How long is the E-2 Visa valid for?

In our previous post, we examined who can be eligible to apply for an E-2 visa. This can be done by checking whether you’re a National of a Treaty Country as per : https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/fees/treaty.html

The question for today is, however, how long is the E-2 Visa valid for? This is where things get a little tricky, and help from a qualified attorney is your best bet.

The guidelines make it clear that the amount of time an E-2 visa can be granted for varies by country. It can be as little as 3 months but also as vast as 5 years with multiple entries to the US allowed, again depending on the Treaty Country per se. Adding to this is the discretion immigration authorities hold when it comes to deciding how long your Visa can be granted for.

Below is a list of Treaty Countries, followed by the amount of time an E-2 Visa can be issued for and a number of allowed entries to America. In more complex legal terms, the amount of time an E-2 visa is granted for is otherwise known as reciprocity, but you don’t need to concern yourself with such details.

E-2 Treaty Country/ the amount of time an E-2 visa can be issued for / Permitted Entries to America

Albania 3 Years Multiple

Argentina 5 Years Multiple

Armenia 5 Years Multiple

Australia 4 Years Multiple

Austria 5 Years Multiple

Azerbaijan 3 Months One

Bahrain 3 Months One

Bangladesh 3 Months Two

Belgium 5 Years Multiple

Bolivia 3 Months One

Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 Year Multiple

Bulgaria 5 Years Multiple

Cameroon 1 Year N/A

Canada 5 Years Multiple

Chile 5 Years Multiple

China (Taiwan) 5 Years Multiple

Colombia 5 Years Multiple

Congo (Brazzaville) 3 Months One

Congo (Kinshasa) 3 Months Two

Costa Rica 5 Years Multiple

Croatia 5 Years Multiple

Czech Republic 5 Years Multiple

Denmark 5 Years Multiple

Ecuador 3 Months Two

Egypt 3 Months One

Estonia 5 Years Multiple

Ethiopia 6 Months Multiple

Finland 2 Years Multiple

France 5 Years Multiple

Georgia 1 Year Multiple

Germany 5 Years Multiple

Grenada 5 Years Multiple

Honduras 5 Years Multiple

Iran 3 Months One

Ireland 5 Years Multiple

Italy 5 Years Multiple

Jamaica 5 Years Multiple

Japan 5 Years Multiple

Jordan 3 Months One

Kazakhstan 1 Year Multiple

Korea (South) 5 Years Multiple

Kosovo 1 Year Multiple

Kyrgyzstan 3 Months Two

Latvia 5 Years Multiple

Liberia 1 Year Multiple

Lithuania 1 Year Multiple

Luxembourg 5 Years Multiple

Macedonia 5 Years Multiple

Mexico 1 Year Multiple

Moldova 3 Months Two

Mongolia 3 Years Multiple

Montenegro 1 Year Multiple

Morocco 5 Years Multiple

Netherlands 5 Years Multiple

Norway 5 Years Multiple

Oman 6 Months Multiple

Pakistan 5 Years Multiple

Panama 5 Years Multiple

Paraguay 5 Years Multiple

Philippines 5 Years Multiple

Poland 1 Year Multiple

Romania 5 Years Multiple

Senegal 1 Year Multiple

Serbia 1 Year Multiple

Singapore 2 Years Multiple

Slovak Republic 2 Years Multiple

Slovenia 5 Years Multiple

Spain 5 Years Multiple

Sri Lanka 3 Years Multiple

Suriname 5 Years Multiple

Sweden 2 Years Multiple

Switzerland 4 Years Multiple

Thailand 6 Months Multiple

Togo 3 Years Multiple

Trinidad and Tobago 5 Years Multiple

Tunisia 5 Years Multiple

Turkey 5 Years Multiple

Ukraine 3 Months Two

United Kingdom 5 Years Multiple

What happens once you obtain your Visa is a bit of magic. By the way, I still remember how I couldn’t grasp the concept myself, so I am going to try to explain it in the easiest way I possibly can.

It goes like this. So now, you have been successful in obtaining your E-2 Visa. Let’s imagine you’re flying to the US and getting off a plane on the US soil. Before you can wonder away, happy that you have finally arrived after the stresses of the recent months, you will need to speak with a Customs Official. The Customs Official will then ask you a series of questions used to determine the purpose of your stay in the US. They can still turn you away, so you must get the answers right! Once they are satisfied with your answers, the customs official will stamp your passport with an I-94 stamp, adding a maximum of 2 years to your permitted stay in the US. A huge bonus if you come from a country that has a 3-month reciprocity agreement such as Congo. This means that you can stay in the US for an additional period of 2 years, counting from the date of your entry to the US.

Once your Visa expires, however, you won’t be able to travel out with the US without having to renew your Visa again – either through the Consulate or the UCSIS. Understanding this is extremely helpful, especially if your country can only issue visas that aren’t valid for a long amount of time.

For example, my Visa was valid for 1 year only. I entered America on April 2017. My I-94 was stamped till April 2019 - exactly 2 years from my date of entry to America. However, because my Visa allowed me to enter and leave America as I pleased when my Visa was still valid and living in Los Angeles, I decided to cross the border with Mexico. Leaving and re-entering the country allowed me to get another I-94 stamp just before my Visa expired. It also extended my permitted stay in America by 1 year, from April 2019 to April 2020 - exactly 2 years from then.

So now, I can stay in America and run my business, without having to go back to the Consulate till April 2020. Of course, I could have also traveled to my home country to have my Visa extended. But trust me, when you start running your business here, especially in the first year, you’ll need all the help you can get. It is important that I mention here that an E-2 visa is perpetual, which means that so long as you can satisfy the authorities that your business is doing well and prove so, you will be able to stay here indefinitely.

Now, if you’re Canadian – you have less to worry about. Your Visa will be likely issued for 5 years, meaning that you have 5 full years to make your business work. You will also be allowed to leave the US multiple times during your stay here. Again, it all depends on the country. 

Call us now for a free consultation at +1 (720) 384 - 4250 - email randy@vizamerica.com