E-1 & E-2 Visa Treaty Countries

E-1 and E-2 Visa Treaty Countries — Complete List

The United States grants two special nonimmigrant visa categories to nationals of countries with which it maintains qualifying treaties of commerce and navigation: the E-1 treaty trader visa and the E-2 treaty investor visa. If your country has such a treaty in force with the United States, you may be eligible to live and work in the U.S. to conduct substantial trade (E-1) or to direct and develop a qualifying U.S. business in which you have invested (E-2).

This page provides the complete, current list of E-1 and E-2 treaty countries as published by the U.S. Department of State, along with the effective dates of each treaty and key country-specific notes. If you are a national of one of these countries and are considering a U.S. business venture, M.C. Law Group’s investor-visa attorneys can help you determine whether your circumstances qualify and walk you through the petition process from start to finish.

Data verified against travel.state.gov as of May 2026. The list is updated when new treaties enter into force; consult the State Department’s official page or our office for the most current information before filing.

What Is an E-1 Treaty Trader Visa?

The E-1 visa is for nationals of treaty countries entering the United States solely to engage in substantial international trade between the U.S. and their country of nationality. To qualify, the applicant must:

• Be a national of a country with a qualifying E-1 treaty in force (see the list below)
• Carry on substantial trade with the United States — generally meaning a continuous flow of sizable trade transactions, not isolated deals
• Have principal trade (more than 50%) between the U.S. and the treaty country
• Be entering the U.S. in a managerial, executive, or essential-skills capacity

E-1 status is initially granted for up to two years, with unlimited two-year extensions as long as the treaty trader activity continues. Family members (spouse and unmarried children under 21) may accompany the principal applicant in E-1 dependent status, and the E-1 spouse may apply for work authorization in the United States.

For more on E-1 eligibility, qualifying activities, and the application process, see our E-1 Treaty Traders page at /investment-in-the-us/e-1-treaty-traders/.

What Is an E-2 Treaty Investor Visa?

The E-2 visa is for nationals of treaty countries entering the United States to direct and develop the operations of a U.S. enterprise in which they have invested, or are actively in the process of investing, a substantial amount of capital. To qualify, the applicant must:

• Be a national of a country with a qualifying E-2 treaty in force (see the list below)
• Have invested, or be actively in the process of investing, a substantial amount of capital in a bona fide U.S. enterprise
• Be entering the U.S. solely to develop and direct the investment enterprise (typically demonstrated by at least 50% ownership or operational control)
• Demonstrate that the investment is at risk in a real, operating commercial enterprise — not idle or speculative
• Show that the enterprise is more than marginal (i.e., will generate more than enough income to support the investor and family, or will make a significant economic contribution)

E-2 status is initially granted for up to two years, with unlimited two-year extensions as long as the qualifying investment is maintained. There is no minimum investment amount specified in the statute — “substantial” is judged in proportion to the total cost of the enterprise — but in practice, investments below $100,000 face greater scrutiny.

For more on E-2 eligibility, qualifying investments, and the application process, see our E-2 Treaty Investors page at /investment-in-the-us/e-2-treaty-investors/.

Current List of E-1 and E-2 Treaty Countries

The table below reflects all treaty countries currently recognized by the U.S. Department of State. Some countries qualify for both E-1 and E-2 status; others qualify for only one. Footnote references in the Country column point to the Country-Specific Notes section that follows.

Country-Specific Notes

1. China (Taiwan): Pursuant to Section 6 of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), Public Law 96-8, 93 Stat. 14, and Executive Order 12143, 44 F.R. 37191, this agreement, which was concluded with the Taiwan authorities prior to January 1, 1979, is administered on a nongovernmental basis by the American Institute in Taiwan, a nonprofit District of Columbia corporation, and constitutes neither recognition of the Taiwan authorities nor the continuation of any official relationship with Taiwan.
2. Czech Republic and Slovak Republic: The Treaty with the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic entered into force on December 19, 1992; entered into force for the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic as separate states on January 1, 1993.
3. Denmark: The Treaty which entered into force on July 30, 1961, does not apply to Greenland.
4. France: The Treaty which entered into force on December 21, 1960, applies to the departments of Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Réunion.
5. Japan: The Treaty which entered into force on October 30, 1953, was made applicable to the Bonin Islands on June 26, 1968, and to the Ryukyu Islands on May 15, 1972.
6. Netherlands: The Treaty which entered into force on December 5, 1957, is applicable to Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles.
7. Norway: The Treaty which entered into force on September 13, 1932, does not apply to Svalbard (Spitzbergen and certain lesser islands).
8. Spain: The Treaty which entered into force on April 14, 1903, is applicable to all territories.
9. Suriname: The Treaty with the Netherlands which entered into force on December 5, 1957, was made applicable to Suriname on February 10, 1963.
10. United Kingdom: The Convention which entered into force on July 3, 1815, applies only to British territory in Europe (the British Isles, except the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Gibraltar) and to “inhabitants” of such territory. This term, as used in the Convention, means “one who resides actually and permanently in a given place, and has his domicile there.” Also, in order to qualify for treaty trader or treaty investor status under this treaty, the alien must be a national of the United Kingdom. Individuals having the nationality of members of the Commonwealth other than the United Kingdom do not qualify for treaty trader or treaty investor status under this treaty.
11. Yugoslavia: The U.S. view is that the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) has dissolved and that the successor states — Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Kosovo — continue to be bound by the treaty in force with the SFRY at the time of dissolution.
12. Australia E-3: The E-3 visa is for nationals of the Commonwealth of Australia who wish to enter the United States to perform services in a “specialty occupation.” The term “specialty occupation” means an occupation that requires theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and attainment of a bachelor’s or higher degree in the specific specialty (or its equivalent) as a minimum for entry into the occupation in the United States. The definition is the same as the Immigration and Nationality Act definition of an H-1B specialty occupation.
13. Bolivia: Bolivian nationals with qualifying investments in place in the United States by June 10, 2012, continue to be entitled to E-2 classification until June 10, 2022. The only nationals of Bolivia (other than those qualifying for derivative status based on a familial relationship to an E-2 principal alien) who may currently qualify for E-2 visas are those applicants who are coming to the United States to engage in E-2 activity in furtherance of covered investments established or acquired prior to June 10, 2012.
14. Ecuador: Ecuadorian nationals with qualifying investments in place in the United States by May 18, 2018, continue to be entitled to E-2 classification until May 18, 2028. The only nationals of Ecuador (other than those qualifying for derivative status based on a familial relationship to an E-2 principal alien) who may currently qualify for E-2 visas are those applicants who are coming to the United States to engage in E-2 activity in furtherance of covered investments established or acquired prior to May 18, 2018.
15. Israel: Pursuant to a treaty of friendship, commerce, and navigation between the United States and Israel that entered into force on April 3, 1954, nationals of Israel are entitled to E-1 status for treaty trader purposes. Under Public Law 112-130 (June 8, 2012), nationals of Israel are also accorded E-2 status for treaty investor purposes, provided the Government of Israel provides similar nonimmigrant status to nationals of the United States. The Department of State confirmed reciprocal treatment, and E-2 visas may be issued to nationals of Israel beginning on May 1, 2019.
16. New Zealand: Public Law 115-226, enacted on August 1, 2018, accorded nationals of New Zealand E-1 and E-2 status for treaty trader/treaty investor purposes, provided the Government of New Zealand provides similar nonimmigrant status to nationals of the United States. The Department of State confirmed reciprocal treatment, and E visas may be issued to nationals of New Zealand beginning on June 10, 2019.
17. Portugal: Public Law 117-263, enacted on December 23, 2022, accorded nationals of Portugal E-1 and E-2 status for treaty trader/treaty investor purposes, provided the Government of Portugal provides similar nonimmigrant status to nationals of the United States. The Department of State confirmed reciprocal treatment, and E visas may be issued to nationals of Portugal beginning on March 15, 2024.

What If My Country Isn’t on the Treaty List?

If your country of nationality does not appear on the list above, you cannot file directly for an E-1 or E-2 visa under your current nationality. However, depending on your circumstances, you may still have options:

• Dual citizenship strategy: If you hold dual nationality with a treaty country, you may file for E-1 or E-2 status using your treaty-country passport. Many of our clients are eligible under their second nationality (e.g., a Brazilian national who also holds Italian citizenship can file under the Italy-U.S. treaty).
• Citizenship-by-investment programs: Some treaty countries (such as Grenada, Turkey, and others) offer citizenship-by-investment or accelerated naturalization programs. While the timeline and cost vary significantly, this can be a legitimate path to treaty-country nationality for E-2 eligibility. We coordinate with international counsel where appropriate.
• EB-5 immigrant investor visa: The EB-5 program is open to nationals of any country, including non-treaty countries, and leads directly to lawful permanent residence (green card status) rather than nonimmigrant status. The investment threshold is higher ($800,000 in a Targeted Employment Area or $1,050,000 elsewhere) and requires job creation, but it does not depend on treaty eligibility. See our EB-5 Immigrant Investor page for details.
• Other employment-based or business-related visa categories: Depending on your background, the L-1 intracompany transferee visa, O-1 extraordinary ability visa, or H-1B specialty occupation visa may be appropriate alternatives.

During an initial consultation, our investor-visa attorneys will review your nationality, business plans, available capital, and long-term immigration goals to identify which path — or combination of paths — best fits your situation.

Why Work with M.C. Law Group on Your E-1 or E-2 Case

M.C. Law Group, LLC has represented investor-visa clients from more than 30 treaty countries over the past two decades. Our attorneys are active members of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), are rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell, and have been recognized by Super Lawyers and Avvo for our work in business and investor immigration.

E-1 and E-2 petitions are document-intensive cases that turn on the quality of the supporting evidence: business plans, source-of-funds documentation, organizational charts, financial projections, and proof of substantial trade or substantial investment. We work with each client to develop a complete, persuasive petition package that anticipates the consular officer’s or USCIS adjudicator’s concerns before they’re raised.

Our team handles cases in English, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Portuguese, and other languages. We file at USCIS service centers nationwide and represent clients at consular interviews worldwide. Our offices in Connecticut, New York, and California allow us to serve clients across the U.S. while maintaining the close attorney-client communication that complex investor cases require.

Schedule a Free Case Evaluation

For a free, confidential evaluation of your E-1 or E-2 visa case, call M.C. Law Group at (203) 373-9080 or contact us through our online consultation form. Initial consultations are conducted in English, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Portuguese, and other languages.