Starting a business in any country can be financially and emotionally rewarding if you do your homework. There are a lot of opportunities for entrepreneurs to explore in a great business environment that encourages creativity and innovation.
All new businesses are inherently risky. It’s important to get to know the business law, potential obstacles, red tapes and everything else you need to get started quicker without problems.
If you plan to start a company in the United States, it’s important that you know exactly which visa you will need to apply for if you are a business owner, investor, or entrepreneur looking to move.
Many foreign business professionals who are considering starting a business in the United States have sought advice from the law professionals at Hirson Immigration when it comes to understanding the various visa options available.
In this article, we’ve reviewed the four popular types of visa that are available to those wishing to trade in the U.S. as an investor, business owner, or entrepreneur.
E-2 Investor Visa
An E-2 Visa is a visa option that is available to those wishing to start a business in the United States that they plan to develop and direct the operations of. Although it is possible for an individual to live indefinitely in the U.S. with an E-2 Visa, it does not lead to a green card, as it is a non-immigrant visa.
In order to qualify for this visa you must either start or buy a business which you plan to run, and the investment amount will depend on the type of business that you are starting.
For example, if you start a consulting firm the amount of investment could be as low as $50,000, whereas other businesses such as manufacturing plants will require a much higher amount.
EB5 Immigrant Investor Visa
If you have a large amount of capital to invest, the EB5 Immigrant Investor Visa – also known as the million dollar green card – is an ideal choice.
The advantage of this visa option is that it will provide both you and your family with green cards, however you will need to have invested or be actively in the process of investing either $1,000,000 in a city setting or $500,000 in rural settings.
You must be able to show that the investment amount has come from a legitimate source such as your own income or EB5 financing, and the entire amount must be active or at risk.
H-1B Visa
This is a non-immigrant visa that will allow a company to hire members of staff from overseas based on specialty occupations. This visa requires that the beneficiary has at least a Bachelor’s degree, and can be employed in the U.S. for up to six years.
If a business owner is also the beneficiary, this visa can be quite tricky as there are strict laws regarding whether a person who owns a company can sponsor themselves as a beneficiary of an H-1B visa.
L-Visa
An L-Visa allows a company to be able to transfer a manager or executive from an affiliated foreign company to an office in the United States.
This classification will also allow foreign companies who do not yet have an office in the U.S. to send executives or managers to the United States with the purpose of starting one.
As such, this is a visa that can be used by entrepreneurs, investors or business owners who want to send themselves or their employees to the U.S.
We wish you the best of luck with your new business venture!