IT Franchises for E-2 Visa: Hidden Approval Risks

When tech professionals research the E-2 visa, IT franchises often look like the perfect fit.

Low overhead.
No storefront.
Modern industry.
Good margins.

But the E-2 visa is not about picking just a business you have industry knowledge of. It is about building a real operating enterprise in the U.S. with economic substance, job creation (employees and/or contractors), and a structure that makes sense to an adjudicator.

The Hidden Problem: Very Few IT Franchises Will Accept E-2 Investors

Even before we talk about immigration pathways, there is a practical hurdle.

Most IT franchise brands simply do not want E-2 visa candidates.

This surprises investors, because many IT franchises are professionally run, have strong franchisees, and look “clean” on paper. But the franchisor’s internal risk assessment is different than yours.

Here is the reality:

• An E-2 investor is not just “another franchisee”
• They add visa timing pressure and documentation complexity
• If the franchisee struggles, the brand may blame the visa process, not operations
• It only takes one negative experience with an E-2 franchisee or even a difficult prospective franchisee for some brands to decide they are done with E-2 candidates

That last point is key. Many franchisors do not want to deal with cases that have added contingencies like needing the E2 visa to operate the business. They want predictable onboarding, predictable timelines, and predictable outcomes.

TeamLogic IT is the perfect example

I genuinely like TeamLogic IT.

I have spoken to multiple TeamLogic IT franchisees who praise the brand. The model is legitimate. The support is real. By my estimates, owners can expect to make $1,000,000 in revenue after a few years in operation with a 20% profit margin. That about $200,000 a year off of a $100,000-$150,000 investment. Not bad right? 

Despite years of effort on our side, we have effectively been begging for them to accept E-2 investors with no success. That is not a knock on the franchise. It is simply how risk-averse many franchise systems are when it comes to immigration-driven ownership.

Other examples we commonly see

There are several other IT franchise brands that do not work with E-2 investors either, including:

• CMIT Solutions
• Computer Troubleshooters
• NerdsToGo

So if you are an investor looking at an IT franchise for the E-2 visa, your first question should not be, “Is this a good business?”

It should be:

Will the franchisor even allow me to buy it as an E-2 investor?

Because many will not. I have yet to find a solid IT franchise that accepts E-2 visa investors.

Why the IT Business Model Can Be Harder to Defend for E-2

Let us assume you do find an IT franchise that is open to E-2 investors. Or even create your own IT business from scratch. You still have a second challenge.

Many IT franchises are structurally harder to position for E-2 approval and renewals because they often look:

• Remote-operable
• Owner-dependent
• Low headcount
• Light on fixed assets
• Easy to run with contractors

Those traits are attractive in business.

They can be a headache for the E-2 visa.

Consulate officers for the E-2 visa tend to like businesses that have a clear economic footprint:

• payroll
• employees
• local market dependency
• a management role for the investor
• a business that cannot be run from abroad

Many IT concepts struggle to tell that story cleanly.

IT businesses generally fit better in other categories like the O-1a talent visa or the L-1a intercompany transfer. These are more work visas than investor visas. One of our UK clients obtained an L-1a visa for himself while only investing $20,000 in the U.S. operations. E-2 visa businesses with investments under $80,000 are heavily scrutinized in our experience.

Remote Management Sounds Great, Until It Becomes a Visa Question

Many IT franchises advertise remote management as a feature.

From a visa standpoint, remote-operable businesses can create a simple question an officer may ask themselves:

“If this can be run from anywhere, why does the investor need to live in the United States?”

Stronger E-2 businesses usually have a clear answer to that question because the operations are local, labor-driven, and market-dependent.

Owner-Operator IT Can Look Like Self-Employment

This is another common pitfall.

If the business relies heavily on the investor’s technical skill, it may look like high-level self-employment rather than a scalable enterprise.

The E-2 visa is designed for active investment and management, not for importing a job for yourself.

If you are the technician, the salesperson, and the operations lead, scalability is limited and the E-2 story gets weaker.

Case Study: Home Care Franchise Strategy That Worked

One of our clients illustrates the smarter way to think about this.

The husband was a Canadian citizen born in India. Like many high earners from India, the family faced long-term green card timing uncertainty, so they wanted a more flexible U.S. pathway. A business plan that mapped their long term immigration strategy.

Instead of trying to build an IT consulting business around the husband’s personal labor, they structured the plan strategically.

The wife became the E-2 investor.

She invested in a home care franchise, a model built around:

• hiring caregivers
• local operations
• scheduling and compliance
• management systems
• visible job creation within the first year

The E-2 visa was approved.

In the beginning, the husband supported the business full-time to stabilize operations.

As the business grew and the team expanded, he transitioned back into tech. Because spouses of E-2 visa holders can receive work authorization, he was able to accept a role at a technology company earning $275,000 per year. From the salary alone he meets 1 of 10 criteria for the EB-1A green card and already meets 3 others (only 3 criteria are required).

This is the part many families miss:

A well-chosen E-2 franchise can create immigration stability and operational runway, while the spouse’s work authorization creates income flexibility and path to citizenship through a talent based green card category.

That is how you turn a visa strategy into a long-term family strategy.

When an IT Franchise Can Work for the E-2 Visa

There are exceptions. IT franchises can work when the structure is unmistakably “real business” rather than “portable consulting.”

In general, you want to see:

• meaningful upfront investment relative to the model
• a real office presence (even modest)
• multiple W-2 employees planned early
• the investor in a management role, not a technician role
• strong local market dependency

If you cannot confidently map out headcount growth and a managerial role, it is usually a sign you should look elsewhere.

Better Franchise Industries for E-2 Investors

If your goal is a stronger E-2 case and smoother renewals, most investors are better served by service businesses that naturally require employees and local execution, such as:

• home services
• senior care
• essential B2B services that require in-person delivery

These industries are not always glamorous. They tend to be immigration-friendly because the job creation and operational footprint are built into the model.

Final Thought

Most E-2 investors do not fail because they are underqualified.

They struggle because they pick a business that is optimized for lifestyle, not for immigration rules.

IT franchises can be excellent businesses. Some are well-run and admired by their franchisees.

But two things are true at the same time:

1. Very few IT franchise brands will accept E-2 investors
2. Even when they do, the model can be harder to defend for E-2 approval and renewals

The goal is not to pick the most exciting or easiest business.

The goal is to pick the business that gets your family on the field, legally, sustainably, and with options.