I’m torn between an E-1 trader visa and an E-2 small-business investor visa.
I purchase goods in the U.S. and import them to Korea. Since I now need to stay in the U.S. for an extended period, I need a visa, but I’m having trouble deciding which one fits. With E-2, it seems hard to generate revenue within the U.S., which could cause problems at renewal, and there’s also the requirement to hire employees, which seems demanding. I’d like to know the requirements for an E-1 trade visa, what investment scale is needed, and which visa would suit my situation better.
Since your business is buying goods in the U.S. and importing them to Korea, your required E-2 investment would likely be relatively small. Also, since you have no real reason to hire employees and won’t be conducting business within the U.S. itself, we recommend pursuing the E-1 trade visa instead.
The requirements for the E-1 trade visa are simpler than you might expect: your overall trade volume must be substantial, and more than 50% of that trade volume must be between Korea and the U.S. You’ll also need to show that this trade relationship is expected to continue going forward. Also, unlike E-2, the E-1 visa doesn’t require you to worry about a specific investment amount. Of course, larger purchases of goods generally correlate with higher trade volume, but in most cases it’s not as much as people expect.