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How long is the E-2 Visa valid for?

It's tricky, but ...

In our previous post, we examined who can be eligible to apply for an E-2 visa. This can be done by checking whether you’re a National of a Treaty Country as per : https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/fees/treaty.html

The question for today is, however, how long is the E-2 Visa valid for? This is where things get a little tricky, and help from a qualified attorney is your best bet.
The guidelines make it clear that the amount of time an E-2 visa can be granted for varies by country. It can be as little as 3 months but also as vast as 5 years with multiple entries to the US allowed, again depending on the Treaty Country per se. Adding to this is the discretion immigration authorities hold when it comes to deciding how long your Visa can be granted for.

Below is a list of Treaty Countries, followed by the amount of time an E-2 Visa can be issued for and a number of allowed entries to America. In more complex legal terms, the amount of time an E-2 visa is granted for is otherwise known as reciprocity, but you don’t need to concern yourself with such details.


E-2 Treaty Country/ the amount of time an E-2 visa can be issued for / Permitted Entries to America

Albania 3 Years Multiple
Argentina 5 Years Multiple
Armenia 5 Years Multiple
Australia 4 Years Multiple
Austria 5 Years Multiple
Azerbaijan 3 Months One
Bahrain 3 Months One
Bangladesh 3 Months Two
Belgium 5 Years Multiple
Bolivia 3 Months One
Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 Year Multiple
Bulgaria 5 Years Multiple
Cameroon 1 Year N/A
Canada 5 Years Multiple
Chile 5 Years Multiple
China (Taiwan) 5 Years Multiple
Colombia 5 Years Multiple
Congo (Brazzaville) 3 Months One
Congo (Kinshasa) 3 Months Two
Costa Rica 5 Years Multiple
Croatia 5 Years Multiple
Czech Republic 5 Years Multiple
Denmark 5 Years Multiple
Ecuador 3 Months Two
Egypt 3 Months One
Estonia 5 Years Multiple
Ethiopia 6 Months Multiple
Finland 2 Years Multiple
France 5 Years Multiple
Georgia 1 Year Multiple
Germany 5 Years Multiple
Grenada 5 Years Multiple
Honduras 5 Years Multiple
Iran 3 Months One
Ireland 5 Years Multiple
Italy 5 Years Multiple
Jamaica 5 Years Multiple
Japan 5 Years Multiple
Jordan 3 Months One
Kazakhstan 1 Year Multiple
Korea (South) 5 Years Multiple
Kosovo 1 Year Multiple
Kyrgyzstan 3 Months Two
Latvia 5 Years Multiple
Liberia 1 Year Multiple
Lithuania 1 Year Multiple
Luxembourg 5 Years Multiple
Macedonia 5 Years Multiple
Mexico 1 Year Multiple
Moldova 3 Months Two
Mongolia 3 Years Multiple
Montenegro 1 Year Multiple
Morocco 5 Years Multiple
Netherlands 5 Years Multiple
Norway 5 Years Multiple
Oman 6 Months Multiple
Pakistan 5 Years Multiple
Panama 5 Years Multiple
Paraguay 5 Years Multiple
Philippines 5 Years Multiple
Poland 1 Year Multiple
Romania 5 Years Multiple
Senegal 1 Year Multiple
Serbia 1 Year Multiple
Singapore 2 Years Multiple
Slovak Republic 2 Years Multiple
Slovenia 5 Years Multiple
Spain 5 Years Multiple
Sri Lanka 3 Years Multiple
Suriname 5 Years Multiple
Sweden 2 Years Multiple
Switzerland 4 Years Multiple
Thailand 6 Months Multiple
Togo 3 Years Multiple
Trinidad and Tobago 5 Years Multiple
Tunisia 5 Years Multiple
Turkey 5 Years Multiple
Ukraine 3 Months Two
United Kingdom 5 Years Multiple



What happens once you obtain your Visa is a bit of magic. By the way, I still remember how I couldn’t grasp the concept myself, so I am going to try to explain it in the easiest way I possibly can.

It goes like this. So now, you have been successful in obtaining your E-2 Visa. Let’s imagine you’re flying to the US and getting off a plane on the US soil. Before you can wonder away, happy that you have finally arrived after the stresses of the recent months, you will need to speak with a Customs Official. The Customs Official will then ask you a series of questions used to determine the purpose of your stay in the US. They can still turn you away, so you must get the answers right! Once they are satisfied with your answers, the customs official will stamp your passport with an I-94 stamp, adding a maximum of 2 years to your permitted stay in the US. A huge bonus if you come from a country that has a 3-month reciprocity agreement such as Congo. This means that you can stay in the US for an additional period of 2 years, counting from the date of your entry to the US.

Once your Visa expires, however, you won’t be able to travel out with the US without having to renew your Visa again – either through the Consulate or the UCSIS. Understanding this is extremely helpful, especially if your country can only issue visas that aren’t valid for a long amount of time.

For example, my Visa was valid for 1 year only. I entered America on April 2017. My I-94 was stamped till April 2019 - exactly 2 years from my date of entry to America. However, because my Visa allowed me to enter and leave America as I pleased when my Visa was still valid and living in Los Angeles, I decided to cross the border with Mexico. Leaving and re-entering the country allowed me to get another I-94 stamp just before my Visa expired. It also extended my permitted stay in America by 1 year, from April 2019 to April 2020 - exactly 2 years from then.

So now, I can stay in America and run my business, without having to go back to the Consulate till April 2020. Of course, I could have also traveled to my home country to have my Visa extended. But trust me, when you start running your business here, especially in the first year, you’ll need all the help you can get. It is important that I mention here that an E-2 visa is perpetual, which means that so long as you can satisfy the authorities that your business is doing well and prove so, you will be able to stay here indefinitely.

Now, if you’re Canadian – you have less to worry about. Your Visa will be likely issued for 5 years, meaning that you have 5 full years to make your business work. You will also be allowed to leave the US multiple times during your stay here. Again, it all depends on the country. 

Call us now for a free consultation at +1 (720) 384 - 4250 - email randy@vizamerica.com

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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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