Just before breaking for the holidays, Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act. Buried within this gigantic bill was a provision to add Portugal as an E2 country and a clause stipulating that anyone who acquires citizenship through a financial investment must be domiciled in that country for three years before they can apply for an E2 visa.
We recently held a series of webinars on this topic, scroll down to view the recording.
Does the change to the law impact me?
If you are interested in applying for an E2 visa, but you do not come from an E-2 Treaty country, this legislation could impact you. India, China and Vietnam are among the countries that do not have an E-2 treaty with the United States. Click here for the full list.
Why would I want to apply for the E2 Visa?
The E2 Treaty Investor Visa category permits an applicant to make a substantial investment in a US business or franchise and move to the US for the purposes of running that business.
- Relatively low investment expectations (usually > $100,000, sometimes less)
- Ability to travel freely to and from the United States
- Unlimited renewals subject to conditions
- Spouse & children under 21 can accompany applicant to US
- Spouse permitted to work in the US
- No annual caps/quotas
- Relatively quick processing times
What if I am not a citizen of an E2 Treaty Country?
If your country is not on the list of E2 countries, then are able to apply if you first obtain citizenship of an E2 country. One of the fastest ways to obtain citizenship of an E2 treaty country is via the Grenada Citizenship by Investment Program or the Turkey Citizenship by Investment Program. The new law will have implications for this pathway to an E2 visa.
What should I do next?
If you already hold Grenadian or Turkish citizenship that was acquired by investment, you should contact us immediately. There may be a small window to submit an E2 visa application before the changes take effect.
What if I have not started the process yet?
We recently held a webinar to discuss potential solutions, click below to watch the webinar and contact us to discuss your options.
Watch our webinar
Useful links:
Grenada Citizenship by Investment Program
Turkey Citizenship by Investment Program.
| Just before breaking for the holidays, Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act. Buried within this gigantic bill was a provision to add Portugal as an E2 country and a clause stipulating that anyone who acquires citizenship through a financial investment must be domiciled in that country for three years before they can apply for an E2 visa. We will be holding webinars on this topic in January 2023. Scroll down for details. |
| This article is published for clients, friends and other interested visitors for information purposes only. The contents of the article do not constitute legal advice and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Davies & Associates or any of its attorneys, staff or clients. External links are not an endorsement of the content. |
