E2 Visa – Your Retirement Options

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Part 5 – Part 6 – Part 7 – Part 8

E2 Visa Retirement Options
E2 Visa to Green Card

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Welcome to the Law Offices of Chris M. Ingram. We are delighted that you have joined us for Part 6 in our video presentation series on the E2 Investment visa. In this presentation we’ll discuss green card and retirement options. Ok – lets get started.

Why Do I Need a Green Card? For the vast majority of our clients the E2 is only a stepping- stone towards obtaining a green card. A green card will enable you to live in the US like US citizens in that you can live in the US permanently whether you work or not. Therefore, many of our clients are keen to explore their green card and retirement options in the US because they do not want to have the responsibilities of being a business owner forever.

Does the E2 Visa Lead to a Green Card? – At this time the E2 visa does not automatically enable to you to qualify for a green card although there is always talk in Congress about changing the law so that after being in E2 status for five years investors would be able to qualify for a green card. At present there has been no passage of legislation that allows for this easy transition to green card status, but we remain vigilant and hopeful that this will change in the future.

Are There In-direct Pathways to Green Card Status? – Yes, there are several in-direct pathways to obtaining a green card and these options are the focus of this presentation today.

Immediate Family Member Green Card Sponsorship – You may have an immediate family member, brother, sister, parent or child that is already a US Citizen who could sponsor you for your green card. Depending on the category of the immediate family member, the green card application process could be as short as 12 months if your US Citizen child is sponsoring you. Alternatively, if a sibling is sponsoring you, then the wait could be more like 8-13 years or so.

Another factor as to the waiting time will also depend on your nationality. People from India, China, Mexico and the Philippines often have the longest wait times due to the volume of applications coming in from these regions. Many of our clients have family members who can sponsor them, so they are happy to relocate on the E2 visa until their green card petitions can be processed, even if this takes years.

If you do not have US Citizen family members who could sponsor you, then other options may be viable for you.  For example, if an E2 visa holder is married, then the spouse will always be eligible to apply for a work permit while the E2 visa holder runs the E2 business. The goal here would be for the spouse to pursue green card sponsorship through employment, and then once the green card is approved, both can retire at will. It’s very important that you plan your retirement in the US (even from your first E2 visa), unless you want to retire back home.

Green Card by Marriage – If you are single then perhaps marriage to a US citizen could be a possibility for you.  If you marry an American citizen then your spouse can sponsor you for a green card. Since June 26th 2013, US Immigration law now recognizes same-sex marriages, even though some US states do not.

Education Pathway to Green Card – If marriage if not an option, while running your E2 visa business, you may be able to find an employer that might be willing to sponsor you for a green card. Green card sponsorship by an employer can take years. However, if you have a good relationship with a possible employer who is willing to go through the process, then you could continue to work in your E2 business until the application process was completed.

If you have a BA degree or an equivalent professional qualification, you could switch from your E2 visa to a new H1-B graduate visa. In this case, you could work for that employer under your new H1-B visa until a green card could be processed for you. However, some opportunities never arise until you’re actually living in the US.

Alien of Extraordinary Ability Green Card – For aliens at the very top of their field or on their way to being able to claim that they are at the top of their field then the EB1 green card could well be an option for you, even if you arrived on an E2 investment visa. Sometimes, getting to live in the US is the key to spring boarding your career to the level where you could qualify for an EB1 green card. Please review our presentations on the EB1 green card and find out just how close you might be, whether now or in the future.

EB5 $500K Green Card – For the most affluent investors they can invest into a what are called Federally Designated Regional Centers – ostensibly they are private multimillion dollar building development projects that have been licensed by the Federal Government to solicit foreign investments in units of $500K (plus around $65K in fees) these investors will be given a green card, including all family members under 21. For further details please check out our presentation on the EB5 green card option.

Growing Your Business Into an EB5 Green Card – If you can over time grow a business that creates ten new jobs and demonstrate that you have invested a total of one million dollars in process then you may be able to qualify for an EB5 green card in this way. Again, please check out our presentation on the EB5 green card.

As you can see there are many options you could take advantage of in order to obtain a green card. With the E2 visa, you can take as long as you need. Who knows what could be around the corner. There could be changes in Immigration law that could open up even more possibilities for you.

In the next presentation we’ll discuss E2 visa renewals. Thank you for joining us and we hope you enjoyed this presentation. 

E2 Visa Success: “We found Chris Ingram on the web and filed out a quick form that lead to a response from Chris. Chris and his team provided great information that we found helpful so we went with them. To be able to work and live here while we run our business is exactly what we wanted.” Chuck and Dorka

Immigration Law Offices of Chris M. Ingram

US Immigration Law Offices of Chris M. Ingram
Chris M. Ingram LL.M., ESQ – Immigration Attorney
Admitted in New York.
Practice Specializing in US Immigration Law
401 Wilshire Boulevard, 12th Floor,
Santa Monica,
California 90401
Tel: 310 496 4292

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Everyday the Law Offices of Chris M. Ingram provides a comprehensive range of US Immigration expertise. We also provide a free consultation for our prospective clients.

Please note that nothing contained in this website or link therefrom shall be regarded as providing legal advice. Please contact us directly for legal advice specific to your situation. Thank You.

Specializing in the E2 Visa, EB1 Green Card, L-1A Visa and O1 Visa and K1 Visa Marriage-Based Immigration. Attorney Chris M. Ingram is dedicated to providing the very best in US Immigration legal representation. Enjoy our website.

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