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Health & Fitness

Immigration: What's an E-Visa?

Most foreign persons who want to come to the US must obtain a United States visa which will allow them entry.  A person, who wants to come to the US permanently, must first obtain an immigrant visa.  A foreign person, who wants to come to the US temporarily, must obtain a non-immigrant visa.  Many foreigners come to the US every year to visit, to attend conferences, to go to school, to perform, to participate in athletics, and to invest in the US.  Even Elton John, who comes to the US to perform in a concert, must obtain a non-immigrant visa!

 

The temporary non-immigrant E-Visa is a Treaty Trader (E-1)/Treaty Investor (E-2) visa is available to citizens of certain countries with which the United States holds a valid treaty of commerce and navigation.  A Treaty Trader/Treaty Investor comes to the US to participate in substantial trade in services, technology and other qualifying activities between his country and the US., and develops ad directs the operations of an enterprise in which the foreign person has invested a substantial amount of money.  Many E-visa holders come to the US to engage in international banking services, or international transportation, tourism, or business enterprises.

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For instance, Ivan may be a citizen of England, who wants to come to the US to invest his inheritance, or retirement funds, or savings into a US business which manufactures model airplanes for performances in air shows throughout the US and the world.  Ivan must invest a substantial amount of money, such as perhaps $200,000.00 USD, sufficient to insure the successful operation of the US business, and the US business must be real and operating enterprise.

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There are very strict and details rules and regulations for obtaining an E-visa, but many foreigners come to the US to invest in our businesses, and invest in our economy, allowing the US business to create more jobs in the US, to compete globally, and to provide more products and services to American citizens.

 

The foreign person’s spouse and children can also accompany the primary visa holder.  The E-visa is a temporary visa.  It does not allow a foreign person to remain in the US forever.  In order to remain in the US forever, the foreign person and his family would need to obtain immigrant visas.

 

The E-visa is one of the many ways that foreigners contribute significantly to our US economy.

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