E2 Visa Business Plan Examples
Our US Immigration Lawyers offer advice on how to write a business plan to support an E2 Visa application.
If you are an investor looking to make a substantial investment into an existing or new US company you probably have substantial experience in writing or reviewing business plans. An E2 Visa business plan may be different to a plan you would approve for internal use, to attract third-party finance or to gain interest from venture capitalists.
Investing the time in getting your E2 Visa business plan fit for purpose can save delays in securing your Investor Visa and can help you obtain your visa on your first application.
Contact our E2 Visa Lawyers in London
For E2 Visa advice email us for a phone, Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams or Cisco WebEx consultation or call us for an appointment at our offices in London.
For expert help contact our US Immigration Lawyers in London.
The E2 Visa
The E2 Visa is often seen as a US Investor Visa but a passive investment won't qualify you for an E2 Visa.
The immigration rules require a substantial investment into an existing or new US company. There is no minimum investment figure and no rules on the type or size of the business venture. The flexible rules can lull you into thinking that the business plan is not a crucial part of the E2 Visa application process. That is incorrect as obtaining an E2 Visa is all about your US business plans, as evidenced in your business document.
Who will read the E2 Visa business plan?
The plan will be read by and need to convince:
- Consular officers from the US embassy or consulate in your home country
- Officers at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
You cannot expect consular officers to want to tease out missing information from the business plan or expect busy officers at USCIS to write to you to clarify your figures or plans or to gain a better understanding of the role you will be playing in the company.
Whilst consular and USCIS officers are used to reading business plans you should not assume that they know about your background and experience or your business sector.
E2 Visa template business plans
You should not download a business plan off the internet and complete the gaps and expect to obtain an E2 Visa. Nor should you instruct a business plan writer, US immigration lawyer or accountant who takes that approach to your E2 Visa application.
Templates have their place as a useful starting point but an off-the-peg business plan stands out as lacking detail and content unless you use the template as a starting point rather than a cut-and-paste exercise where you insert some generic information and hope for the best.
Those examining E2 Visa applications can easily spot a template business plan. At best, your application will be put on hold while you provide more information. At worst, your E2 Visa application will be refused.
Examples of what should go into an E2 Visa business plan
An E2 Visa business plan may have the same content and figures as a plan written for bankers or venture capitalists but the focus and presentation may be completely different as the prime purpose of a visa business plan is to show that you meet the eligibility criteria for the E2 Visa.
Your business plan needs to cover:
- The investment
- The investment amount
- The investment source as the funding must be shown to be legitimate. That’s the case whatever your previous company track record or business reputation
- An explanation as to why the investment is substantial in comparison to the business set-up costs. $400,000 may be a massive investment in some sectors or if you are starting up in a low-overhead industry. However, the figure may be unsubstantial and unrealistic if there will be substantial set-up costs that are being wholly funded by your investment
- Evidence that the investment funds will be at risk. The money does not need to have been spent before you secure your Investor Visa but the rules require the funds to be at risk and not securely ring-fenced
- The company
- Business objectives and goals to include a basic summary of the company products or services, your qualifications and what you will bring to an existing business or start-up, an analysis of the existing business or the market if it is a new venture
- Planned client base and marketing strategy and how you intend to achieve your estimated turnover. This may include costings of equipment purchases, recruitment or figures for the lease of commercial premises
- If you are planning to recruit employees in the US in the short to medium term details of the numbers and expected salaries
- Financial strategy to show that your ideas and strategy are properly considered and funded. This will show that your investment is substantial when considered in conjunction with your forecasted overheads and turnover
- Your planned role in the business and how you will direct and develop it. You may intend to act as CEO or to play to your strengths in product development but the financial strategy needs to fit with the investment and operational strategy to show that you have a company that will generate wealth in the US and create jobs for US workers
- Selling yourself
- You may not see the need to sell yourself but with an E2 Visa business plan you are securing an Investor Visa for yourself rather than simply promoting your company or business ideas. Basics such as your business-related qualifications and experience should go into the plan as well as any sector-related experience or transferable skills
- Pitching yourself as someone who can deliver is the key to securing an E2 Visa. That’s the case if you are investing in an existing company that needs turning around or if you have an innovative idea for a start-up. Providing a CV with no explanation of historical business successes or how you will achieve your goal of US job creation may make your business plan fall flat
Whether you instruct a business plan writer or your accountant to write your plan or the plan is entirely your own work it is best to ensure that an experienced US immigration attorney looks over the plan. They may suggest tweaks that won't affect how you are planning to make a commercial success of your US venture but will help you secure your E2 Visa.
Know your E2 Visa business plan
You may think that you can ask a business plan writer to write your business plan for your US venture and ask your US Immigration Solicitors to adjust the plan to ensure it addresses all the relevant E2 Visa criteria. Whilst some entrepreneurs are content to take a hands-off approach to the detail in their business plan it is essential to know the detail of your plan and to ‘own it.’
Why do you need to own your business plan? You will be interviewed on its contents as part of the E2 Visa application process. It will be painfully obvious if you had no or little input into the plan and are not committed to the success of your planned US company investment.
The E2 Visa interview takes place at the US embassy or consulate. You will be asked potentially searching questions on the information in the plan and how you anticipate the company will meet projections and achieve company growth. You therefore need to be familiar with the plan and to be able to talk with confidence about the figures and strategies within the plan.
Whether your interview will take place in London or elsewhere our proactive and commercially minded top US Visa Lawyers in London can help you secure your US Business Visa.
Contact our E2 Visa Lawyers in London
For E2 Visa advice from a US Immigration Lawyer in the UK email us for a phone, Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams or Cisco WebEx consultation or call us for an appointment at our offices in London.
For expert help contact our US Immigration Lawyers in London.
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