E-2 Treaty Investor Visa is Implemented for Israeli Nationals
Citizens of Israel are Now Eligible for the U.S. E-2 Investor Visa
Israel has now been added to the list of countries whose citizens may apply for a E-2 Treaty Investor Visa. Announced on April 11th, this new policy will be in effect as of May 1st this year.
Briefly stated, the E-2 Investor Visa is a temporary nonimmigrant immigration benefit that allows the citizens of applicable countries to travel to the United States to develop, direct, or provide specialized skills to an operating business entity in which the owner has invested a substantial amount of capital. With Israel now included among the countries with which the U.S. has established this treaty, Israeli citizens may add themselves to the population of those with access to the opportunity to effectively invest in the U.S. economy and send eligible employees to perform the functions of operating the established enterprise. In addition, American citizens as well as their Israeli counterparts will now be able to invest in the state of Israel as part of the treaty.
Generally, to be considered eligible for the E-2 Treaty Investor Visa, the following conditions have to be met:
The investment must be substantial and sufficient to ensure the successful operation of the enterprise.
The business is a legitimate operating enterprise.
The investor would be traveling to the U.S. to develop and direct the enterprise.
If the individual wishing to apply is not the investor, said applicant must be employed in a supervisory, executive, or highly specialized skill capacity for overseeing and developing the enterprise.
Once an application has been correctly completed, and has been received and reviewed by the Consular Section, applicants deemed to have sufficiently satisfied the above criteria can expect an invitation to be interviewed in Tel Aviv. Upon this stage, applicant will be expected to discuss the relevant details of the business and investment, the business plan and history, and the investor’s professional experience.
For more details, please visit the E-2 Treaty Investor Visa section on our Services page. One may also visit the U.S. Embassy in Israel’s website in order to view more details concerning the visa’s qualifications, as well as useful guidance for applying.
As always, please contact our office if there are any questions or requests for legal counsel. Inquiries regarding this announcement may also be sent to TelAvivEVisas@state.gov.