How Can Shuckin’ Shack Help E-2 Visa Candidates Live the American Dream?
If there’s one thing Shuckin’ Shack stands for, it’s bringing the FUN of a coastal beach vacation to cities across America with our laid-back vibe and excellent, sustainably sourced seafood.
We’re proud to extend our oyster bar franchise opportunity to interested entrepreneurs around the world, thanks to our willingness and ability to work with international investors on an E-2 visa. We love the idea of helping budding restaurateurs and their families come to America to live their dream of serving the best SHUCKIN’ seafood around. If you’re interested in obtaining an E-2 visa to advance your goal of purchasing an American franchise like Shuckin’ Shack, here is absolutely everything you need to know about it!
What’s an E-2 Visa?
The E-2 visa is also known as the investor visa or treaty investor visa because it permeates residency and works in the United States. The E-2 visa focuses on bilateral agreements that comprise the investment project frameworks.
There are around 80 nations that have this special arrangement with the U.S. Only naturalized people and persons from the approved nationalities can be given the E-2 status. To obtain the E-2 visa, you must be associated with a U.S company that applies and submits to hire employees.
The official applicant for an E-2 visa is a U.S. company that applies on behalf of the future investor or employee. This option is granted to U.S. businesses that have major investments and capital injected into the U.S. economy.
If you are an individual with significant funds, you can use the E-2 visa to set up your business or practice. Whether you are a natural or a legal applicant, you can manage or set up your company after receiving your E-2 visa regardless of other business activities that you have in your home country.
The E-2 visa isn’t to be mistaken for a green card because it doesn’t offer residency. However, its greater perks are that you can renew your visa indefinitely if your business is viable and operational.
E-2 Visa Validation
When applying for an E-2 visa, you can be granted one that covers up to five years. But the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) are at liberty to choose the time restrictions to your visa.
In theory, you can get five-year extensions on your e-2 visa infinitely for as long as your company continues to operate successfully in the U.S. and you’re able to meet all the legal entry requirements each time.
If you are looking for a residence status to accompany your E-2 visa, immigration officers can grant this request at the U.S border. However, it’s only legible for two years before you’re up for renewal. These periods are reset each time you exit or re-enter the country, and when your visa expires, you must re-apply for a new one.
E-2 Visa for Your Family Members
An E-2 visa can also cover an applicant’s immediate family comprising a spouse and unmarried children under 21 years. Similarly, family members have the same privileges as the principal applicant.
Once the children reach the majority age of 21 years, they must leave the country or change their non-immigrant status.
A spouse to the principal applicant can apply to get the Employment Authorization Document that earns them the right work in the U.S. It’s not a must that family members come from the same country as the principal applicant/E-2 holder.
If family members receive an E-2 status, they can apply and attend any private or public educational institutions in the U.S.
Is There a Need to Hire an Accountant?
Having a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) when reviewing your financial information before submitting your E-2 application form is necessary. CPAs help you to review the business plan and can draft a formal letter to endorse it. Besides, it’s a requirement that justifies your E-2 application.
CPAs are responsible for evaluating and reviewing your financial claims and determining if they are accurate. If you work closely with a reliable broker and CPA, they can help determine a fair market for your business application.
Meeting the Investment Requirements for E-2 Visa Application
If you are an investor, you must demonstrate that the only reason you want to enter the U.S is to open and run a business enterprise. As evidence of your intentions, you must be able to prove that you own a minimum of 50% or the majority share of the business.
Also, you can indicate that you will have a prominent role that gives you leadership and operational control of the business.
For your business to qualify as an investment, you must be able to show the risk of capital loss. The investor should also prove that the business is legal and that all investment funds have been obtained legally, whether directly or indirectly.
All your investments should not be seen as marginal. It means that you must show evidence that you can successfully provide and generate income for yourself, your family, and employees that you plan to hire within five years of gaining entry into the U.S.
In addition to providence, your business investment must also have a physical premise, and the company can’t operate from the principal’s applicant’s home.
Whether your business is new or old, you can qualify for an E-2 investment visa. But if you’re an individual investor, it isn’t enough to acquire assets that can provide for oneself alone.
The E-2 requirements suggest that you should be able to employ a minimum of at least 3-5 people, demonstrating that your business provides employment opportunities for American citizens.
E-2 Visa Length, Processing Time, Stay, and Extensions
The time it takes to get your E-2 visa application approved depends on the consulate that you are appl
The length of time it takes to get an E-2 visa depends on the embassy you are applying to in the U.S, but it shouldn’t take more than two weeks or five months if your information is accurate. After a successful initial review, the embassy will call for an interview with the principal applicant.
The premium E-2 visa processing fee can cost you $1,225, and then the USCIS can deny, approve or ask for a Request for Evidence (RFE) within 15 days. If you get issued with an RFE, a second decision to deny or approve your E-2 visa application will be determined within another 15 days after submitting the evidence.
Note that principal E-2 visa franchise applicants are allowed to travel to and from the U.S, and each time they will get a 2-year extension upon re-entry. But family members don’t share the same privileges and must be keen to monitor their stay and apply for E-2 extensions in time.
E-2 Visa Length, Processing Time, Stay, and Extensions
The time it takes to get your E-2 visa application approved depends on the consulate that you are appl
The length of time it takes to get an E-2 visa depends on the embassy you are applying to in the U.S, but it shouldn’t take more than two weeks or five months if your information is accurate. After a successful initial review, the embassy will call for an interview with the principal applicant.
The premium E-2 visa processing fee can cost you $1,225, and then the USCIS can deny, approve or ask for a Request for Evidence (RFE) within 15 days. If you get issued with an RFE, a second decision to deny or approve your E-2 visa application will be determined within another 15 days after submitting the evidence.
Note that principal E-2 visa franchise applicants are allowed to travel to and from the U.S, and each time they will get a 2-year extension upon re-entry. But family members don’t share the same privileges and must be keen to monitor their stay and apply for E-2 extensions in time.
TL;DR
While it’s an E-2 requirement to invest in a substantial amount to get approved, there isn’t any amount that qualifies what a “substantial” amount should be. The benchmark depends on your investment plan and whatever it will take for it to be successful.
Not to toot our own foghorns here, but not every franchise is willing to work with E-2 visa applicants due to the amount of red tape and paperwork that tends to go with the bureaucratic process. Our oyster bar franchise is proud to work with E-2 visa candidates to help them achieve their goals of owning a business here in the states, and look forward to speaking with more international investors as we sail into 2022!
For more information, please visit our Shuckin’ Shack Franchise website and find out how to turn your entrepreneurial and investment dreams into reality with an all-American, coastal seafood experience!