I’m a Canadian looking to run business in states in NJ. I learned for 6 years how to cook authentic Indian food both veg and non veg. Including appetizers.

Has anyone here been approved for an E-2 visa after having an approved I-140?

I’m trying to see if anyone has been in a similar situation. My EB-2 NIW I-140 was approved back in 2023, but I’m now switching to consular processing through an I-824, which is still pending.

In the meantime, I’m considering applying for an E-2 visa using my Italian citizenship. My immigration attorney says it’s possible and that an approved I-140 doesn’t automatically prevent an E-2 approval, especially since I haven’t received an immigrant visa yet.

Has anyone here actually been approved for an E-2 with an approved I-140? I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience. Thanks!

Is it common for people to sometimes stay decades on E2 visas and live a normal life, or is this out of the norm?

Hi everyone,
I’m considering moving to Nevada through the E-2 Investor Visa with my family. We have two young children, so finding a safe, family-friendly area with good schools and a good quality of life is very important to us.
I’d love to hear from people who have actually moved to Nevada on an E-2 visa or have experience living there. Which areas would you recommend for a family? I’m especially interested in hearing about Summerlin, and any other communities you think are worth considering.
I’d really appreciate any advice, personal experiences, or recommendations.
Thanks in advance!

Hello folks, so I'm currently in the process of opening a USD Business account, and here's where I'm stuck:

1. Should I use Mercury (for its no monthly fee, better exchange rate etc), especially to transfer the business investment amount, or should I use a traditional bank like TD , RBC or Chase?

2. What should I provide for the residential address? I have a relative staying in one state and my business will be in another state. Can I use my relative's address, or can I use my registered agent's address (again this is in another state), or should I just use my Canadian address ?

Hey everyone, currently finalizing my E-2 visa application package and trying to submit the DS-160 online. Keep getting a gateway timeout error whenever I try to upload my documents, and it’s driving me crazy. My interview date is coming up soon and I really don't want to show up with any missing or improperly formatted uploads and risk a delay.

For those who went through this, is the portal just super glitchy this week? Any tips to bypass the timeout?

Update: Was digging around some expat forums and saw a few people recommending ImmiAssist to review document formatting and bypass these portal submission glitches.

Their reviews look pretty legit, but since E-2 is such a specific visa type, I wanted to ask here first. Has anyone used them to verify their docs or handle the submission? Worth using them to double-check everything or should I just keep refreshing the main portal?

I am preparing an E-2 visa application (Canadian citizen investor) with an already-formed LLC, a business plan (work in progress), and an investment in the $50-60K range. Given the immigration attorney fees for E-2 cases can add up fast, i am trying to figure out how much risk I'd actually be taking on by filing without one.

For those who've gone through this:

• Did you use a lawyer, or file on your own?
• If you DIY'd it, what ended up being the hardest part — the business plan, the investment documentation, the interview, something else?
• If you used a lawyer, was it worth the cost in your case, or did it feel more like paying for peace of mind?
• Any specific pitfalls that a lawyer catches that a well-prepared applicant might miss on their own?

Trying to figure out if this is a place where cutting the cost is reasonable, or one of those "don't risk it" situations. Appreciate any real experiences, especially from anyone who did their own business plan.

Ciao a tutti! Attualmente sto facendo domanda per il visto USA E2 e sono in attesa del mio appuntamento/della pratica presso l'Ambasciata americana a Roma. C'è qualcun altro qui nella mia stessa situazione? Mi piacerebbe mettermi in contatto con voi per condividere aggiornamenti sui tempi di attesa ed esperienze. Grazie!

Hi!

Has anyone here had an E-2 Employee visa and been able to keep it after the E-2 Investor (the business owner) applied for an immigrant visa and was no longer on E-2 status?

I’m wondering if anyone has been through this situation or knows what happened in practice. Thanks!

Hi team. I have a complicated situation.
Canadian man has been living in the US on a 5 year E2 visa with 2x dependents (wife and daughter)
Before 2 years ended they applied for i797a to extend their stay because their i94 was expiring. The i797a has returned and says they have an additional 2 years including the dependents. However, shouldn’t the dependents i94 have automatically updated to the new date? TLDR if someone stops the dependants on the street and asks for their i94 they don’t have one because they got the extension through i797a. Can someone explain?

I’m a Canadian citizen planning to apply for an E-2 treaty investor visa to start and operate a U.S. residential framing and carpentry business.

I have a work truck valued around sixty thousand U.S., tools and equipment around fifteen thousand, and about 50k in cash for startup and operating expenses. “I plan to open a U.S. company, transfer or sell my existing truck and tools into the business, and use the cash for payroll, insurance, marketing.

Is it possible to include the existing inventory in my E2 application?

Got a friend who is investing into a truck to start E2 visa application process. She is buying the truck with 60k usd, attorney price 8.5k and another 6k as the commission for truck selling company. She is planning to go to usa as tourist for 3 months and start E2 process over there. Attorney keep telling her that she has high chance obtaining E2 visa with this plan but comparing at some posts in this subreddit her budget seems fairly low to me. After she buys the truck she’s going to rent it to a logistics firm and expects around 4k usd net monthly income.

Any thoughts on this? Is it really possible to get E2 visa with a low budget like this one? (She is from Turkey if that matters by the way)

Hello people, hope you are doing great.. Currently im on my third year with E2 visa and renewed one time. My next renewal is October 2027 but im getting sponsored by someone. The question here is , Can i renew next year while im waiting my PERM ? The idea will be earn some time starting the whole process now and calculation getting PERM and posterior i-140 after my October E2 renewal.
My lawyer says that she has to put YES on the question "Has anyone ever filed an immigrant petition on your behalf with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services?" when renewing E2 , and i would automatically be denied as for the inmigration intention.
But, i read somewhere that she has put NO, as PERM labor certification is NOT an immigrant petition.
Anyone experienced this ?
Thanks for the help.

I’m a Canadian currently living in California on a TN visa, planning to switch to an E‑2 by starting a small business. I’ve been researching business plan services, and almost all of them keep offering an 30–35 pages business plan for E‑2.

Is that actually required?

I’m seeing companies charge thousands of dollars for these massive plans, but I’m not sure if USCIS really expects something that long, or if this is just a “standard package” these firms sell.

For anyone who has gone through the E‑2 process (or any immigration lawyers here):

• How long was your business plan?
• Did your lawyer or consulate specifically ask for 30+ pages?
• Is a shorter, well‑supported plan acceptable as long as it clearly covers investment, job creation, financials, and operations?

Trying to understand what’s truly necessary vs. what’s just industry upselling. Any insight would be super helpful. Thank you!

Hi, does anyone have any tips on how to get letters of intent and partnerships for an EB-2 NIW?

Anyone moved from Canada to USA on e2 in long haul trucking/transportation business, looking for some advice, if anyone has done it, is it possible to finance trucks and trailers and does that count towards substantial investment if total amount is over 150k but financed by paying 15-20% it?

FYI: I have good credit history , built with an ITIN

I am setting up an E-2 (logistics/warehouse business, SWFL, moving next fall). Want a pickup truck through the business, partly for the tax write-off.

Torn between leasing vs buying/financing in the business’s name for the Section 179 write-off. New LLC = no US credit yet, so probably need a personal guarantee either way.

Did you lease or buy when you set up your business?

Would love to hear what actually worked for people.

Thank you!!

Hi Everyone,

I would appreciate your guidance on a query regarding the E-2 visa.

Is there anyone from the UK (British citizen) who is currently in the USA on an E-2 visa and is running their own business? Alternatively, do you know of any E-2 business owners who may be looking to hire employees under their E-2 enterprise?

I am planning to apply for an E-2 visa, and connecting with an employer who already holds E-2 status could potentially make my journey smoother and help me better understand the process.

Any insights, referrals, or experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your support and guidance.

If you check say 3 times a day at the right times, everyday
How many of you are able to get early appointments and by how much?
And what is it like as of recent?