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America Welcomes Foreign Entrepreneurs!

The E-2 Visa Interview

For many, the "American Dream" of business ownership is as distant, complicated and pricey as flying to the moon. The common view is that it's only for the rich and famous, or people with extraordinary abilities. In fact, out of roughly 200mln entrepreneurs who can realistically pursue this dream, only 45,000 take advantage of it. So how can you immigrate to America by starting a business without breaking your wallet? Spoiler alert - this article is a myth buster.

Despite all the political rhetoric, there is a visa and a type of immigration that Americans welcome with open arms, which sadly never makes the news - good or bad. This type of immigration brings in new money to help expand the American economy and provides job opportunities to US residents. The E2 Visa, otherwise known as the Investor Visa, is for entrepreneurs who want to open a business in America and live there to run it. Contrary to what the name suggests, the investment is the amount of capital introduced to pay for the startup costs required to get your business up and running. It's not an investment per se. There are some phenomenal advantages to the E2 Visa, which very few people are aware of, well at least until now.

I can tell you that moving to America to start a business is doable, affordable, and more achievable than you think. I say that as an E2 Visa holder and owner of iWorkWay Recruitment and Coaching and co-founder of Vizameria, a company that helps E2 Visa applicants.

I work hard to grow my businesses every day, with a mission to help 1M people find their Dream Careers. That's a large number I know, but I came to America to do big things. Some of you might perhaps share a similar vision. One of the great benefits is when my day is done, I walk along the beaches at Laguna Beach, watching sunsets and enjoying the warm weather. What's not to love?

So, without further ado - how can an average person capitalize on this opportunity?

Myth #1
Do I really need hundreds of thousands of dollars to get the E2 Visa? 

The myth is that the amount of capital needed to be introduced is out of reach for the average person. That is simply not true. The required amount is nowhere near what you might think, but it does need to be substantial. Just as with businesses all over the world, the amount of required capital varies depending on the type of business you want to open. For a service-based business, this might be as low as $60,000, and it could be as high millions for a fast-food franchise. In reality, for nationals of the United Kingdom or Canada or Australia or most of the EU countries, etc., it isn't significantly different than opening the very same business in their home country.

Myth #2
Does it have to be a fancy business with dozens of employees?

The type of business can be just about anything from Tech to Consulting, or from a franchise to an existing business that you purchase. It's not unusual to see startups with the owner being the only employee initially. The only business limitation is profitability; you do have to make enough money to more than pay for your bills. But how is that different from anywhere else in the world? Don't worry. You're given time to accomplish that. Depending on your situation, you might have to rely on your personal capital to survive during the startup phase.

Myth #3
Is the American market hard to break into? Do you have to be a business genius to make money in America?

Being an entrepreneur is a lot of hard work, I'm not going to sugar-coat here, but isn't it a lot of hard work anywhere in the world? Being an entrepreneur in America is no different. It takes time to build your client base. There are a lot of competitors in the US, although far less clique-ish than in other areas of the world. Something that surprised me was that most Americans want to see the Small Business owners succeed.
The only difference here is that you have: the added pressure of assimilation into a new culture, perhaps a new language, and a new way of doing business to master. The initial culture and business shock can be daunting, but it fades away as you get familiar with the new ways of doing things.

Myth #4
Does the American Government tax Businesses, Services, and` Products excessively?

The simple answer is not really, but it depends on a lot of factors, just as anywhere else. American consumers pay a lower tax rate for your products and services. America has no VAT, and for those of who pay VAT, we know fair and well how painful that 20% charge is. That means that Americans have more than 10% of additional spending power, with the highest combined sales tax (the closest thing to VAT) being less than 10%. Services don't typically even have a sales tax.

The excessive corporate income tax rate is all a figment of the past too - with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) bringing the corporate tax down from whooping 35% to 21%. Depending on where you come from in the world and which state you choose to settle in, the personal income tax isn't too bad either at an average of 14%. Even the top 1% of earners only pay 26%.

Is it hard to get an E2 Visa?

It can be if you try to do it on your own. The business I co-founded was born out of my own E2 visa experience. In all honesty, even with all my knowledge, experience, and help I got, it was still an overwhelming and daunting experience. It certainly isn't the time for Mr. know-it-all Google; it can get very confusing. If you decide to pursue the E2 Visa, you'll need help. Just the package for the consulate usually consists of over 200 pages.

So what are the advantages?

There are some great advantages to the E2 Visa. One of the most prevailing ones is the unrestricted access to the American consumption-driven market. If you create the right conditions, your demand is limited only by you and your business.

Another great advantage is that the E2 Visa is perpetual. That means that so long as your business is successful, you'll get to stay in America to run your business along with your family indefinitely. And speaking of your family, obviously, they can come with you to America, with the additional benefit that your spouse can work in their chosen career field. That is truly an excellent opportunity for spouses who want to pave their way in their careers in America, something almost inaccessible to most of the worldwide population (the infamous H1B lottery). At the same time, your children have unrestricted access to some of the most prestigious schools and colleges in the world.

For those entrepreneurs who like me want to chase the American Dream by starting a business in the US, there is no better option than the E2 Visa. Hopefully, this article busted some myths about the choices available to entrepreneurs wanting to move to America. The E2 Visa offers some excellent advantages. With capital as low as $60,000, you and your family can move to America to start a new chapter without breaking your wallet. The E2 Visa allows your spouse to work freely in their chosen area of expertise.

From my own experience and those of my clients, I found out that the American Dream is real, affordable, and achievable. Not to mention all the benefits your business gets from being a part of a thriving US economy. America has never been closer.

We Won!

By site-Gz4R1w • 24 Aug, 2023
The winners of the Great Companies Women Entrepreneurs Award - 2023 Award have been announced and Kate Alonzi, our CEO is one of them.

MRV Fee Goes up to $315 for E2 Visa Applicants

By site-Gz4R1w • 01 Jun, 2023
Increase in MRV FEE effective June 17, 2023
What are the requirements for an E2 Investor Visa?

What are the requirements for an E2 Investor Visa?

22 May, 2023
The E2 Investor Visa is intended at least in part to provide a way for individuals from Treaty Countries to facilitate economic growth in the US. That is an important phrase and something to always keep in mind when looking at the requirements. The bulk of the requirements is intended to prove that the E2 Investor Visa applicant will run a business to do just that. While the list of requirements for an E2 Visa is very specific and all must be met, showing the US Government that an applicant has met all requirements is subject to a great amount of judgment. The US Immigration Officials seek to be fair, flexible, and uniform when adjudicating an E2 Investor Visa application. Make no mistake. The burden of proof is with the applicant, and the judgment of the US Immigration Official reviewing the application rises above all else. If the Immigration Official is in any way uncertain as to the applicant’s qualifications, then they can request whatever document they want until the uncertainty is resolved. The key to a successful E2 Investor Visa application is to understand or employ someone who does all of the requirements and how to prove the applicant meets them.
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