Should I start a business or buy an existing business with an E-2 visa?

29 April 2020 • Written by Jared Leung

What Is an E-2 Visa?

The E-2 treaty investor visa is a visa that you can only obtain if you are a citizen of a treaty country. To get this visa, you must purchase a business or start one in the United States.

Buying a Business vs. Starting a New Business.

It may be easier to purchase an existing business. An existing business already has a reputation and a clientele. It has a location and all the things that are needed to run the business. If you have your own vision for what you would like your business to be, you would need to start your business from the ground up.

Purchasing an existing business on an E-2 visa means that the investment will be straightforward. For example, you can easily show that you purchased your business for $100,000. This amount of money would meet the investment requirement for the E-2 visa, and it is less risky.

The option of starting a business from the ground up means that you will fit the other requirement that the business must be at risk. However, you may not necessarily want to invest your money until you know that you can get an E-2 visa. The risk is that you will invest tens of thousands of dollars and be denied an E-2 visa.

Hire an Attorney Before You Decide.

Before you decide which option you will choose, consult with an immigration lawyer AZ. Your immigration lawyer Scottsdale will have several questions to ask you about your plans. For example, your immigration lawyer Scottsdale AZ might ask you if the business you want to start requires that you build it from the ground up. Although this is the more difficult thing to do, don’t avoid it because it is hard. A majority of the E-2 visas that an immigration lawyer AZ prepares are approved. Contact us at the JCL Immigration Attorneys today.