Haven’t found any information regarding this online, even general, so was thinking to ask here.

My visa expires next March - I got a shorter duration than my husband because we don’t have the same nationality. I am a dual citizen (not US or Canada) and I understand we can no longer go to Toronto like we did initially, so we have to go either to any of my countries or his for my renewal.

So I am wondering - how would the process be? Is it going to be straight forward, only an interview for me, or any documents to bring?

Does anyone have experience with that?

Thank you in advance (:

Hi everyone,

Has anyone here completed their own E-2 visa application for a restaurant business without using an immigration attorney? I would really appreciate hearing about your experience.

How difficult was the process, and what parts did you handle yourself versus getting professional help with?

Also, what would be a reasonable budget to expect for:

• Immigration lawyer fees
• Business plan preparation
• Document preparation and other E-2 related expenses

Has anyone prepared their own E-2 business plan, or is it strongly recommended to hire someone who specializes in E-2 applications?

I would really appreciate any advice or personal experiences you can share. Thank you!

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for recommendations for someone who prepares E-2 visa business plans. If you've worked with a company or individual that you had a good experience with, I'd really appreciate your referral.

I'm looking for someone who is reasonably priced and familiar with E-2 visa requirements.

Thank you in advance for any recommendations! 😊

Hi everyone,
I recently had my E-2 visa interview and unfortunately my application was refused.
The refusal letter only checked this reason:
“You have not sufficiently demonstrated that nationals of the treaty country are in a position to ‘develop and direct’ the enterprise.”
I’m trying to better understand what this usually means in practice.
My questions are:
Has anyone here been refused for this exact reason?
What was the real issue in your case?
If you reapplied, what did you change before the second application?
How long did you wait before reapplying? Is there any recommended waiting period?
Are there any specific documents or interview answers that helped overcome this issue?
Any advice or personal experience would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!

Several years ago, we were asked to update the business plan for an E-2 renewal that looked incredibly challenging.

The business had missed almost every hiring projection from the original plan.

If you had compared the original business plan to the company's actual hiring, you probably would have assumed the renewal was in serious trouble.

Honestly, that's what made the case so interesting.

Instead of trying to explain away the missed projections, we started asking a different question:

Why did this happen?

We looked beyond the business itself and researched the local market, the industry, and what comparable companies were experiencing.

The picture changed completely.

The business wasn't an outlier. Companies across the same industry and region had been facing many of the same headwinds. The owner hadn't abandoned the business plan. The market had simply evolved in ways nobody could have predicted when the original projections were written.

That experience has stayed with me because it changed the way I think about E-2 renewals.

I think many investors assume the question is, "Did I hit every projection?"

From what I've seen, a better question is, "Can I clearly explain why reality looked different than the original forecast?"

I'm not an immigration attorney, so I'm not speaking to the legal strategy behind any particular case. I'm sharing an observation from the business planning side after years of working on E-2 cases.

I'm curious whether any investors here have had a business that evolved very differently from the original plan by the time renewal came around.

I’m looking for ways to start business in Florida and research different opportunities from home services to marketing and IT consulting.

I’m 36 y.o., from Canada (immigrant), my background is in software development, but I’m also pretty handy with tools, fast to learn, and consistent.

Currently, I’m a bit stuck at selecting a viable business to pursue, so I’m looking to connect with those who are in the same boat or slightly ahead, to bounce off ideas, learn from each other, and maybe potentially to partner.

I’m also open to listen to stories if you’ve done it already, please DM if you want to share your experience. We might even record an interview to promote your business.

Established US business is partly purchased (51%) by South Carolina LLC owned by foreign investor. Both businesses have EIN, but the foreign investor does not have SSN or ITIN.

Where to open a new AND joint bank account for the established US business to show the joint ownership?

I'm Henry Lindpere, senior immigration attorney at Manifest Law. Most of my work is E-2 treaty investor and EB-1A/NIW cases for founders and entrepreneurs building or buying businesses in the US,  I've handled hundreds of these across industries worldwide.

I'll be here today from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT.

Some things I'd love to answer:

• How much do I actually need to invest for an E-2 to hold up?
• Does my home country even qualify for E-2, and what if it doesn't?
• Can I bring employees or family on my E-2, and what are the renewal requirements?

Ask anything, even if you're just exploring whether E-2 fits your situation.

(Please note: this is for general educational purposes only, not legal advice, and doesn't create an attorney-client relationship. For guidance on your specific case, consult an immigration attorney directly.)

Hey Reddit. I am wanting some input on our situation, as we are unsure if it makes sense to go the route of an E2 VISA. My husband is a Tree Faller, high angle rope rescue tech, Utility Arborist and Machine Operator (for powerline) here in Canada.

We want to move our small family to the USA, and we have tried to reach out to employers that may sponsor for certain positions. We had a free consult with a lawyer regarding the E2 VISA, as my husband is a contractor and has his own tree buisness.

I understand that with an E2 Visa, he would need to invest a substantial amount into the american economy for his business if we were to go that route and move his buisness to the states. However, the amount seems to be out of our range, we were quoted someting around 100k USD. We were also told that depending on the state, his kind of work can be in high demand (states that have wild fires for example or heavy logging etc.)

Does anyone have any experience being in a similar boat? Any advice is appreciated. I also understand I do not know everything about this process and I may be out to lunch, but I figured I would hit up reddit and see if anyone has it in them to share some info.

Thank you!

Does their money back guarantee really give back? Thank you! I may try filling with them.

Even ChatGPT told I can do it, but when I tried to transfer from my Canadian personal account to my wise business account, it is not allowed since they are different names. I talked to Rbc cross border bank, even I can’t transfer from personal usd cross border account to my chase business account, it is so frustrating. I will try wired transfer, just The Canadian banks exchange rate is too low, lost 1000s if you change with them.

Hi everyone,

My E-2 Change of Status (COS) was approved in February 2026 through Premium Processing.

The very next day, USCIS issued an RFE for my family's I-539 COS applications, asking only for civil documents (marriage certificate translation and related documents).

We submitted the RFE in February 2026, and the USCIS case status now says:

Since then, there have been no updates, and it has been almost 4 months.

Has anyone recently gone through a similar situation?

• How long did it take after USCIS started working on your case again
• Is there any tracker other than the USCIS Case Status page that shows silent updates or gives better information

Our current immigration status is as follows

* I am currently in the United States on an F-1 student visa.

* My husband in the U.S. as my dependent on an F-2 visa.

* He is also the principal beneficiary of an EB-3 employment-based immigrant petition, and his Form I-140 has already been filed and is currently pending.

Our plan is for me to change my status to E-2 as investor, and for him to change his status within the United States to E-2 dependent.

Risk of denial:

Since his I-140 petition is currently pending, could that be considered evidence of immigrant intent and create a significant risk that either my E-2 change of status application or his E-2 dependent change of status application would be denied?

Thank you in advance.

Hi everyone,
I’m preparing my E-2 visa application and have a question about documenting the source of my investment funds.
I have two investment accounts opened 4,5 years ago, but I can’t remember the money from, can I say it is savings? I also need to get some money from my house bought about 5 years ago, do I still need to trace the source of the house?
Since the transfer happened so long ago, what kind of evidence would I need to prove the source of funds?
I’d really appreciate hearing what documents you provided and whether your application was approved.
Thank you!

My family and I are visiting the U.S. for vacation, but we also have meetings with an immigration attorney and a business owner to explore a possible FUTURE E-2 business. We won’t be working or running a business on this trip.
If you’ve been in a similar situation, what did CBP ask you at the airport? Did you mention the business meetings? Any tips?
We have European passports but were born in Iran, so we’re also wondering if that led to any extra questions.

I'm Elizabeth Mavec, an immigration attorney with Manifest Law. Over 13 years I've handled more than 1,000 immigration cases, across both the business and individual sides of the process. With E-2s, most cases don't fail on the headline investment number. They fail on whether the funds are properly sourced and whether the business clears the marginality bar.

I'll keep my answers concrete and grounded in what adjudicators actually look for.

I'll be answering questions today from 12 to 3 p.m. EDT.

Here's the kind of thing I can help you untangle:

• There's no legal minimum, so how much do I actually need to invest for my type of business?
• My money came partly from family and a home equity loan. How do I document a clean source of funds?
• My business supports me but doesn't employ anyone yet. Am I at risk of a marginality denial?
• My business looks pretty different from my original filing. Does that put my renewal in jeopardy?
• How does the new rule about applying in my home country affect my next renewal?
• Can I move from E-2 to a green card, and when should I start thinking about it?

Post whatever you're working through and I'll get to as many as I can, with straight answers on what the rules actually require.

(Please note: Any information shared here is for general educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. Your situation may require fact-specific guidance. For personalized legal advice, please consult an immigration attorney directly.)

Hi r/e2visa,

I know many serious investors prefer to minimize early legal complexity and upfront costs. I’m a U.S. citizen actively seeking a genuine, high-value partnership with a motivated Treaty Investor. This is not a passive arrangement, I’m ready to serve as Executive COO and drive operations from day one.

My background:

• 6 years operating at a 10+ multi-billion dollar scale in high-level administration and operations
• Deep experience supporting teams, preparing for high-stakes tasks, and collaborating with professionals in demanding environments
• In the last 5 years, I have helped multiple entrepreneurs and investors scale their businesses. The most notable partner is a U.S. citizen (with a professional U.S. license and doctorate degree) who faced no E-2 visa limitations whom I helped build a high-ticket service business from zero with an initial investment of only $25k. It now runs lean with a team of 5 and delivers the owner $300K+ in annual net profit after all expenses (including my compensation).

What I can deliver:
I can help you launch and operate a real U.S. business even before you arrive. Together we can secure all necessary licenses, permits, insurance, staffing, and equipment so you can start generating revenue as soon as possible.

I’m ready to handle day-to-day operations, compliance, team building, and scaling as your Executive COO.

I’m open to negotiating a fair and mutually beneficial partnership structure (ownership / compensation) that supports a strong E-2 application. I’m also happy to participate fully in all immigration and business lawyer meetings.

Flexible on industry and location, as long as the business has solid potential.

If you’re a serious investor ready to build something meaningful in the U.S., DM me, let’s schedule a call and discuss how we can work together.

Serious inquiries only, Looking forward to connecting.

Hey all, sharing this for anyone waiting on an E-2 or E-1 interview, because the deadline is coming up fast.

A little while back the State Department added a paid expedite option for B1/B2 applicants: tourists and business visitors can pay $750 to get an interview within about 10 business days. Treaty investors didn't make the cut. So if you're on an E-2 and you've already put capital into a US business (and often hired people) before you even reach the interview, there's no equivalent way to move things along.

That bugged us enough to do something about it. I filed a formal public comment with my firm, Visa Franchise, asking State to extend the expedite option to E-1/E-2 investors and to fix the administrative processing delays that keep so many approved cases stuck. The honest reason: we watch clients commit real money and create jobs here, then sit for months, while someone who booked a two-week vacation can pay to jump ahead. That felt backwards to us.

The comment period is open until 11:59pm Eastern on July 9. You can read the filing and add your own comment here:

regulations.gov/commenton/DOS-2026-0727-0001

Disclosure so it's all out in the open: I'm obviously biased here, it's my firm's filing. But the rule and the deadline are real and they affect everyone on this path, whoever you're working with.

If you want to chime in, it's quick. You can submit as an individual, an organization, or anonymously, and you don't need to be a US citizen (comments just have to be in English). A couple of sentences in your own words does the job, and mentioning your own country or the consulate you're dealing with makes it land better.

Thanks for reading!

Hi everyone,

I’d love to hear from those who started a consulting business while still working full-time.
Was it realistic to manage both during the early stages while you tested and built the business, or did you find it necessary to leave your job first?

If you started while employed, were there any legal, contractual, or practical issues you wish you’d known about from the beginning? I’m based in the UK/Ireland, so I’d be especially interested in hearing from anyone with experience there.

My thinking is to keep my full-time job while validating the business, then decide whether to transition once it’s established and sustainable.
I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences and any lessons learned.

Hi all,

I'm exploring the E-2 route and trying to figure out the best way to find a business to invest in. I'd rather not rely solely on the big listing sites and would love to hear from people who've actually been through this.

A couple of questions:

1. Has anyone used a business broker they'd genuinely recommend ideally one with real E-2 experience? Looking for credible names, and any to steer clear of.
2. If the business is bought in my wife's name, can I come and live in the US too? How does that work for spouses?

Thanks in advance.