Planning business in the United States? There are two types of visas that give you the opportunity to invest. On one hand, there is an L-1 visa, and on the other hand, there is E-2. Both working visas, that can be obtained easily, quickly and useful for an investor who wishes to immigrate to the US. Choosing one or another depends on the project you want to accomplish since they present some differences.
The L-1 classification is a non-immigrant visa and is available to employees of an international company with offices in both the United States and abroad, that have the intention to expand the business. This visa allows such foreign workers to relocate to the corporation's US office after having worked abroad for the company for at least one continuous year. In other words, it gives the advisability to transfer a manager or executive from its affiliated foreign offices to the United States, in the case of not having an office in the US, to transfer a manager or executive in order to publish one. The advantage of this visa is that the investment treaty is not required. English Proficiency and the proofs of funds are formalities needed.
E-2 visa aims to invest in new business, allowing an individual to enter and work inside of the United States based on investment, that not necessarily demands a minimum amount of money but it has to be “substantial” to the cost of the company wants to carry out. The amount of investment varies on the type of business, the investment will not be considered substantial if it is not large enough to capitalize the venture. Investor visas are available only to citizens of certain countries. However, they are also available to non-investor employees of the business, as long as the persons are of the same nationality as the investor and are destined for a role in the US business that is either executive/supervisory or requires specialized skills that are essential to the efficient operation of the US enterprise.
The advantage of this visa is that is good for three months to five years (depending on the country of origin) and can be extended indefinitely.