The E1 visa’s goal is to encourage trade between the United States and treaty nations by granting qualified investors the status of treaty traders.
Find out if you and your business are eligible for an E1 visa:
The E1 visa is a “treaty trader” visa, and it is for people who have a business in either
the U.S. or their own treaty country with clients/customers in the other country. In most
instances, the E1 visa applicant has a business in their home country and has
customers/clients in the U.S. However, it can be the opposite – the E1 applicant could
have a U.S. business with customers or clients in their home treaty country.
This visa allows frequent and extended travel to the U.S. in order to increase the trade
between the two countries. The E1 visa holder can come and go from the U.S. with
ease, can stay up to two years at a time and can work in the U.S. The family members
of the E1 visa holder can come for up to two years at a time, the spouse has the ability
to work and the unmarried, minor children have the ability to go to school.
In our humble opinion, the E1 visa is one of the best visas the United States offers.
Typically, the time to gather documents in order to apply is much faster and more
streamlined than other types of visas. Also, E1 visa can be used in order to live in the
U.S., or the E1 visa treaty trader can simply use it for frequent, short trips to the U.S. In
addition, the E1 visa holder’s spouse has work authorization, and the children can go to
school in the U.S.
Yes! The U.S. consulate in Canada issues more E1 visas than almost any other
consulate in the world. So many Canadians own businesses in one country and have
clients in the other due to geography, language and cultural business similarities.
Therefore, the number of E1 visa applicants is high.
Yes! We have helped various Canadian E1 applicants who sold products to U.S.
customers and clients and those who have sold services to U.S. customers and clients.
No. Having a U.S. office is not a requirement for the E1 visa.
No. Employing U.S. workers is not a requirement for the E1 visa. That said, the trade
between the countries must be ongoing after the E1 visa is issued. This means the
business in the treaty country must continue to provide goods or services even if the
owner is in the U.S. So, it may be recommended that the business in the treaty country
has employees that can continue to create/manufacture/ship goods or services to
customers or clients in the U.S.
An E1 visa applicant must show ongoing international, “substantial” and continuous trade between the two countries (the U.S. and the treaty country). The trade between the U.S. and the treaty country should be the principal international trade of the E1 business. Finally, the E1 applicant must have citizenship of the treaty trade country.
Although there are no minimums listed in the regulations, we typically recommend the following:
Bottom line: If you are a citizen of a treaty country (including Canada) and have a business that trades goods or services with the U.S., you may want to consider the E1 visa.
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Rupert Law. Angie Rupert is located in Los Angeles County.