Immigration always takes so much time and process to happen. It does not only take these two important things but also takes a lot of money for the process to begin. Passport and Visa are the two most important things to have whenever you’re on the way to your vacation or immigration. Majority of the people who go overseas, particularly in the United States, are to establish their own business or to work in a particular state.
And a very common one that most immigrants apply for are the E Visas. E Visa is a category that includes the treaty traders and business investors who come to the United States for business purposes. There are three types of E Visa that you can apply for; E-1, E-2, and E-3. And the primary E Visa that people are registering for is the E-2 Visa. To know more about E-2 Visa, you may visit and read the E-2 Visa Guide.
What exactly is an E-2 Visa?
To put the explanation into simpler words, they are issued by the authorities of the foreign country you would like to enter that are specifically made for investors, entrepreneurs, and people looking to run a business in the said territory. E Visa is very different from the other types of visas and it includes E-2 Visa.
Just like the other types of Visas, applying for E-2 has a lot of qualifications you need to meet to be eligible to have one. And for E-2 Visas, you need to have an investment of a substantial amount of capital to the United States business and you will be managing and developing the enterprise.
However, there are only certain places or countries that are eligible to apply for an E-2 Visa. And those countries must have a treaty with the United States. To know more about this, kindly refer to the guide mentioned above.
Can you convert it to other types?
Well, the answer here is yes; however, it depends on the type. Currently, E-2 Visas are only known to be convertible into H-1B and Green Card. In converting your E-2 Visa, you must meet the qualifications of doing so and your petition or request must be approved by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
By any means, you may also change your E-2 Visa to the other types of E Visa by filing consular application or change of status. Consular Application is for those people that are overseas or will travel overseas while their application process is still pending. On the other hand, Change of Status is applicable for those who are already in the United States.
Going back to the topic, you may change your E-2 Visa to a Green Card by filing an I-485 to the USCIS and it will take a lot of time to process (approximately 6 months). It is to be noted that having an E-2 Visa updated or renewed does not mean you have gained permanent residency. You must apply for a Green Card for it to be granted.
Changing E-2 Visa to H-1B has no official process as of now. However, according to USCIS, for you to transfer your current type of visa to H-1B is to meet the qualifications of it and apply for it. Basically, you are starting from scratch.
To clear things out, you may transfer your E-2 Visa to other types by the approval of the USCIS for the substantive change you are filing. It will require you to fill out forms and to pay the fee for processing your application. For more information about E-2 Visas, you may contact the USCIS itself to clarify and ask things.
Conclusion
Immigration is not an easy process since it relies on the status of its holder. It takes a lot of time and expense for you to successfully immigrate and change the type of your card. Furthermore, it is noted that the transfer of your visa should be done legally and should be approved by the USCIS. There are certain instances that your application might be declined as you do not meet the qualifications. Nonetheless, as long as you follow the correct process, there’s nothing to worry about.
James is a great tech-geek and loves to write about different upcoming tech at TechyZip. From Android to Windows, James loves to share his experienced knowledge about everything here.
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