When someone starts researching the E2 Visa, the initial feeling is usually that there are many loose ends. In practice, the process follows a fairly logical sequence — from the first research to the consular interview. Knowing this map helps you plan each step calmly.

Below, the stages in order. First, a reminder: Unike works intensively on stage 3 (choosing the franchise) and refers the professionals for the others. The legal conduct of the visa always belongs to a specialized immigration attorney.

  • 1. Understand the requirements and benefits. The starting point is knowing what it takes to qualify — above all, the nationality of a treaty country and the substantial investment (recommended from US$ 100,000 in most cases) — and what the E2 provides for the family.
  • 2. Decide, as a family, whether this is the path. Even before choosing the company, you can make the decision to move. It's like deciding to buy a car: you don't need to have picked the model to know what it costs, what it involves, and what it brings. With the decision made, planning gets much easier.
  • 3. Choose the business you'll invest in. This is the most important stage — possibly more than the visa itself. The E2 will be tied to this company, so you need to select and analyze the best option for your profile, balancing personal satisfaction with the profitability that will support the family in the US and make renewals viable.
  • 4. Hire the immigration attorney. With the business more or less defined, the E2-specialized attorney comes in. They confirm whether that company qualifies, advise how to structure the investment within the requirements, and assess whether the case is strong.
  • 5. Invest and gather the documentation. Following the attorney's guidance, you make the investment in the business and organize all the documentation to assemble the visa application.
  • 6. Apply and do the interview. Finally, the application is filed and the interview takes place at the American embassy or consulate abroad. Visa approved, the family moves and the investor starts running the venture.
Where you file

The application can be filed at a consulate abroad or, in some cases, through a change of status inside the US. The two paths differ in important ways — we compare them in the article on where to apply for the E2.

Why stage 3 carries so much weight

Notice that three of the six stages revolve around the business: choosing it, validating it legally, and investing in it. Not by chance. The right franchise strengthens the investor's qualification (with training and support) and the profit and jobs projection — exactly the points the officer evaluates most. A wrong choice here contaminates every following stage.

Unike's role along the way

We represent over 700 American franchises and accompany you through profile and goals definition, personalized franchise selection, and introductions to the franchisors, up to signing the agreement. For the legal stages, we refer the right professionals — starting with the immigration attorney. The idea is that you cross the process with clarity at every step, without skipping what influences the result most.