What Is an E2 Visa? (2023)

E2 Visa Approval Statistics

The approval rates for the E2 visa are much higher than other employment or investor visas like the H1-B, L-1 and EB-5. Over the past year, the approval rate fell slightly from 93% to 92%.

The approval rate includes people who did not receive the approval in the first interview and had to return to the consulate with a revised petition. The State Department has not released the approval data for fiscal year 2017, but the 2016 approval rate was 92%.

We expect approval rates to decrease as the E-2 visa option for managers has been held under tighter scrutiny in consulates around the world. The manager’s E2 visa option is generally harder to obtain than an investor petitioning for himself. Immigration attorneys are often being asked to prove that a U.S. worker could not fill the E-2 visa position.

*The adjusted approval rate equals:

[[1] minus [Refusals minus Overcomes]] divided by [Issuances plus Refusals minus Overcomes]

E2 Visa Approvals in The Americas

Our neighbors to the north and south, Canada and Mexico, remain the top countries for E2 visa approvals in the Western Hemisphere.

For example, Canada had 2,854 E2 visas issued in 2017, representing a growth of 10% over three years. This contrasts with Mexico, that has declined 10% over the past three years.

At Visa Franchise, we expect more Mexicans to apply in 2018 as fears have calmed regarding the perceived uncertainty in the Trump presidency and concerns have grown with the upcoming Mexican elections in July.

Two countries that do not maintain E2 visa treaties, Brazil and Venezuela, have had major growth over the past three years. Brazil alone has grown 354% over three years, representing an annualized growth rate about 100%. Many Brazilians and Venezuelans are dual nationals of E-2 visa countries in Europe and Latin America. In Latin America, E-2 visa demand tends to surge in countries with political and social uncertainty and instability.

Most of our Canadian clients move to the southern U.S. states of Florida, Texas, Arizona and California, often to escape the harsh winters in Canada. Many are also looking for greater economic and educational opportunities in the United States.

As for Latin Americans, there is a heavy concentration in Florida, Texas and California, and most of them move to the U.S. for better opportunities for their children.

E2 Visa Approvals in Asia

Asia has traditionally been the most popular region for E2 visa investors, due to Japan’s heavy concentration of petitioners. Through discussions with immigration attorneys, most of the E-2 visa issuances are for Japanese managers that are transferred to work in the Japanese company’s U.S. affiliate. Japan alone accounts for over 14,000 E2 visa issuances and that represents more than the 10,000 EB-5 visas issued every year! South Korea E-2 visa issuances have grown 20% over the past three years and many Koreans open up franchise businesses across the United States through the E2 visa program.

Language barriers can often be an issue for our Asian clients investing in U.S. franchises. We have developed a portfolio of business opportunities that has Chinese speaking staff (as well as other languages) to support our clients with less advanced English. Often, the franchisor can also provide an operator that speaks the same language as our client to support the ongoing business operations.

E2 Visa Issuances in Asia

Countries	2014	2015	2016	2017	3 Year Growth
Japan	11,439	12,172	13,609	14,360	26%
South Korea	1,766	2,137	2,020	2,126	-20%
Taiwan	361	382	463	561	55%
Thailand	427	506	598	511	20%
Phillippines	122	86	112	139	14%
Pakistan	52	140	160	111	113%
China	53	78	88	92	74%
Kazakhstan	24	20	37	46	92%
Sri Lanka	7	17	15	42	500%
India	22	34	34	32	45%