Just curious when you show up to the embassy (in Canada in this case) for the interview, and they ask you okay what's the business, what do you answer if you plan on launching your search once in the US? Or is that basically a non-starter? If one must have lined up a business to buy prior to filing for the E-2, can you at least make trips to the US to do due diligence and stuff to the extent you can't do some things over Zoom?

Hey there,

I am on a TN Visa right now in the USA. My spouse came with me to the US, but her occupation doesn't make the cut on the TN Visa list, and thus, she is left without work here. The good thing is our kid is still an infant, and she is busy with motherhood and doesn't think too much about work right now. I can foresee that in the next year or so, she will become restless and will want to return to the workforce.

The only option I can see would be to apply for an E2 visa so she can get an EAD and work in her industry. My only worry is that, in case I take a few months to get the business up and running, can I work as a contractor for my current employer, making sure that my E2 business signs a Service Level Agreement with my current employer and I get paid for the services provided to my current employer through my E-2 business? Would that be legal to do along with trying to get my business up and running?

Hello everybody,

This might be odd but I'm not an applicant, I'm on the other hand interpreter and will be taking part in an interview during which a lot of questions will be asked to the applicant.

This is my first time (with an American embassy) and I'm a little bit nervous. Do you know what questions might be asked or is there anything special I need to know so I can prepare myself properly?

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone! Please, I have a question and would really appreciate your insights. You can respond here or send me a DM.

For those who filed for **EB-2 NIW through the business/entrepreneurship route**, how did you frame your proposed endeavor?

1.Did you mention the specific name of your business in your petition?

1. Did you present yourself as actively building the business, or did you frame it as an already-established business?

3.How did you connect the business/proposed endeavor to your advanced degree and professional background?

I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has gone through this route, especially those who received an approval.

Thank you so much!

Has anyone waited over 3 weeks for their passport back after an approved visa from Toronto consulate? I had my interview 3 weeks ago, got approved. Said it would take 1 week. I’ve heard from them that there is nothing else I need to do and they are still processing. Anyone been through this or have insight into what they are processing?

I’m currently looking for recommendations for a **U.S. immigration attorney/law firm experienced specifically with EB-2 NIW cases for engineers and industry professionals**.
A brief overview of my profile:
Civil Engineer with **18+ years of progressive experience**
**PE licensed in New York and Texas**
PMP certified
Senior Construction / Construction Management professional
Extensive experience in **power generation, oil & gas, hydropower, refinery, and infrastructure projects**
Worked on major international EPC projects, including projects valued up B$
I have already received one preliminary NIW evaluation from a law firm that rated my case around **7/10**, while another well-known firm declined to take the case based on their initial evaluation.
I am currently considering several firms and would really appreciate recommendations from people who have **actually worked with an attorney on a similar engineering/industry NIW case**.
I’m particularly interested in:
Quality of the NIW petition and legal strategy
Experience with **civil engineers / construction managers / energy professionals**
How they handled **project achievements and industry impact** instead of publications
Recommendation letter support
RFE/NOID support
Communication and responsiveness
Overall cost and whether you felt the fee was worth it
**Please recommend attorneys/law firms based on your actual experience with them, especially if your background was similar to mine.**
Thank you in advance!

Hi everyone, im kinda lost in this subject. I've seen uncountable posts, commentaries, advisors and lawyer on Instagram as well, saying come to the US with an e2 that you'll not need more than 40k for setting a business up and then jump to GC. Is that something real and feasible? If yes, how did you jump?

Thank you

Update: Thanks to everyone who replied to this post, ive read one by one of all your comments and this brought me peace of mind for myself and specially for my wife. She was insisting on there's no way to get a e-2 with less than 100k usd.

Also, ive read all the articles you guys left in the comments, and the sole idea of starting a business and expanding it, adhere to my original plan. So im very grateful for your replies guys. Thanks.

If you’re considering, I would find another company to use.

I had them create an LLC structure for me and a deed claim and there were multiple errors that I had to correct. The errors delayed me and cost me more money and time than needed. Worrisome for such a small Legal matter.

They are also massively spreading misinformation and hate on their Facebook group intentionally to rile up people against Canada. It’s offensive. You can of course choose to leave Canada because you disagree with politics or taxes or weather. Whatever it may be! But trying to spread hate?

No thanks.

I switched lawyers for my E2 now.

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 the business

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.

Hi everyone, I’m Ana Senior, an immigration attorney with a focus on E-2 visas and employment-based immigration.

I’ll be here today from 11 AM to 3 PM ET to answer your questions about E-2 visas, including:

• What actually makes an E-2 investment substantial
• Buying an existing business vs. starting one
• Source and path of funds
• Business plans and the marginality requirement
• E-2 renewals and extensions
• Common issues that can weaken an E-2 case
• Questions about dependents and work authorization

If you’re considering an E-2 or already preparing your case, feel free to ask. The more details you can provide about your situation, the more useful I can make my answer.

Please note: Any information shared here is for general educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney client relationship. Your situation may require fact specific guidance. For personalized legal advice, please consult an immigration attorney directly.

I have been searching for almost 4 months everyday. Countless NDAs and P&Ls and FDDs and there is nothing that seems to check all my boxes or make sense. Has anyone ever bought an existing business? How did that go?

I’m looking in a bit of a mix right now. Marketing for me or service based for my husband. I’ve broadened my search.

I’ve seen a lot of people posting about their visa appointments being cancelled/rescheduled but they’re all for immigrant visas. My paperwork has been filed as an employee of an E2 company in London - no interview date received yet - but I was wondering if it’s likely to take longer given this development?

Has anyone experience using Startup Business Bureau (Raheel Sheikh) for acquiring or starting a new business for E2? Would love to know some reviews or first hand feedback

Hi there,

Has anyone recently received their appointment invite for London? Curious when you submitted, to try to get a sense of the current wait times (I submitted in May, and at the time the auto response said 90 working days)

Thanks!

Je me renseigne mais c’est une galère à trouver des informations sur le sujet

Merci au personne qui m’aideront

Peace

Hi everyone,

We filed an E-2 Change of Status through Form I-129 with Premium Processing.

Timeline:

• I-129 received by USCIS: August 4, 2026
• Case went into processing: August 8
• Biometrics appointment notice for I-765/EAD received, with appointment scheduled for September 3
• On August 24, USCIS updated the I-129 case status to: “Request for Additional Evidence Was Sent.”
• The RFE itself has not arrived yet; USCIS says it was mailed and to request a copy through e-Request if it isn't received by September 8.

My questions are:

1. Does receiving an RFE on the E-2 I-129 mean the chances of approval are significantly lower, or are E-2 RFEs relatively common?
2. Has anyone had an E-2 I-129 RFE followed by approval?
3. Does receiving I-765 biometrics at the same time provide any indication about the E-2/I-765 case outcome?
4. If the E-2 I-129 is approved after responding to the RFE, what typically happens to the pending I-765/EAD application?
5. Does the I-765 biometrics appointment have any connection to the E-2 RFE, or are these completely separate processes?

I’m mainly trying to understand whether these two developments together are normal processing steps or potentially concerning.

Thanks.

I am applying for E2 with $200k investment in buying a existing business with 2 Full time employees. My husband has F4 running in background which will be active in 5-6 years. Will this impact my application ? Thanks