This week we look at the E Visa, a temporary work visa for foreign nationals of certain “treaty” countries that have struck up immigration deals with the United States. You can find the full list of treaty countries on the U.S. State Department website (there are around 50 of them.)

E visas are a popular alternative to H-1B visas and they share a few important features: they are temporary high-skill work permits that allow you to bring dependents to the U.S., and they are renewable. However, the E visas have more restrictions on who can apply based on country, employer, and investment. E visa holders also have a great deal of freedom to travel in and out of the United States during their stay in the U.S. Unlike H-1Bs, E visa spouses can obtain a U.S. work permit.

E-1 Visas

E-1 visas, also known as Treaty Trader Visas, are designated for executives, managers, or specialists of an international company based in a treaty nation. The purpose of the E-1 visa is to allow these foreign workers to coordinate trade between their treaty country and the U.S. Immediate family members of E-1 visa holders also qualify for the E-1 visa.

E-2 Visas

The E-2 visa is also known as the Treaty Investor Visa, and like its name suggests, it requires a large financial commitment from the visa applicant. E-2 visas are sometimes confused with the EB-5 investor visa, but unlike the EB-5 visa, E-2 visas are restricted to citizens of the treaty countries, they do not lead to a green card, and they don’t require as large of an investment. Generally, USCIS will not consider anything under $25,000 for an E-2 investment, even though there are no specific minimums for the E-2. The EB-5 has a minimum investment of either 500,000 or $1,000,000 depending on the location of the business investment, and there is a great deal more paperwork required.

The E-2 visa holder must invest a substantial amount of capital in a U.S. enterprise (at least 50%), and their purpose for entering and working in the U.S. must be to direct and develop this business.

E-3 Visas

E-3 Visas were created in 2005 and they are only available to citizens of Australia. E-3 visas are a popular alternative to the H-1B for Australian nationals because they aren’t subject to the H-1B cap and they are processed much more quickly, while still offering many of the benefits of the H-1B. Like the other E visas, the E-3 is renewable in two year increments.

Each week, we look at a different non-immigrant visa by letter, starting with “A” visas. Our intention is to not only help people understand the depth and complexity of U.S. immigration, but also to bring awareness to the enormously diverse pool of immigrants that enter our country every year.