E2 vs EB5 Investor Visa
| E-2 INVESTOR VISA ADVANTAGES |
EB-5 INVESTOR VISA DISADVANTAGES |
| 1. Quick processing times – takes only 3 – 6 months to get the visa |
1. Slow processing time – two to fourteen years |
| 2. Investment –USD 100,000 upwards, depending on business involved. |
2. Investment – USD 900,000 for regional centre projects, USD 1.8 million for direct investment option. |
| 3. Investor has Control of Funds in the business – less stringent “due diligence” required. |
3. No control of funds , since investment is in third-party projects – heavy “due diligence” required. Risk of loss. |
| 4. Residency flexibility – less concern about maintaining domicile and physical presence. |
4. Residency Requirement – Need to maintain “domicile” and rigid enforcement of residence rules |
| 5. Immediate permission to work in the U.S., spouse can work anywhere, children can go to school and college at internal resident tuition rates. |
5. Investor has to wait for at least 2-5 years before being permitted to work or travel to the U.S. & can do so only upon the I-526 being approved. |
| 6. Low legal Cost – Roughly USD 10,000 – 20,000 |
6. High legal cost – approximately USD 50,000 – 70,000 or more in fees |
| 7. Possible tax advantages – as a non-immigrant resident if principal resident stays in USA not more than 122 days per year, no tax on worldwide income |
7. Taxation on worldwide income of investor. |
| 8. There is no per-country limit and no overall limit to the number of E2 visas that can be issued annually |
8. Only 10,000 EB-5 visas can be issued worldwide in any given year, with no more than 7.1% to nationals of any one country. This can become a problem for nationals of some countries. |
| 9. Less paperwork involved in visa application |
9. More paperwork involved in visa application |
| E-2 INVESTOR VISA DISADVANTAGES |
EB-5 INVESTOR VISA ADVANTAGES |
| 1. Temporary Residence Status – Must work – passive investment not enough. Therefore must speak at least some English. |
1. US permanent resident status |
| 2. The immigrant investor’s U.S. presence is tied to the business success – must work. |
2. No work requirement |
| 3. Must renew the visa every 2-5 years, depending on country of passport |
3. Renewal of usa residence permit cards every ten years. |
| 4. No clear route from e2 visa to green card/ U.S. citizenship |
4. Clear route to US citizenship. |
eb5 investor visa | e2 investor visa
