or longer to obtain. It is usually prudent, therefore, to consider an E-2 or L-1 non immigrant visa initially and apply for a Green Card later. The E-2 visa is often the most appropriate visa for investors buying their own business or establishing a new one in the United States. The documentation which has to be submitted to the American Embassy, however, is quite extensive. If you are a British citizen, and resident in the U.K., you are eligible to apply for an E-2 visa. If a citizen of another country you may also be eligible, if your country has an appropriate treaty with the U.S. Note: British citizens resident overseas, e.g. in Spain, are NOT eligible for E-2 visas.

There is no minimum investment amount required for an E-2 visa. However, the investment must be sufficient to establish, or purchase, a viable business. Depending on the type of business, the amount itself can vary considerably. Visas are issued for all types of business ventures, e.g. convenience stores, motels, property management companies, shooting ranges, gift shops, building contractors, food franchises, and pool cleaning companies, to name but a few, and each of these may require a different investment amount.

To obtain a Green Card as a Multinational Manager, many of the requirements are similar to those of an L-1. You must demonstrate that both the U.K.and U.S. businesses are reasonably substantial. A previous L-1 visa is no guarantee, however, of a Green Card. It is hard to get an application approved where either business is very small. If the E-2 visa would be more advantageous, for example because of the longer initial approval period, choose an E-2 initially and apply for the Green Card later when your U.S. business has grown.

Tags

american visa applications, business investor, business visa, immigration, london visa, us e 2, us embassy, visa applications, visa assistance, visa consultancy

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