The Houston Guide to Investment Visa E-1
The E-1 Visa is one of the visas in the E category. It is a visa for traders who are citizens of a country that maintains a treaty with the United States. The permit grants one permission to live and work in the United States to continue the international trade. If you are a business person in a country that is in a trade treaty with the United States and want to trade in the United States, this Houston guide to investment visa E1 by RunRex will help you understand the process much better.
Requirements for the E1 Visa
The visa applicant must demonstrate their ability to conduct a substantial amount of trade with the products being either technology, goods or services. The amount of trade is not strictly defined, but it should be on a large scale basis. For the goods, services or technology trades, at least 50 percent of volume carried should be between the United States that country of origin of the visa holder. It is what is referred to as “principal trade.”
One of the other major requirements is that the visa applicant has to demonstrate their lack of intent to live in the United States in the long run. They have to provide convincing evidence that they are willing to return to their country of origin and not acquire United States citizenship.
Employees can, also, gain legal entry into the United States using the E-1 visa. The conditions set for employees is that they have to be citizens of a country in a treaty agreement with the United States. They must hold a significant role in the company or organization they work for, either managerial or a supervisory role that requires a unique set of skills or knowledge. The employer must be an active E-1 visa holder and based in the United States, or, if they are not in the United States, they should have met all the conditions required for a person to qualify for E-1 visa.
Terms of the E1 Visa
The E1 visa grants you legal residence in the United States for up to 24 months. Upon the expiry of the initial period of 24 months, one can apply for an extension. The extension can be up to 24 months, and no limit has been set as to the number of times a person can file for an extension. When you travel outside the United States and return and get re-admitted, you will receive a 2-year extension automatically. However, this readmission privilege does not extend to family members hence one has to be keen to observe the set legal requirements for their families to avoid them being deported.
When it comes to the operations in the United States, an E-1 visa holder is only allowed to conduct trading activities for which they got approved for when being issued the visa. But if you are an employee who had applied for the E-1 visa and your employer has a parent company based in the United States, then it is possible for you to work for the company.
The spouse of the applicant and their children, if under 21 years of age, can apply for the E-1 visa and join the applicant in the United States. The spouse can secure employment while in the United States by getting an employment authorization document.
Visa application
When applying for the E-1 visa, it is best to hire the services of an immigration attorney. The visa application process is usually quite challenging, and immigration attorney will, not only make the process easier for you but also, help you avoid the common mistakes people make that could cost you your visa.
The documents required when filling your E-1 visa petition include:
• Form DS-160 – This is a Nonimmigrant Visa Application form that every nonimmigrant visa applicant has to fill.
• Form DS-56E – This is a Nonimmigrant Treaty Trader Application from that applicants for the E-1 visa need to fill.
• An original copy of your passport that should have a validity period of at least six months more than the time the visa allows you to stay in the United States and an extra blank page.
• A colored photograph of your full face without any covering on your head unless your religion requires you to.
• Documents are proving that you have engaged in trade for at least one year.
• Your curriculum vitae
• Evidence that the business is real and already operational. It can be demonstrated using annual reports, sales literature or any other credible evidence showing the existence of your business.
• Proof of the existence of the business in the United States and presence of trading activities. It can be supported by documents such as articles of incorporation, shares report, contracts, receipts, customs clearance, sales receipts, shipping receipts, and contracts.
Ensure that all the necessary documents are included when you file your application. Otherwise, you risk your application being rejected. You, also, have to be patient after submitting. There are millions of visa applicants, and a petition usually takes months to be processed. However, as you patiently wait, keep track of the progress to ensure that your documents don’t disappear.