E-2 Visa Application Process for UK Nationals: Step by Step

Key facts for UK applicants in London

Eligibility, investment levels, family visas and validity are covered in the E-2 visa guide for UK nationals.

The London E-2 process in outline

Steps 1 to 5 concern the business and the investment. Steps 6 to 8 are the Embassy process, which is where London differs from other posts.

1. Choose a qualifying U.S. business. An existing business must be real and active; a start-up must be ready to begin genuine commercial operations if the visa is issued. Non-profit and non-commercial entities do not qualify.
2. Establish or acquire the U.S. enterprise. Document its ownership and control: at least 50% must be owned by UK nationals.
3. Document the acquisition or start-up. Purchase agreement, lease, contracts and receipts.
4. Prepare the business plan. For a start-up, a comprehensive plan with a five-year profit and loss forecast and start-up costs.
5. Commit the investment. Spend the funds on the business, or hold them in a binding escrow agreement conditioned on visa issuance, for an acquisition or a start-up.
6. Submit the registration to the London E-Visa Unit. Complete the DS-160, pay the $315 MRV fee through the Visa Appointment Service, and submit the supporting documents electronically.
7. Embassy review. The E-Visa Unit reviews the file in order of acceptance; the Embassy currently states over 90 working days and does not expedite E visa cases.
8. Interview at Nine Elms. Book and attend the interview within 90 days of the invitation, with the printed DS-160 confirmation page. The interview is the third stage of the registration.

How long the London process takes

The Embassy publishes an indicative review period and a separate deadline to attend the interview. The rest depends on the business and on appointment availability. Our London E-2 processing time page carries the full timeline and the firm's dated case figures.

For timelines at other posts and through USCIS, see E-2 processing times.

Before you register: the business and the funds

An existing business must be real and active, and a start-up must be ready to begin genuine commercial operations if the visa is issued. Non-profit and non-commercial entities do not qualify. At least 50% of it must be owned by UK nationals. See finding a qualifying business.

For a start-up the Embassy asks for a comprehensive business plan, a five-year profit and loss forecast with its assumptions, and a breakdown of start-up costs. An established business shows three years of U.S. federal tax returns, current and previous year profit and loss statements, and payroll filings. See our E-2 business plan service.

Funding and escrow

Every applicant shows a breakdown of the funds invested, evidence that the funds have moved to the United States, and the source of the funds: inheritance, gift, property sale, loan or earnings.

Where funds are held in escrow, for an acquisition or a start-up, the Embassy asks for a binding escrow agreement, signed and dated by all parties, that explicitly confirms how the funds will be distributed if the visa is issued and what happens if it is not. Release is usually conditional on visa issuance; whether and when the funds come back after a refusal depends on the agreement's terms.

A start-up does not have to spend the whole investment before the interview. The funds can be held in a binding escrow agreement conditioned on visa issuance, provided they are irrevocably committed to the business. The Embassy's list also asks for any leases, contracts, receipts and bank records for payments already made, which show the business is close to starting operations.

Registering your company with the London E-Visa Unit

The Embassy describes a company registration as submission, review and interview. Submission has three steps, and the Unit will not accept a case until all three are complete.

1. Complete the DS-160, the online nonimmigrant visa application, with an email address in the contact details.
2. Open a Visa Appointment Service account and pay the MRV fee. In the account's "Applicant Responses" section, answer "No" to both questions. This includes the question asking whether "The principal applicant is employed by a company that holds a valid registration with the UK E-Visa Unit": new and renewing registrations both answer "No".
3. Submit the supporting documents electronically, following the instructions you receive after step 2.

The Embassy then emails the applicant or the legal representative to confirm receipt. A principal investor does not complete the DS-156E.

What the Embassy reviews: the E-2 document file

The Embassy arranges its E-2 requirements in seven sections. Our E-2 checklist for UK applicants lists the individual documents.

Review, invitation and interview day

The E-Visa Unit reviews cases against 9 FAM 402.9 in order of acceptance and may ask for further documents. The Embassy gives its review figure as guidance only and says it is not possible to expedite an E visa case.

When the review is complete the applicant, or the legal representative, receives an email inviting the applicant to book an interview through the Visa Appointment Service. If the interview does not take place within 90 days of that invitation, the Embassy may require the registration to be resubmitted from the beginning.

On the day, the DS-160 must already have been signed and submitted at least two business days before the appointment, and you must bring a printed DS-160 confirmation page whose number matches the one in your appointment account. The Embassy says applicants without a matching printed confirmation will not be allowed into the building. A new DS-160 completed later carries a new number, so take advice before completing another one.

What the London E-2 interview is like

In the firm's London cases during 2026, E-2 interviews at the U.S. Embassy can sometimes run to around 30 minutes, with specific questions on the investment, the source of funds, hiring plans and the applicant's role in the business. We prepare each client for the interview with a mock session.

Applicants in Scotland also interview in London; see E-2 applicants in Edinburgh.

E-2 employees and the DS-156E

An E-2 employee must have the same treaty nationality as the company and be coming in an executive or supervisory role or with skills essential to the business (9 FAM 402.9). Employees of a company already registered with the E-Visa Unit book their interviews directly through the Visa Appointment Service and send no document package to the E-Visa Unit in advance. Each employee completes the DS-160 and every part of the DS-156E.

At the interview the Embassy asks employees for the DS-160 confirmation and appointment pages, the completed DS-156E, a passport and photograph, evidence of status in the United Kingdom and of previous U.S. visas, and:

• a job description letter on company letterhead covering the company, the role, salary and benefits, qualifications and company contact details;
• an organisational chart showing the position and lines of authority;
• a CV and educational certificates;
• a copy of the approval letter for the registered treaty company; and
• a signed and dated statement of intent to depart the U.S. when E status ends.

Source: Embassy interview documents for employees of E-1 and E-2 businesses.

Family members at the interview

A spouse and unmarried children under 21 apply as dependants and attend the Embassy in person, including children under 14. They bring copies of the principal's passport and, if already issued, visa, marriage, birth or adoption certificates, and a signed and dated statement of intent to depart the United States when E status ends. Dependants who are not UK nationals may owe a reciprocity fee, paid to the Embassy cashier on the day (Embassy family documents list).

Two points UK applicants often miss: the U.S. visa photograph is 5 x 5 cm, which a UK passport photograph is not; and every arrest, conviction or caution must be declared however old it is, because the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act does not apply to U.S. visa law.

Renewing a UK E-2 registration

A renewal in London follows the same route as a first registration: DS-160, MRV fee, electronic submission, review and interview. Postal renewals without interview are generally no longer available to E-2 applicants. Since 1 October 2025 the State Department has limited interview waivers to diplomatic and official applicants and to certain B-1/B-2, Border Crossing Card and H-2A renewals within 12 months, and says all other nonimmigrant applicants, including children under 14 and adults over 79, will generally need an in-person interview. The document file is lighter than on a first registration if you still run the business approved last time: for investment, evidence of any major new investment and purchase agreements for any additional businesses bought; for marginality, federal tax returns for each year since the last registration, profit and loss statements for the current and previous calendar years, and payroll records for the last tax year (Embassy renewal list). If you no longer run that business, the full first-time file is needed. Start a renewal well before the visa expires. See renewing your E-2 visa.

If you are already in the United States

An investor lawfully in the U.S. may be able to change status to E-2 through USCIS instead of applying in London. A change of status gives E-2 status but no visa, so you will normally need an E-2 visa before returning to the United States after travel abroad. In our experience the Embassy assesses the case itself, and a USCIS approval does not guarantee a visa. The two routes are compared in the E-2 visa process guide; routes from E-2 to a green card are in the UK guide.

Where UK E-2 interviews take place

E-2 application process for UK nationals: FAQs

How do I apply for an E-2 visa from the UK?

Choose a qualifying U.S. business, establish or acquire the U.S. enterprise, prepare the business plan and commit the investment. Then register the company with the London E-Visa Unit: complete the DS-160, pay the $315 MRV fee through the Visa Appointment Service, and submit the documents electronically. After review you attend an interview at the U.S. Embassy in London.

Where are E-2 visa interviews held in the UK?

At the U.S. Embassy in London, 33 Nine Elms Lane. The U.S. Consulate General in Belfast does not process E-1 or E-2 visa applications.

How long does the London E-Visa Unit take to review an E-2 application?

The Embassy states that its current initial review time is over 90 working days, counted in order of acceptance, and gives the figure as guidance only. The full London timeline is on our E-2 processing time page.

Can an E-2 case be expedited in London?

No. The Embassy says it is not possible to expedite an E visa case, so the review runs in order of acceptance.

How do I answer the questions in the visa appointment account?

For a company registration, answer "No" to both questions in the Applicant Responses section, including the question about being employed by a company that already holds a valid UK E-Visa Unit registration. New and renewing registrations answer the same way.

Is E-2 pre-registration still required in London?

Yes, under the name company registration. A registration consists of submission, review and interview: the DS-160, MRV fee and electronic submission come first, and the interview is the third stage. Employees of a company that already holds a valid registration do not register again.

What if my company is already registered with the E-Visa Unit?

If you are an employee of a company that already holds a valid registration, you book your interview directly through the Visa Appointment Service and send no document package to the E-Visa Unit in advance. If the company is renewing its registration, it goes through submission, review and interview again and answers "No" to both Applicant Responses questions.

Do I need to complete the DS-156E?

Not as a principal investor. Each E-2 employee completes all parts of the DS-156E and brings it to the interview with the DS-160 confirmation.

What happens if I do not attend the interview within 90 days?

The Embassy says the interview should take place within 90 days of the invitation, and that if it does not, the applicant can be asked to resubmit the registration from the beginning.

Can I apply in London if I do not live in the UK?

The UK treaty covers UK nationals who actually and permanently reside, and are domiciled, in British territory in Europe, so residence goes to eligibility as well as to where you apply. The Embassy asks nonimmigrant applicants to book in their country of residence or nationality, and its visa FAQs add that anyone physically present in the UK may choose to apply in London. A UK national living elsewhere should take advice on eligibility and on where to apply before filing.

Do UK investors have to spend the investment before applying?

No. The funds can be held in a binding escrow agreement conditioned on visa issuance, for a start-up as well as an acquisition. Release is usually conditional on visa issuance, and whether the funds come back after a refusal depends on the agreement's terms. The funds must be irrevocably committed to the business.