What is going on in London with the E-2 visa? Good news first: approvals are still happening. If you are in the UK and have been watching the wait times with a sinking feeling, I understand the worry. The London consulate has slowed down, and there is no use pretending otherwise. But the visa is alive and well, and patient applicants are still getting approved. Here is the real picture.
Approvals Are Still Coming Through
Let me be clear about the headline. E-2 approvals continue in London. The slowdown is about speed, not about whether the visa works. People who file solid applications and wait their turn are still walking out approved. So if you have heard that the E-2 is dead in the UK, that is not true.
Why the Wait Has Gotten Longer
The change traces back to around September of 2024, when the rumor, and it is a well-supported one, is that London adjusted its process. The practical result is that fewer officers are handling E-2 interviews and approvals. With fewer people working the E-2 line, the calendar keeps sliding further out.
Here is a concrete example of what that looks like. We had an approval come through in May for clients who had submitted their application back in September. That gives you a sense of the gap applicants are working with right now. It is months, not weeks, and you should plan your life around that reality rather than hoping for a quick turn.
A Little About the Rumor Mill
The government does not announce these things, so attorneys piece the picture together by talking to each other, hearing from clients, and comparing notes with former consular officers. One pattern worth knowing: consular officers rotate to different posts around the world roughly every two years.
We started noticing the London backup around September of 2024. If officers move on about a two-year cycle, that raises a hopeful question: could September of 2026 bring a shift back the other way? Maybe. That is honestly anyone’s guess, and I will not pretend to know what the government will do. We figure these things out the hard way, by watching and listening. But the timing is at least a reason for cautious optimism.
Should You Still Apply From the UK?
If you are living in the UK and want an E-2 visa, this is still a good time to pursue it, with one condition: bring some patience. The path is open and approvals are real. What you cannot expect is speed. Build your timeline with extra months in it, get your application as strong as possible so nothing causes an avoidable delay, and settle in for a slower process than applicants in some other countries face.
There is also a practical reason not to wait for the wait to shorten. The slowdown is on the consulate’s side, not yours, and the strongest thing you control is the quality of your application. Time spent now choosing the right business, getting your investment in place, and assembling clean documents is time well used while the calendar does its thing. By the time your interview date arrives, you want your case to be airtight, so the long wait ends in an approval rather than a request for more information.
Our hope is that by the end of 2026, patience will no longer be the price of admission in London. That is a hope, not a promise, and anyone who tells you they know for certain is guessing. For now, plan for the wait and you will not be caught off guard.
Want to talk through your E-2 or E-1 visa and you are based in the UK? Give us a call anytime. We would love to speak with you about your E-2 visa and help you build a case worth the wait.
About the author
Angie Rupert is the founder of Rupert Law. Her firm works exclusively on E-2 and E-1 visas, helping investors and entrepreneurs from treaty countries move to (and stay in) the United States.
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