A treaty country is a nation that has a special trade or navigation agreement with the United States. If you are a citizen of a treaty country, you may be eligible for E-1 (trader) or E-2 (investor) visas — two visa types that make it easier to come to the U.S. for business or investment.
The E-1 visa is for people who want to come to the United States to carry out substantial international trade on their own behalf. The E-2 visa is for people who want to invest a substantial amount of money in a U.S. business and develop that business while living in the country.
Why treaty country status matters
- Being from a treaty country gives business people and investors a practical route to work in the U.S. without first getting a green card. This is useful for entrepreneurs, small business owners, and family-run companies.
- The E-2 visa lets you live in the U.S. while you run and grow a U.S. business after investing a substantial amount of capital. The E-1 visa lets you enter the U.S. to carry out substantial international trade.
Who can apply
- To qualify, you must be a national of a treaty country. The United States currently maintains treaty-based E-1 and E-2 eligibility with many countries, including Canada, Germany, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, and many others.
- The list of treaty countries is specific and can change, so always check the current list before applying.
- Certain employees of a treaty trader or investor may also be eligible, and family members can typically join the visa holder.
E-1 and E-2 at a glance
- E-1 visa: For international trade.
- E-2 visa: For investment in a U.S. business.
- Main requirement: Citizenship from a treaty country.
Short example
If you are a Canadian business owner, Canada is a treaty country, so you could apply for an E-2 investor visa to open or buy a U.S. business and move there to run it.
List of Treaty Countries:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/fees/treaty.html#2
| Country | Visa Type |
|---|---|
| Albania | E-2 |
| Argentina | E-1, E-2 |
| Armenia | E-2 |
| Australia | E-1, E-2, E-3 (E-3 is for nationals of the Commonwealth of Australia who wish to enter the United States to perform services in a “specialty occupation”) |
| Austria | E-1, E-2 |
| Azerbaijan | E-2 |
| Bahrain | E-2 |
| Bangladesh | E-2 |
| Belgium | E-1, E-2 |
| Bolivia | E-2 (The only nationals of Bolivia (other than those qualifying for derivative status based on a familial relationship to an E-2 principal alien) who may qualify for E-2 visas at this time are those applicants who are coming to the United States to engage in E-2 activity in furtherance of covered investments established or acquired prior to June 10, 2012.) |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | E-1, E-2 |
| Brunei | E-1 |
| Bulgaria | E-2 |
| Cameroon | E-2 |
| Canada | E-1, E-2 |
| Chile | E-1, E-2 |
| China (Taiwan) | E-1, E-2 |
| Colombia | E-1, E-2 |
| Congo (Brazzaville) | E-2 |
| Congo (Kinshasa) | E-2 |
| Costa Rica | E-1, E-2 |
| Croatia | E-1, E-2 |
| Czech Republic | E-2 |
| Denmark | E-1 (does not apply to Greenland), E-2 |
| Ecuador | E-2 (The only nationals of Ecuador (other than those qualifying for derivative status based on a familial relationship to an E-2 principal alien) who may qualify for E-2 visas at this time are those applicants who are coming to the United States to engage in E-2 activity in furtherance of covered investments established or acquired prior to May 18, 2018.) |
| Egypt | E-2 |
| Estonia | E-1, E-2 |
| Ethiopia | E-1, E-2 |
| Finland | E-1, E-2 |
| France | E-1, E-2 (Applies to the departments of Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana and Reunion.) |
| Georgia | E-2 |
| Germany | E-1, E-2 |
| Greece | E-1 |
| Grenada | E-2 |
| Honduras | E-1, E-2 |
| Ireland | E-1, E-2 |
| Israel | E-1, E-2 |
| Italy | E-1, E-2 |
| Jamaica | E-2 |
| Japan | E-1, E-2 (Applicable to the Bonin Islands and the Ryukyu Islands) |
| Jordan | E-1, E-2 |
| Kazakhstan | E-2 |
| South Korea | E-1, E-2 |
| Kosovo | E-1, E-2 |
| Kyrgyzstan | E-2 |
| Latvia | E-1, E-2 |
| Liberia | E-1, E-2 |
| Lithuania | E-2 |
| Luxembourg | E-1, E-2 |
| Macedonia | E-1, E-2 |
| Mexico | E-1, E-2 |
| Moldova | E-2 |
| Mongolia | E-2 |
| Montenegro | E-1, E-2 |
| Morocco | E-2 |
| Netherlands | E-1, E-2 (Applicable to Aruba and Netherlands Antilles.) |
| New Zealand | E-1, E-2 |
| Norway | E-1, E-2 (does not apply to Svalbard) |
| Oman | E-1, E-2 |
| Pakistan | E-1, E-2 |
| Panama | E-2 |
| Paraguay | E-1, E-2 |
| Philippines | E-1, E-2 |
| Poland | E-1, E-2 |
| Portugal | E-1, E-2 |
| Romania | E-2 |
| Senegal | E-2 |
| Serbia | E-1, E-2 |
| Singapore | E-1, E-2 |
| Slovak Republic | E-2 |
| Slovenia | E-1, E-2 |
| Spain | E-1, E-2 (applicable to all territories) |
| Sri Lanka | E-2 |
| Suriname | E-1, E-2 |
| Sweden | E-1, E-2 |
| Switzerland | E-1, E-2 |
| Thailand | E-1, E-2 |
| Togo | E-1, E-2 |
| Trinidad & Tobago | E-2 |
| Tunisia | E-2 |
| Turkey | E-1, E-2 |
| Ukraine | E-2 |
| United Kingdom | E-1, E-2 (Applies only to British territory in Europe (the British Isles (except the Republic of Ireland), the Channel Islands and Gibraltar) and to “inhabitants” of such territory. This term, as used in the Convention, means “one who resides actually and permanently in a given place, and has his domicile there.” Also, in order to qualify for treaty trader or treaty investor status under this treaty, the alien must be a national of the United Kingdom. Individuals having the nationality of members of the Commonwealth other than the United Kingdom do not qualify for treaty trader or treaty investor status under this treaty.) |
| Yugoslavia | E-1, E-2 |