#2 of Visa requirements: How much are you investing?

And while there is no minimum, if you show up to your consulate interview and you invested $40,000, the interview is going to be tough without a doubt. Anything lower than $100,000, in our experience —we’ve had well over 400 clients over the last seven years—. Anything over $100,000 is risky. Most attorneys are not willing to put the petition forward if your investment could be considered not substantial. And there is no number, but a lot of consulate officers feel a little more comfortable when it’s $100,000. Also, that the investor shows that they spent money on. It could be the franchise fee, the real estate deposit, they have allocated working capital in the business, different professional advisory fees…

If it’s a business in which you need a car —like real estate property management or you’re installing floors or windows and you have a franchise that’s doing those types of installations, a truck, a car— could potentially work as an investment. But the key is substantiality. That it needs to be enough money to get the business off the ground and hit profitability within that five-year period.

Generally, you’re doing a business plan for five years. So you’ve got to work with your attorney. Find out if the business you’re interested in meets the substantiality E-2 visa requirement.