The United States has signed treaties and agreements with many countries. When the US signs a treaty with a country, the US is generally open to conducting business with that country. As a result, the US generally makes treaty visas available to residents of countries with which there are signed treaties and agreements. Nationals from these countries can generally apply for two types of visas to travel to the US to live and work in the US: the E-1 Treaty Trader Visa or the E-2 Treaty Investor Nonimmigrant Visa. The E-1 visa is for nationals who do significant international trade with the United States while the E-2 visa is appropriate for those who have made significant investment in the US.
Anyone who wishes to apply for an E-1 Treaty Trader Visa or an E-2 Treaty Investor Nonimmigrant Visa must file USCIS Form DS-156 (Nonimmigrant Visa Application) and USCIS Form DS-156E (Nonimmigrant Treaty Trader/Investor Application Form) together. Together, these two forms constitute an application for the E1 or E2 visa. Currently, nationals from Argentina, China, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Australia, Colombia, Germany, Japan, Norway, Switzerland, Austria, Costa Rica, Greece, Korea, Oman, Thailand, Belgium, Denmark, Honduras, Latvia, Pakistan, Togo, Bolivia, Estonia, Iran, Liberia, the Philippines, Turkey, Brunei, Ethiopia, Ireland, Luxembourg, Spain, the U.K., Canada, Finland, Israel, Mexico, Suriname, and Yugoslavia are part of treaty countries and may be eligible to apply for E visas using immigration Form DS 156E (Nonimmigrant Treaty Trader/Investor Application Form).
Form DS156E is available for download from the USCIS web site. It is important to download the latest form and to follow the directions carefully, as any mistakes on this for can delay your visa. Immigration Form DS156E is three pages long and must be filled out completely, accurately, and truthfully. In general, Form DS-156E is filed with the US Embassy or Consulate. There is no filing fee for Form DS-156E.
To complete USCIS Form DS-156E, applicants must provide a business profile in part one of the immigration form. That is, they must complete information about the business name, address, and details about the type of business involved. Applicants must also provide details about the financial earnings and profits of the business using immigration form DS 156E. Part two of Form DS 156E requires applicants to detail information about business employees. Part three of DS 156E requires applicants to fill out personal information about themselves, including identifying information, name of US employer, and career information.
