Buying a business in the USA
About the program
Please note that the U.S. government does not provide a permanent residency, or citizenship to people who have purchased or started a business in the U.S.!
The U.S. government offers temporary or permanent residency visas to foreign entrepreneurs who want to purchase and operate a ready-made business in the United States. The most popular visas are E-2, L-1.
E-2 VISA
In comparison to other investment programs, investor visa E-2 in the USA has a number of considerable advantages which simplify the process of its processing and make it more available to businessmen who can apply for visa E-2. Firstly, the application processing time is relatively short - up to three-four months. Another undeniable benefit, that distinguishes the E-2 investor visa from the others, is the relatively small amount of investment money. It is believed that this amount should be approximately equal to 100 thousand dollars.
L-1 VISA
The L1 visa for foreign businessmen primarily enables multinational companies to send their executives from abroad to work in branches of the company in the United States. However, obtaining an L1 visa allows you to invest in the economy of the United States and expect to be eligible for permanent residency. L1 is a visa for non-residents, which is issued for a period of up to three years with the possibility of applying for an extension.
The main difference between the L1 visa and the E visa is that the L1 visa is a work visa, but it allows you to start a new business in the United States as a branch of a foreign company to work there as a manager. While the E visa requires you to invest in the creation of a new business or purchase an existing one and create new jobs. Or you can invest in a non-profitable business in order to increase its profitability level.
Purchase a property
Purchase a property
Purchase a property
Purchase a property
For E-2 visa.
It is important to remember that the american investor visa E2 is a non-immigrant visa. What means that it doesn't give the right to stay in the country or apply for legalization, because you will simply demonstrate that the investment for you is only a means of obtaining citizenship, and you do not intend to develop the business. This may be grounds for revoking your visa.
Currently citizens of Belarus and Russia are not eligible to apply for the E-2 Investor Visa!
Countries, which can obtain E-2 visa:
(Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Israel, Kazakhstan, Moldova, and others...)
To get E-2 visa the investor should:
Be a citizen of a country from the list above.
Invest in a business or an organization in the United States.
Prove that money for the business investment has been obtained legally.
Be ready to relocate to the U.S. to operate the company.
An investor must have at least 80% or 100% of his capital invested in the business at the time of application to the US Consulate.
For L-1 visa
If you are a manager or an executive in a foreign company which has business relations with a U.S. company, you can apply for this visa to immigrate to the United States. People who enter the United States to work on a managing position at a branch of their company or at a U.S. partner company has an opportunity to obtain this type of visa as well.
So, if you have even a small company or you are a co-owner, then you can open a branch in the U.S. and expect to get an L1 visa.
There are no country restrictions!
For E-2 visa
Depending on the country of citizenship, the required documents for the E-2 visa may be different. As a minimum, you should have a business plan, company purchase agreement ( rent or purchase of a company office), confirmation of money transfer to escrow account, confirmation of ownership of 50% of the company shares. Also, while being interviewed at the consulate, you will be asked for receipts of the registration fee payment. You should also provide proof of the legal origin of the money you are investing. It is important to mention that inheritances, gifts, or winnings are allowed to use for this purpose in the United States. The main condition is the legality of their origin.
For the L-1 visa
Generally there are two steps to obtain the visa:
An attorney submits your application to the U.S. Immigration office;
If it is approved, you apply for an L1 visa at the U.S. consulate in your country.
The required documents are determined for each individual applicant on a case-by-case basis.
If family members also need visas to the United States, they also should apply and be interviewed at the embassy (at the same time as the main applicant). The processing time depends on the consulate - from several weeks to months. The fastest visa processing takes place directly in the United States.
The validity of an E-2 investor visa in the United States depends on the country of citizenship of the applicant. The period of stay in the United States as an E-2 investor is two years. If your business remains eligible for an E-2 visa, you may extend your stay without leaving the country. You must prove the efficiency and the profitability of your business every two years.
The L1 visa holder and his or her U.S. employer may apply for an extension before the original visa expires. Extensions may be granted for two years up to a certain date. The L1A visa program may grant extensions for up to seven years to employees.
