A national of a country with which the United States maintains a treaty of commerce and navigation who is coming to the United States to carry on substantial trade, including trade in services or technology, principally between the United States and the treaty country, or to develop and direct the operations of an enterprise in which the national has invested, or is in the process of investing a substantial amount in capital.

E-1 visa (Treaty Traders):
This category requires that the applicant must be a national of a treaty country. The international trade must be €Âœsubstantial in the sense that there is a sizable and continuing volume of trade. The trade must be principally between the U.S. and the treaty country, which is defined to mean that more than 50% of the international trade involved must be between the U.S. and the country of the applicant’€Â™s nationality. The applicant must be employed in a supervisory or executive capacity, or possess highly specialized skills essential to the efficient operation of the firm. Ordinary skilled or unskilled workers do not qualify.

E-2 (Treaty Investor):
The investor, either a real or corporate person, must be a national of a treaty country. The investor must be coming to the U.S. to develop and direct the enterprise. If the applicant is not the principal investor, he or she must be employed in a supervisory, executive, or highly specialized skill capacity. Ordinary skilled and unskilled workers do not qualify.