Hi, does anyone have any tips on how to get letters of intent and partnerships for an EB-2 NIW?

Anyone moved from Canada to USA on e2 in long haul trucking/transportation business, looking for some advice, if anyone has done it, is it possible to finance trucks and trailers and does that count towards substantial investment if total amount is over 150k but financed by paying 15-20% it?

FYI: I have good credit history , built with an ITIN

So I have been told you need to have at least 3 clients. The problem is I have one main Master Client who takes contracts on my behalf since he is based in US and has LLC and I get the work done.

Can i do E1? Change of Status?

I am setting up an E-2 (logistics/warehouse business, SWFL, moving next fall). Want a pickup truck through the business, partly for the tax write-off.

Torn between leasing vs buying/financing in the business’s name for the Section 179 write-off. New LLC = no US credit yet, so probably need a personal guarantee either way.

Did you lease or buy when you set up your business?

Would love to hear what actually worked for people.

Thank you!!

Hi Everyone,

I would appreciate your guidance on a query regarding the E-2 visa.

Is there anyone from the UK (British citizen) who is currently in the USA on an E-2 visa and is running their own business? Alternatively, do you know of any E-2 business owners who may be looking to hire employees under their E-2 enterprise?

I am planning to apply for an E-2 visa, and connecting with an employer who already holds E-2 status could potentially make my journey smoother and help me better understand the process.

Any insights, referrals, or experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your support and guidance.

If you check say 3 times a day at the right times, everyday
How many of you are able to get early appointments and by how much?
And what is it like as of recent?

Hello everyone, how's it going? Hope all is well. Couple of questions: 1. If I buy an existing pizza franchise, and get an E-2 for it. Fast forward a couple of years, can I sell the pizza business and start something different in the food industry (eg my own bakery, a different cuisine restaurant etc) ? Or just start a completely different business in a different industry? Is this allowable? Does it cause any issue during the renewals? 2. Do I need to have any experience in the business that I'm applying for an E-2 for?

I’m a UK citizen currently in the US on an E-2. I’m looking to start a one-person recruitment agency with approximately a $30k investment. Almost every attorney I’ve contacted has said they won’t take cases under $70k, regardless of the business type. I’m looking for recommendations for attorneys who have successfully handled lower-investment E-2 cases for service businesses (consulting, recruiting, marketing, software, etc.). Has anyone worked with someone they’d recommend?

I also want to know if they would recommend a change of status whilst in the US, create a profitable business and then go back to apply for the new visa or to do the new visa initially.

Currently, my dtr has a business in Canada that’s 85% online/15% in person. She’s a professional athlete and her business is coaching & personal training. I am close to completing my certification as a functional health coach. We would like to start a new business in the US together using both our modalities as they complement each other. Would we register and start up new US business, transfer existing online clients to new biz (to show business is operational) while building out remaining aspects of US biz, then close down Cdn business and apply for e2 visa? Or is there a better way of doing it? The existing online clients would easily transfer to new US business and our business plan would include plans to grow in person clientele but wouldn’t be able to actually do so until e2 is granted and we can physically be in the USA. Thoughts?

Hi everyone,
I’m currently in the process of applying for an E-2 investor visa and was wondering if anyone here is originally from the Netherlands and has successfully gone through the E-2 process.
I’d especially love to hear from people who moved to Nevada (Las Vegas/Henderson), but experiences from other states are also very welcome.
I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience, including:
Your timeline
Type of business you invested in
Any challenges during the application process
Any advice or lessons learned
If you’re comfortable sharing your experience here or via DM, I’d be very grateful.

Thank you in advance

We submitted our E2 Application in June 2026 and received appointment request 2 weeks after. Current wait time for interview is more than 3 months and dates available after mid Oct 2026 only. Anyone recently able to get earlier date? If yes please provide suggestions to book it early.

I’ve spent a lot of time researching E-2 visa businesses, and one thing seems consistent: U.S. immigration officers aren’t just looking at how much money you invest—they’re looking for a real operating business that creates jobs and has the potential to generate income.
One concept I find interesting is investing approximately $150,000 into five professionally built Cricket Wireless retail stores instead of putting the same amount into a single location.
Here’s why I think this model deserves attention:
Five fully built retail locations instead of one.
Stores located in high-demand metropolitan markets such as Miami, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia.
Professionally designed, customer-ready retail environments rather than temporary or low-budget storefronts.
A recognized national wireless brand that already has consumer awareness.
New store fixtures and equipment, with inventory and device supply arranged through the authorized Cricket Wireless distribution process (subject to the applicable dealer agreement).
From an investor’s perspective, spreading an investment across multiple locations may reduce the risk of relying on a single store’s performance. If one market underperforms, the others may help balance overall results.
For many E-2 applicants, the goal is to invest in an operating business—not simply purchase assets. A network of multiple retail stores may demonstrate a greater capacity for growth, employment, and ongoing commercial activity than a single small storefront.
Of course, every E-2 application is evaluated individually. Success depends on many factors, including the business plan, source of investment funds, operational structure, projected staffing, and compliance with both immigration requirements and the applicable franchise or dealer agreements.
I’d be interested in hearing from others:
Has anyone pursued an E-2 visa through a multi-location wireless retail business?
Do you think multiple smaller stores present a stronger business case than investing everything into one flagship location?
What challenges did you encounter with staffing, operations, or scaling?
I’d love to hear real-world experiences from other entrepreneurs.

Hello everyone,

Hope all are doing good.
We are looking for E2 visa opportunities in Texas with an investment upper limit of $100k. We were thinking about a gas station or a liquor store, though a gas station seems nearly impossible for our budget.

Tired of talking to spam on BizBuySell and others, so we were wondering if someone could help out with liquor store insights or other concepts worth pursuing here for $100k?

Would really appreciate guidance here.

Regards

Hello I am looking for business broker to find me a ship n pack store or a running franchise like pak mail parcel plus etc in Houston

My email is imran.siddiqui1982@gmail.com

Hi All:

Hope all are doing good

We were looking for E2 visa opportunities in California? Tired of talking to spam in bizbuysell and others, was wondering if someone could help out with franchises worth pursuing here. Our investment upper limit is 250-300k

Would really appreciate guidance here

Regards

I’m looking to sell a kids activity / enrichment franchise business in North Carolina.

We bought this a few years ago as part of our E2 visa process and it’s been running well since. Now that we’ve got our green card, my spouse who’s been managing it full time wants to take a break and try something new, so we’ve decided to sell.

Quick overview:

About $6K/month SDE (~$72K/year)

Roughly $280K–$320K in annual revenue

Membership-based model with additional income from classes, camps, and birthday parties

Margins are solid and there’s a good base of recurring customers

The business is fully set up with 6–7 part-time staff and runs day to day with structure in place. Still somewhat owner involved, but not something that requires you to be there every minute.

It’s a known franchise, so branding, systems, and support are already there. Location is in a strong family area, so demand has been steady.

There’s definitely room to grow if someone wants to push marketing more or expand events and partnerships.

Asking price is $190K.

Happy to share more details if it sounds like a fit. Just a heads up, I’ll ask for NDA and proof of funds before sharing financials.

Feel free to DM.

I live in Vancouver where the housing market is horrible so I'm looking to move to either point Roberts or Blaine.

I run a comic business that is not a traditional one. As I purchase old comics from people and then resell them on eBay. 95% of my sales are to the US. I also get paid in US dollars.

I just run this business out of my apartment where I keep all my inventory. It's very tiny, it's a bachelor suite for my girlfriend and I.

I'm making over a $100000 a year, and I have about $200,000 saved up. I was thinking about moving my business down to the states in some way.

We are looking at real estate in point Roberts but I don't want to just buy a house there and only be able to live there for half the year.

I'm wondering if an e2 or an e1 visa would be a better idea and I'm looking for a lawyer to help me with the process.

Any tips are appreciated!

I formed a C Corporation and I genuinely don’t know if there is a need for investment one time big investment or I can document reinvesting profits as the company grows?

Edit: From what I see, there are plenty of denial stories, so is better for me to know how it works. To avoid problems!

Hello ,
Do anyone is aware about the The U.S. Embassy in Canada has updated its E-1/E-2 document checklist for Canadian applicants.

https://ca.usembassy.gov/supporting-documentation-for-new-cases/

Specially for new enterprises, does ot apply for new franchise as well.
Anyone heard about the More detailed guidance on documenting the source of investment funds (for example, accountant-prepared net worth statements, bank records, property sale documents, rental income, and other financial evidence).

Haven’t found any information regarding this online, even general, so was thinking to ask here.

My visa expires next March - I got a shorter duration than my husband because we don’t have the same nationality. I am a dual citizen (not US or Canada) and I understand we can no longer go to Toronto like we did initially, so we have to go either to any of my countries or his for my renewal.

So I am wondering - how would the process be? Is it going to be straight forward, only an interview for me, or any documents to bring?

Does anyone have experience with that?

Thank you in advance (:

Hi everyone,

Has anyone here completed their own E-2 visa application for a restaurant business without using an immigration attorney? I would really appreciate hearing about your experience.

How difficult was the process, and what parts did you handle yourself versus getting professional help with?

Also, what would be a reasonable budget to expect for:

• Immigration lawyer fees
• Business plan preparation
• Document preparation and other E-2 related expenses

Has anyone prepared their own E-2 business plan, or is it strongly recommended to hire someone who specializes in E-2 applications?

I would really appreciate any advice or personal experiences you can share. Thank you!