E-2 visa article
E-2 Treaty Countries List 2025: Who Qualifies for the E-2 Visa
The E-2 visa is only available to citizens of treaty countries. See the full list of qualifying nations.
Who qualifies as an E-2 treaty investor?
The E-2 visa is available only to citizens of countries that have a qualifying treaty with the United States. You must hold citizenship from a treaty country, either by birth or naturalization. Long term residence alone is not enough.
If you have more than one passport, you can base your application on your treaty country citizenship even if you live somewhere else.
E-2 treaty countries list for 2025
The list of treaty countries can change over time, so you should always confirm the current status with the United States Department of State or your immigration attorney. As of 2025, examples of treaty countries include:
Europe: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Americas: Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago
Asia Pacific: Australia, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand
Middle East and Africa: Bahrain, Egypt, Iran (currently suspended), Israel, Jordan, Liberia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Senegal, Tunisia
Always double check the latest list before making major investment decisions.
Countries that do not have E-2 treaties
Some large sending countries do not have E-2 treaties. Examples include:
- India
- China
- Brazil
- Vietnam
- Nigeria
Citizens of these countries cannot apply directly for an E-2 visa. Some investors look at alternative options, such as the L-1, E-1 or EB-5 categories, or at obtaining citizenship in a treaty country, but those are separate strategies that require careful legal advice.
Treaty country status plus the rest of the E-2 requirements
Being a citizen of a treaty country is only the starting point. You must also:
- Invest a substantial amount of capital in a United States business
- Show that the enterprise is not marginal
- Demonstrate that your funds come from a lawful source
- Prove that you will develop and direct the company
Your E-2 business plan is the main document officers use to evaluate the investment and marginality requirements. A well prepared plan ties your treaty country citizenship to a viable and carefully documented business in the United States.
If you think you qualify
If you have or expect to have treaty country citizenship and you plan to invest in a United States business, the next step is to map out your business structure, investment timeline and hiring plans.
A focused E-2 business plan helps you organize those details in one place.