Nonimmigrant visa

Green card

Treaty Investors

Immigrant Investor Program

Entrepreneurs, Business owners, Investors

Entrepreneurs, Business owners, Investors

• You and at least 50% of the business owners must be nationals of the same treaty country.

• You must direct or control the business through either 50%+ ownership or a high-level director or managerial role.

• The investment must be substantial and at risk, with the legal source of funds documented.

• Funds must be the investor's personal assets, and the investment must be in a commercial enterprise (i.e., a business that sells products or services).

• The business must be profitable and ideally create at least one U.S. job within the first five years.

• Invest personal funds of $800,000 in Targeted Employment Areas (TEA), such as rural or high-unemployment areas and certain infrastructure projects, or $1,050,000 in non-TEA areas.

• Create or preserve at least 10 full-time jobs for qualifying U.S. workers.

• Provide detailed documentation verifying the lawful source and transfer path of the investment funds.

• Maintain the investment for a minimum of two years.

• Renewable indefinitely, allowing long-term business opportunities in the U.S.

• Highly flexible and can be used for almost any type of business.

• The only visa category that provides immigration status based on passive investment.

• Does not require employer sponsorship, offering significant flexibility.

• No specific educational or professional qualifications are required.

• Allows for investment directly into new or existing businesses or through regional centers that pool funds for larger projects.

• The only employment-based category allowing concurrent Green Card application filing for all nationalities.

• Requires a substantial upfront investment, with funds at risk (no set minimum, but typically over USD $100,000).

• Some consulates have long wait times for E-2 application interviews.

• Requires committing investment funds before receiving approval.

• Requires a substantial financial investment.

• The investment must be at risk, and job creation requirements must be met.

• Initially issued a two-year conditional Green Card, requiring a subsequent application to demonstrate continued compliance with the program requirements.

Not required

Not required

5 years¹

Permanent residency

Indefinitely, 5-year increments²

Every 10 years

2-4 months

6-24 months¹

15 business days³

No

Yes

Yes

^{1, 2}Shorter for some nationalities.

³Available only for change of status, not for consular processing.

¹Timeframe to obtain conditional residence, with a similar timeframe for achieving permanent residence.