E-1 Visa

Business immigration for business conducting trade with treaty countries and hiring overseas.

‍

Qualifications

• Treaty traders and employees are those who carry on principal and substantial trade in goods.
• Items of “trade” include goods, services, international banking, insurance, transportation, tourism, technology and its transfer, and some newsgathering activities.

Timeline

• Average processing time: if filed with the USCIS- approximately 4-6 months; 2 weeks if filed with Premium Processing and if there is no Request for Evidence; if filed with a U.S. consulate – depends on processing times at a particular consulate (it may take several weeks to prepare all the paperwork for filing).
• Qualified treaty traders and employees may stay initially for two years. Two-year extensions may be granted. There is no maximum limit.