Change of Status E2 Treaty Investor: Pakistan
| Industry: | Gas Station Franchise |
| Visa Type: | Change of Status E2 Treaty Investor |
| Country: | Pakistan |
Our Client was here on F-1 status with his
spouse and wanted to purchase an Exxon-Mobil sublease in North Carolina and file
for Change of Status to E-2 for himself and his wife. After a very lengthy
filing and RFE, the case was approved for five-year period.
The matter benefited from the client’s background in finance (he was earning his Master degree in Business Administration from a US University). He had a clear vision as to how he was going to run the business, set the budget for the first few years, and could produce reliable accounting for gas sales and convenience store sales. The client proved to be very responsive and involved and exerted every effort to secure banking information from Pakistan. The investment capital came from a substantial gifts from family members in Pakistan – totaling over $300,000 USD. This presented a challenge in clarifying for USCIS the source of funds for this investment, however, D&A worked closely with local attorneys in Pakistan to create proper gift documentation.
The fact that the client was purchasing a sublease of an existing franchise created a challenge, as USCIS wanted to see extensive tax filings, original lease agreements, and all W-2s from the previous operator. The lessor was not very quick to supply needed documents and pushed back when it came to supplying financial information as they operated a fleet of different stations and did not want their finances scrutinized by the government.
