E-1 Treaty Trader Visa & E-2 Treaty Investor Visa

In order to be able to apply for an E-1 (treaty trader) or E-2 (treaty investor) visa an appropriate treaty must exist between the United States and the country of which the applicant is a national.

Treaties exist with the following countries for the purposes of the E-1 visa:

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei, Canada, China (Taiwan), Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Latvia, Liberia, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Philippines, Slovenia, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Togo, Turkey, the United Kingdom and Yugoslavia.

Treaties exist with the following countries for the purposes of the E-2 visa:

Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, China (Taiwan), Colombia, Congo (Brazzaville), Congo (Kinshasa), Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Grenada, Honduras, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Latvia, Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Senegal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and Yugoslavia

An E-1 visa may be the appropriate visa for someone who wishes to travel to the United States to carry on trade between the United States and the country of which the applicant's firm is a national. The trade must be 'substantial' in nature and must be primarily between the United States and the Treaty Country.

An E-2 visa may be the appropriate visa for someone who wishes to travel to the United States to develop and direct an enterprise in which he or she has made a substantial investment or is in the process of making a substantial investment in a bona fide enterprise. Click here for further information on the E-2 visa.