How do I renew my E2 investor visa?

6 May 2020 • Written by Jared Leung

The E-2 Validity Period Explained.

An E-2 visa will be valid for up to five years, depending on your country of citizenship. However, every time you enter the U.S., you will be admitted for 2 years, not 5 years, even though your visa may be valid for 5 years. Similarly, your visa may only have 9 months left, but when you enter the U.S., you will still be admitted for 2 years. The visa must be valid at the time you enter the U.S., but it may expire while you are in the U.S. and it may not affect your valid status. When you enter the U.S., your status validity period of stay is recorded in your I-94 admission record. You can access your I-94 admission record on line at this site: https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home. What’s most important is you’re your I-94 admission period is valid. Before your I-94 admission period ends, you can renew your I-94 admission period for an additional two years by either leaving the U.S. and reentering to gain another 2 years, or you may apply it by mail. If you maintain the qualifications that the visa requires, you can renew your I-94 admission period as many times as you like. If your E-2 visa does expire, you will not be able to use it to reenter the U.S. to extend your I-94 admission period. As such, you will need to plan to apply for a new E-2 visa at a U.S. consulate.

How Do You Apply for an E-2 Extension?

You can only apply for a new E-2 visa at a U.S. Consulate or U.S. Embassy. Usually, we encourage the E-2 investor applies for a new visa at the same U.S. consulate, because there is an existing record and the chance of success is much higher. To extend your E-2 I-94 admission period, you can leave and reenter the U.S.,If you do not wish to leave the U.S., you can apply for an extension of your status by mail.

How Do You Apply for a Green Card?

I get this question a lot from my E-2 clients. After running a successful business and creating jobs in the U.S., many of my E-2 clients desire to stay in the U.S. permanently. While the E-2 has a lot of advantages, one major drawback is that it does not easily convert to a green card. Some common ways for an E-2 visa holder to apply for a green card are:

• Using the E-2 business to meet EB-5 requirements;
• Finding an employer who is willing to sponsor either the E-2 investor or the E-2 spouse who has a work permit;
• Using EB-1 individual with extraordinary ability category if possible; or
• Using family sponsorship if there is a qualifying family member or relative

To find out if you can take advantage of any of these options, make sure that you consult an immigration attorney Scottsdale. You may need the help of an E-2 immigration attorney Scottsdale AZ if you plan on renewing your E-2 visa. Immigration attorneys in Scottsdale AZ will explain each course of action that it is possible for you to take and help you choose the best one. In the event that you don’t qualify for any of these options, we may be able to help you remain in the county by exploring a non-immigrant option. Contact us at the JCL Immigration Attorneys today.