Nothing is sweeter than working in the US nowadays. Yes, we know that each country has more to offer compared to other countries. But still, the United States of America has something that even a child would dream of being here with the help of an E2 visa. Yes, it is more than just the snow!
If you are a business person with substantial investment in the US, the E2 visa is the right one for you. Under this visa, you can execute your business freely in the US in a legal way. Given all this greatness, we would like to highlight the Pros and Cons of an E2 visa.
So hang in there, and let’s meet at the end of this article.
The E2 Visa
Before we dive into declaring the pros and cons, let us discuss briefly what an E2 visa is.
This type of visa is available for foreign nationals who wish to execute business in the United States of America. Your business can be large or small as long as it is substantial enough to qualify. In applying for one, you don’t have to be in the country you are citizen of. What matters the most is your nationality, and the country you are from has a treaty with the United States of America.
Your country and the US treaty will determine the length of stay approved on your E2 visa. It varies from three months to up to 36 months. In addition, you can reapply for this kind of visa when it expires. But you have to reapply earlier than the expiration date to avoid any gap in the stay. If you fail to apply early, you have forty days after the visa expirations to leave the country.
Now that we have the basic knowledge about an E2 visa, we can now proceed to the pros and cons associated with it.
The Pros
E2 visas possess a lot of advantages that you should know about. Here are as follows:
Work legally in the US
The moment you bear in your name the E2 visa, you can now execute your own business in the US in a legal manner. Whether the company is already set up or pre-existing, you should have the dominating role in the industry to qualify.
For example, the business should be in your name, or you own at least fifty percent of it. Moreover, it would be great if you had the power to control the business as it progresses. Furthermore, you can be the manager or the one in control for the company to operate.
You can provide this by securing a copy of all the owners or staff of the business. This is the best way to prove that you are the boss and the one in control.
No minimum investment is required.
Many think that investments should be around hundreds of thousands to a million to qualify for the type of visa. But it is not the case. As long as the business is substantial and has proof that it will be sufficient the moment it runs on, it will get approval.
The US government is looking for an E2 visa application because the business will not have a significant impact on the US economy. This is because the US government is trying to offset the unemployment rate in the country by letting you do business on-premises. When you open up your business in the US, it should attract more citizens to apply for a job.
Spouse and dependent can work of their will.
If you are going to bring your family with you, having them work in the US is a great opportunity. In this sense, they can provide for themselves and help the principal holder in the expenses in the US. This is because some of the E2 businesses are startups, so having someone help with the budget is significant.
Children can go to school.
Dependents that are twenty-one below are allowed to attend any local schools. Of course, if the spouse can work, the children can regularly go to school—no need to get your kids extra visas for them to be able to enroll in studies.
Travel smoothly in and out of the US
If you have an E2 visa, you can travel in and out of the country as many times as you want. The consulate or embassy won’t be counting or warning about the number of travels that you are going to make. So when it comes to travel flexibility, this is an extraordinary visa to possess.
Stay indefinitely
Unlike any other visas, you can extend your stay in the US just by bearing this visa. In this sense, you don’t have to be a green card holder or a citizen to stay for so long in the country. Just make sure that you will update your E2 status the moment it is nearing expiration. Don’t forget about your dependents and spouse as USCIS will provide them the same length of stay as you are.
The Cons
Pause for a while and absorb the drawbacks as well.
No part-time jobs are allowed.
If you think that you can try out other side hustle to pass the time out after work, then you are wrong. You are only allowed to work for the company or business registered in your E2 visa application. Having extra loads of work outside the E2 business will subject=ct you to threaten your visa validity.
Children over 21 should have their visas.
Your kids will be your kids forever, but their visa status will change when they reach 21 years old. In this way, for them to continue staying in the US, they must apply for their visa to continue their studies or their jobs.
E2 visas renewal denials
If theE2 business struggles to progress or on the borderline of success, the renewal application will be denied. This is because the US government is trying to increase its employment rate, so if you are struggling, you might add up to the country’s unemployment rate.
In addition, if the business fails to progress even before the visa expires, the E2 visa holder must return to the country of origin immediately.
Constant traveling
Even though you are approved for a five-year E2 visa, you are still required to travel out of the country every two years. So if you have a large family, it can be pretty costly.
Conclusion
Now that we have discussed all the pros and cons attached to bearing an E2 visa, we hope it has informed you very well. The E2 pass is powerful access for you to enjoy the US. Still, it carries a big responsibility to make your E2 business grow and making it highly successful in keeping you going.
If you are an E2 visa applicant right now, we wish you all the best in your application and for your business to grow more than you expected.