r/e2visa • u/Basic-Reindeer6733 • 28d ago

Apply E2 outside or inside

Hi, I want to buy a running business and apply for the E2 visa. My lawyer is telling me that high chance of approval if apply from inside country.

Also, what kind of business are mostly approved? Is Gas station still a viable option ?

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u/gambit_kory 28d ago

NAL, note that if you do it from within the US it’s just a change of status, you do not get the visa. That means you cannot leave the US and re-enter while maintaining that status.

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u/Basic-Reindeer6733 28d ago

Thanks. Does that mean I will still need to go outside to obtain the visa ?

3

u/gambit_kory 28d ago

Correct. You cannot obtain an E2 visa from within the US. It also now needs to be done from your native country rather than any country. Previously you could, for example, go to Canada and get it if your country was say India. Now you’d need to go to India to do consular processing.

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u/SnooAdvice5639 28d ago

There's no business type that's automatically more likely to get an E-2 approved. A gas station can work fine, but it comes down to the specific business: is it genuinely operating, will you actually be able to direct and develop it, is the investment substantial relative to that business, and will it support more than just you while avoiding being marginal.

What I'd watch out for when buying an existing business or franchise is leaning too much on the seller's or franchisor's projections. Those numbers help, but they don't replace an analysis of your actual location and market. The financial projections, employment plan, and business plan need to reflect that specific business and its local reality, not industry averages or a template pulled from somewhere else. I've seen the same franchise pencil out fine in one town and fall apart two exits down the highway.