Although global migration slowed during the onset of the COVID pandemic, a sense of urgency and optimism is being felt around the world as the United States enters 2021 with a new President who has signalled he intends to loosen restrictions on travel and immigration. Valuable immigrant visas such as the US E2 visa are primed to drive migration to America.
For many high net worth individuals and their families, the United States is seen as the ultimate investment destination, including those from Africa. The US offers foreign investors a chance to grow their own business and access leading educational and work opportunities. To gain access to these incredible opportunities, investors must meet certain visa requirements which up until now have been largely restricted.
As the world waits for the US to ease travel and residency restrictions, investors can expect to gain access to coveted visa programs that offer their families the promise of economic, social and educational success. The most valuable of all of these is the E2 visa.
VIVIDPRIVÉ’s Citizenship Expert unpacks some of the questions some of our clients have regarding secondary citizenship, the E2 visa, and what the current global trends are.
Why investors and their families need to apply for the E2 visa
The E2 visa opens the door to incredible business, social and educational opportunities in the US. It’s also one of the most affordable ways to launch a business in America. The US E-2 visa is among one of the most sought after investor visas in the world because it offers the freedom to start your own business in one of the world’s most successful economies.
Below we’ll explore the top 5 reasons why you need to apply for the E2 visa:
The investor’s dependent children receive free education in US public schools. Child dependants can attend any public school in the United States for free, grades K-12, and may then attend university under an in-state tuition rate. Your children will have access to the best education opportunities in the world, without you needing to spend a fortune to access the schools.
Relief from global income taxation. E-2 visa holders can spend 120 days in the United States without being subject to worldwide income taxes. You are free to come and go as you please.
You may sponsor employees from your home country. Once you establish your US business, you can sponsor specialized employees from your country of origin to come work in your company.
Your spouse may work anywhere in the US. Spouses of the E-2 investor may obtain employment in any US state, and at any company. Their opportunities to further their career are endless.
The E-2 visa may be renewed indefinitely. There is no limit to the number of times you can renew your visa, meaning it is possible to reside in the US for many years to come.
E2 visa requirements and how you can apply
One of the greatest advantages of an E2 visa compared to other investor visas is that there is no minimum investment required in order to participate, as long as the amount of money invested is sufficient to operate a profitable US business. Typically, investors can anticipate needing to invest at least $150,000. This is a much lower amount than Canada’s investor visa, and significantly more affordable than most European countries.
In order to be eligible to apply for the E2 investor visa, the applicant must meet the following criteria:
The investor is in the process of, or has already invested a sufficient sum of money in an approved and legitimate US business.
The investor is seeking residency privileges in the US in order to develop, direct or oversee the business.
The investor is a national of a country that maintains a treaty of navigation and commerce with the US.
Many high net worth individuals come from countries that do not have a treaty of navigation and commerce with the US, which is a considerable roadblock to accessing the E2 visa. Thankfully there is an affordable way to receive citizenship in an eligible country. Citizenship by investment programs make it possible to achieve dual citizenship in exchange for an investment in an approved real estate project.
Here is how citizenship by investment works
Citizenship by investment programs, also called economic citizenship, are offered by a country’s government as a way of generating funds to support development. An investor can make a financial contribution to a government approved real estate project, and in return, they and their family will receive citizenship in that country.
The real estate projects are managed by trusted and approved developers like Range Developments, who help investors make a financial contribution and navigate the citizenship process.
There are many countries that offer citizenship by investment programs, but only a few of them provide access to the E2 visa. Grenada is a highly sought after economic citizenship destination because of its unique distinction as the only Caribbean country to hold a treaty of navigation and commerce with the United States.
Grenada citizens are eligible to apply for the US E-2 visa. You can now begin to see how the pathway to the United States begins with Grenada citizenship by investment.
Before you rush to learn how to make an investment in Grenada, there are a few key points you need to know about the process. Citizenship by investment programs are valuable only if the real estate developer can actually complete the project. Before taking any decision, conduct your due diligence and make sure the developer has a track record of completed Citizenship by Investment projects.
This is why it is critically important to work with a trusted and proven citizenship by investment developer, like Range Developments, who has successfully delivered 2 ultra luxury hotels in the Caribbean – one in Dominica and one in St. Kitts.
A third luxury hotel, Six Senses La Sagesse in Grenada is currently under development and will be completed in 2022. An investment in Six Senses La Sagesse will award investors and their immediate family with Grenada citizenship, and open the door to apply for the E-2 visa.
Once you have received Grenada citizenship you may apply for the US E-2 visa, which generally takes between 1-4 months. The process is much faster than most investor visas, even taking into account the time it takes to receive your Grenada passport.
In addition to becoming eligible to apply for the E2 visa, Grenada citizens can also travel visa-free to over 140 countries including the UK, Schengen territories, China and Russia.
How to participate in the Grenada citizenship by investment program
The Grenada citizenship by investment program by Range which we exclusively offer our clients starts at $220,000 USD and provides citizenship to you, your spouse and dependent children. To get started on your journey to the US and the E2 visa, speak to one of our citizenship by investment consultants. We will review your investment goals and help you prepare the documents to submit to the Grenada government.
To speak with our Citizenship Expert, email us at info@vividprive.com
