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Access to US under E2 treaty visa for Grenada Citizens
One of the very important key points that distinguishes Grenada from other citizenship programmes in the caribbean (Dominica, Antigua, St Kitts Nevis, St Lucia) is Grenada has signed E2 Investor Treaty with the US.
The E-2 Treaty allows a national of a treaty country to be admitted to the United States (E2 visa) when investing a substantial amount of capital in a U.S. business of their choice. There is no minimum investment limit (it can be as low as $50,000). The business must be real business and does not enforce on having minimum number of employees.
The E-2 treaty investor visa is generally a temporary residence permit that allows you to live in the United States as long as you are operating the business. You have to leave the US if the business fails. Some of the examples of business are
- Large companies who establish manufacturing plants
- Real estate investors
- Small businessmen who purchase a franchise or small business
- Retirees who use the Treaty Investor visa as a means of getting US status so they can retire in America
E2 Investor visa is a non-immigrant visa valid for a period of five years and can be renewed with 2 year extensions. Non-immigrant visa means you will not get green card or citizenship in the US under E2 status. Family members can qualify for E2 visa as well.
This type of visa is great when you want to visit US anytime for business. You must hold Grenada passport to apply for this visa. It can be a joint venture partnership and you are allowed to work for the business you created.
E-2 visa holders may stay outside the U.S. for any amount of time, and still re-enter the U.S. with their valid visa. The processing time for E2 visa is 60 days (unlike 12-18 months for EB5)
E2 investor visa is not to be confused to EB5 investor visa, which requires investment of $500,000 fully gives immigrant status to permanently live in the US. IRS taxes on worldwide income for those who obtained EB5 status.
Here are some differences between EB5 and E2 visas
| EB5 Investor visa | E2 Investor Visa |
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Grenadians can apply for enrollment into the E-2 visa program.
The program allows individuals who come from countries that retain business treaties with the U.S. to migrate into the U.S. as investors. The foreigners are allowed to establish businesses in the U.S. so that they can employ skilled Americans and contribute to the U.S. economy.
Through the E-2 visa program, Grenadians can remain in the U.S. as long as they renew their visas and continue to meet the qualifications of the visa program. Those who do not wish to extend their stay in the U.S. can return before the expiry of their visa. There are various steps that should be followed when applying for an E-2 visa in Grenada.
You Are To Be Your Own Boss
It is recommended that you first establish an enterprise in the U.S. before applying for the E-2 visa. This is because you should have already invested in the U.S. prior to filing your E-2 visa application.
The best approach as a Grenadian investor is to make escrow payments to a U.S. based bank. You can not declare yourself as an investor if you are not able to show you have sufficient funds under your control.
Attorneys can draft contracts that protect your investment monies. The contracts ensure the investment monies are held in an escrow account. The purchase of the business is not effective until the E-2 visa is provided.
The Grenadians Petitioner Has To File An Application and Pay Visa Charges
Any Grenadian citizen that wishes to relocate to the U.S. through the E-2 visa program should first obtain a passport from the relevant government office. An investor can only leave Grenada after their passport has been stamped by the consulate officials at the U.S. embassy in their home country. Moreover, the passport is used to support the nationality of the applicant so it can replace the national identity card.
It is mandatory for all Grenadian visa applicants to fill form Ds-160.The form can be accessed through the consulate’s website which makes it easy to obtain.
Every E-2 applicant in Grenada is required to pay an application fee to have their visa processed. Anyone that has not paid the visa application fee can’t be issued an E-2 visa.
The E-2 Project Has To Be Profitable
Every Grenadian who wishes to invest in the U.S. should ensure that their preferred enterprise can create considerable profits. This is because Grenadian investors are required to establish businesses that are sustainable and contribute towards the growth of the U.S.’s economy.
The profits earned by Grenadians investor are usually measured by comparing the financial records and the size of the company in U.S. However, if the enterprise is a startup, the owner has to provide cash flow estimations so that their project can be tested for projected profitability.
Contracts should be written that ensure the investment funds are held in escrow. The purchase of the business can not be completed until the E-2 visa is provided.
The Investor Has To Make a Significant Investment
Every Grenadian applicant is supposed to dedicate a substantial amount of money towards the business project in the U.S. For your project to be considered worthy, its value has to be at least $100,000. If it is an acquired business, the consulate officers use the amount that was paid by the Grenadian investor to the previous investor. If it is a startup business, the consulate officers will use the costs estimations contained in the business plan.
How to Fund Your E-2 Business
Every Grenadians should declare the source of their investment funds when filing the E-2 visa petition. This is because Grenadian’s can only fund their projects using money that they obtained lawfully. You can sell any of your assets in Grenada including inherited assets but the receipts that are used in the transactions must be enclosed in the petition.
If a Grenadians applicant has sourced their funds from a well paying career in their home country, they must attach the pay slips of up to 5 years to justify the earnings. On the other hand, if the funds are owed to a successful business in Grenada the applicant has to submit tax return reports to verify its legitimacy.
Spouse and Children Can Come To U.S.
The Grenadians investor can enjoy being with their family in the U.S. because they are allowed to come as well, when the visa petition is approved. The spouse should be legally united with the Grenadian investor in marriage and their children can only accompany them if they are not older than 21 years of age. Children ages 21 and over will have to apply for independent visas. Aged parents can also visit the Grenadians investor occasionally using a tourist visa.
Một xu hướng đang phát triển mạnh
Ngoài việc thu hút công dân tài năng thì ngành định cư và quốc tịch hàng năm còn đem về hàng tỉ đô la cho chính phủ các nước. Nếu trước đây bất động sản là một trong những kênh đầu tư hấp dẫn thì ngày nay đầu tư để có định cư và quốc tịch thông qua các chương trình chính thức của chính phủ đã trở thành một xu thế mới trên toàn thế giới.
The Economist Intelligence Unit đã phân tích vì sao các cá nhân giàu có trên thế giới lại lựa chọn đầu tư để có thêm một quốc tịch. 213 cá nhân được mời tham gia khảo sát, trong đó 84% là có đủ khả năng đầu tư từ 1-5 triệu USD và 14% có khả năng đầu tư từ 6-10 triệu USD vào các chương trình định cư và nhập tịch (10/2015).
Lý do chính được tổng kết là sự linh động trong việc đi lại không cần visa, cơ hội đầu tư kinh doanh, ưu thế về thuế để tăng lợi nhuận kinh doanh. Tiếp theo là lợi ích cho thế hệ trẻ như môi trường học tập, sinh sống và chăm sóc y tế tốt nhất.
