Immigration questions on E-2 Visas
Q. I have been an employee in Canada in HR for over 10 years. I wish to invest in a restaurant  in the US. However, I have no experience in working or owing a restaurant. Can I qualify for an E-2 Visa?
_____
A. Â For applicants wishing to establish or to invest in a business in the US under the E-2 Business Visa category it is always helpful to have relevant business experience. Having such experience will add credibility to your application. However if you have a good business plan clearly outlining your ideas from a marketing, operational and financial perspective, any lack of experience can be overcome by lots of planning and preparation.
Of course beyond business experience, there are many other, more important, criteria that makes a winning E-2 Visa application. We have written about the various issues concerning E-2 Visas here and here. In Toronto E-2 Visas are submitted to the US Consulate and having business experience does not hurt. But we have found that a well presented application showing how, despite an applicant’s lack of experience, their US business will succeed is much more important.
Have a question about E-2 Visas? Contact Niren and Associates Immigration Law Firm today.
Intake
President & CEO
Michael Niren
Mr. Niren is CEO of VisaPlace LLC and the President and Managing Partner of VisaPlace Legal Canada, an immigration law firm based in Toronto, and VisaPlace Legal US a law firm registered in The District of Columbia, USA. Mr. Niren is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Bar Association’s Citizenship and Immigration Section, American Lawyers Association, and an Associate Member of the American Bar Association.
