How Much Do You Need to Invest in US to Get a Green Card?
How much do you need to invest in the US to get a green card? Although the law does not specify an exact dollar amount, here is what you can expect.
How Much Do You Need to Invest in US to Get a Green Card?
Although this is a common question, there isn’t a set amount of money that you can invest in the US in order to get permanent residency. You can make an investment and get a visa, however. The E2 visa is a non-immigrant investor visa that actually forbids the visa holder from having an intent to immigrate to the United States at the time the visa is issued for entry. After entry, the E-2 visa holder may explore their permanent residency options. The experts at E-2VisaWorld explore investment amounts for E-2 visa, E-2 visa and permanent residency, and other investment-related visa questions below.
How Much Money Do You Need to Invest in the US to Get a Green Card?
According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, you must invest a “substantial” amount of money into a legitimate U.S. enterprise to initially qualify for an E2 visa. You may also have the option of obtaining an E-2 visa by purchasing a franchise. To meet the E-2 visa investment requirements, our attorneys recommend an investment amount of at least $80,000. However, the exact amount required can depend on the specifics of your situation.
Determining Investment Green Card Amount
Substantiality is identified by utilizing a “proportionality test”. A financial investment is considered significant by comparing the overall quantity invested to the expense of running or developing the business.
How Much Do You Have to Invest to Get a Green Card?
If the financial investment quantity has invested one hundred percent of the required funds for business, then the financial investment is considered significant. Many cases include lower percentages, and substantiality can be assessed as an inverted sliding scale. Our business immigration consultants can help you determine the substantiality of your investment.
How to Get a Green Card Through Investment
E2 investors have a number of indirect paths to green cards available depending upon their unique circumstances. These include the following:
- Employer sponsorship through the PERM process
- Permanent residence through the national interest waiver
- Family-based application for residency
Green Card Investment Options
The EB-5 program is another investor visa option that offers a direct path to a green card, but this option requires a significantly larger investment (a minimum of around 1 million dollars). However, you may be able to apply for an EB-5 visa while you are on an E-2 visa status. For more information, we suggest reading why an E-2 visa is preferable to an EB-5 visa.
How Long Does it Take to Get Green Card Through Investment?
The processing time for an E2 visa can range from about 2 weeks to 4 months. Once you have obtained your E2 visa, you can anticipate an additional wait of at least one to two years to obtain your green card after you apply for it based on additional circumstances like the PERM labor certification or family sponsorship.
The path to a green card is often indirect, but our immigration experts can help you come up with the best avenue for you and estimate a reasonable timeline for obtaining your green card.
Contact E-2VisaWorld About US Green Card by Investment
Prior to committing to investing and moving to the US, it’s best to discuss your business strategies, investment goals, and immigration objectives with trusted business immigration experts.
At E-2VisaWorld, we can help you determine the exact amount that must be invested to obtain your E2 visa and later begin your path to a green card. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
