USAE-1 Visa.
For traders in substantial, ongoing trade with the US.
- The E-1 rests on trade already under way, with no investment required.
- Only nationals of the 54 treaty countries can apply.
- There is no annual cap and no lottery.
- Owners, managers, and essential employees can all hold it.
Quick answers
What is the E-1?
The E-1 is a non-immigrant visa for treaty-country nationals engaged in substantial trade with the United States. There is no annual cap or lottery. The visa remains renewable as long as the qualifying trade continues.
Minimum trade
The E-1 has no fixed minimum dollar requirement. Officers evaluate trade frequency, continuity, and overall transaction flow. More than 50% of qualifying trade must be between the US and the treaty country.
Who qualifies?
The E-1 is available only to citizens of treaty countries. Eligible applicants may include business owners, executives, supervisors, and essential employees.
Processing time
Most E-1 cases require several weeks of preparation before filing. Consular interview timing varies by location. Inside the US, change of status processing commonly takes several months, but with premium processing, a decision is possible within 15 business days.
What is the E-1 visa?
The E-1 is a US work visa for nationals of a treaty country who run or staff a trading company with steady sales to or from the United States. More than half of that company’s international trade has to run between the US and the treaty country.
It rests on trade already under way. There is no investment to make and no lottery to enter.
Three primary paths,
plus family.
There is more than one way into the E-1. Some applicants are the trader themselves. Others come in as key employees of a treaty country enterprise that already trades with the US.
Treaty Trader
You're the trader yourself, usually the owner of a company with steady sales to or purchases from the US. Think a Turkish textile exporter, a Canadian software company, or a German consulting firm with US clients.
Spouse & Children
Spouse and unmarried children under 21 can join on E-1 dependent status. Spouses can work in the US without a separate sponsor.
Other structures can qualify too. An E-1 employee must share the business’s nationality. A plan to invest in a US business points to the E-2 instead.
Your passport
comes first.
Only nationals of a country with an E-1 treaty can apply. The business carries a nationality too, set by its shareholders. Where you live does not matter; the passport does.
54 countries
Most of Europe, Japan, South Korea, Canada and Mexico are on the list. India, mainland China and Brazil are not. The E-1 and E-2 lists differ in two places.
Ownership traced to people
Half the shares or more sit with nationals of your country. Parent companies are followed up until real shareholders appear.
Citizenship by investment
A passport bought through an investment program needs three years of living in that country first, unless you have held E status before.
Six things
the officer checks.
Six tests decide an E-1 case. Each one is proven with records of trade already done.
- 01Treaty nationality, for you and the business
- 02At least 50% ownership by treaty nationals
- 03Trade already under way
- 04Many sales over time, not one big deal
- 05More than half of international trade with the US
- 06An owner, manager, or essential role
The full E-1 process,
in six steps.
The E-1 has no lottery and no petition to wait on at a consulate. Most of the time goes into the trade file, then the post's own review and interview.
Eligibility assessment
A short eligibility test, then a call with an expert who checks your passport, your trade pattern, and who owns the business before any money goes into the file.
Case strategy
You and your attorney choose the route, a consulate abroad or a change of status in the US, and map which trade records go in.
Trade documentation
Invoices, contracts, bank records, and shipping papers are tied into one trade ledger by country, with ownership papers for every owner. Most of the preparation time goes here.
Preparation of the application
Your attorney writes the cover letter, links each exhibit to an E-1 requirement, and prepares the forms. You review and sign before anything is filed.
Filing and decision
At a consulate, many posts review the package first, usually in three to eight weeks, then hold the interview. Inside the US, the business files Form I-129, and premium processing returns a decision within 15 business days.
Approval and entry
You are admitted for a two-year stay at a time. Status renews for as long as the trade keeps qualifying, and your spouse can work without a separate permit.
On imigOS, every stage of the case sits in one place: what has been filed, what USCIS is reviewing, and what your attorney needs from you next.
How imigOS worksWhy strong cases
still get denied.
Most E-1 refusals turn on the trade record, not the size of the business.
- 01
Trade is real, but not "substantial" enough
A few large invoices read as occasional. A steady run of ordinary sales carries more weight than a handful of big ones.
- 02
Half or less of the trade is with the US
The US share is measured against all international trade. Exactly half fails, however strong the US sales look alone.
- 03
Trade is planned, not yet established
Letters of intent, talks, and forecasts do not count. Only trade under way does, including binding contracts for immediate delivery.
- 04
Ownership doesn't meet the 50% rule
Officers trace ownership to real people. A co-owner with US permanent residence pulls the treaty share down.
The honest
tradeoffs.
The E-1 lets a trading business move its people to the US with no investment and no lottery. The trade has to stay steady, and it is checked again at every renewal.
Vote on the ones that matter to you.
- No investment needed
- No cap and no lottery
- Renews for as long as the trade qualifies
- Covers owners and key staff
- Services count, not only goods
- Spouse can work without a permit
- Treaty nationality is required
- More than half the trade must be with the US
- One deal never qualifies
- Trade must already be under way
- Not a green card by itself
- The trade is checked again at every renewal
The E-1 and its alternatives.
- Status
- Temporary, renewable
- Based on
- Trade
- Investment
- None
- Lottery
- None
- Degree
- Not required
- Nationality
- Treaty countries
E-2
The treaty visa built on an investment in a US business, open to more countries.
E-1 vs E-2L-1A
Moves an executive or manager from a company abroad to its US office, with no treaty needed.
L-1A visaB-1
For short business trips only. It allows meetings, not running the trade from the US.
O-1A
For founders and specialists with a record of recognition, open to any nationality.
O-1A visa
A green card
comes separately.
The E-1 is temporary status and no green card by itself. When the US business belongs to a group with an office abroad, the EB-1C is often the next step; other traders use a separate category. A green card filing alone does not end an E-1, but each renewal still tests the trade.
Map the E-1 green card routesWhere the money goes.
Three parts. A single applicant at a consulate starts from $9,815.
- Attorney fee$8,000
Case strategy, the trade ledger and exhibits, the forms, and interview preparation.
Attorney fees are set independently by licensed attorneys.
- Government feesFrom $315
The visa fee per person at a consulate, or the USCIS filing fees for a change of status inside the US. Premium processing is optional on the USCIS route.
- Paid separatelyVaries
The business plan, translations, and a reciprocity fee for some nationalities.
E-1 Visa
Common Questions.
Yes. The E-1 holder lives in the US and works there for the treaty business the visa rests on, as its owner, a manager, or an essential employee. It is a nonimmigrant visa, so it gives a temporary stay that renews with the trade, not permanent residence.
Neither is better in general. The E-1 suits a business that already trades steadily with the US and needs no investment. The E-2 suits someone putting capital into a US business, and more countries hold an E-2 treaty. Some countries hold only one of the two treaties, so the passport can make the E-1 and E-2 choice on its own.
They fit different people. The E-1 has no lottery, no cap, and no degree requirement, and only treaty nationals with a trading business qualify. The H-1B is open to any nationality and allows green card plans, and it needs a degree-level job and a place in the annual lottery.
A B-1 covers short trips: meetings, negotiations, conferences, and contract signings. It does not allow running the business from the US or taking a US salary. A trader who needs to live in the US to direct the trade with the treaty country uses the E-1.
No. The E-1 sets no degree requirement and no age limit. Officers look at the trade, who owns the business, and the applicant’s role in it. An essential employee does need special skills that the trade depends on, and a manager needs a real managerial job.
Look for an attorney with specific E-1 case experience, not just general immigration practice. E-1 applications are reviewed at the consulate level, and each post has its own expectations. On imigOS, the attorneys who handle E-1 cases are listed, and a consultation starts directly on the platform.
INA §101(a)(15)(E) · 9 FAM 402.9 · State Dept
USCIS: E-1 Treaty Traders · US Department of State: Treaty Trader & Investor Visas (E)
2–6 months
$9,800–$13,800
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USARun your E-1 in one place.
See where you stand in about 3 minutes, then prepare the case with a licensed attorney on imigOS.