Investor and trader (E-2 / E-1)

This page is for Turkish investors who establish or purchase companies in the United States, Turkish traders doing business with the United States, and Turkish employees who will work for these companies. Turkey is one of the countries that has a trade treaty with the United States; therefore, Turkish citizens may obtain E-1 and E-2 visas. These visas are processed by the E visa unit at the U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul, with documents sent by email in advance. Below you will find the requirements, step-by-step application process, requested seven-section file, timelines, and downloadable forms.

• Turkey has been a treaty country for E-1 (trader) since February 15, 1933, and for E-2 (investor) since May 18, 1990.
• The visa is issued valid for 60 months and with multiple entries. Turkish citizens do not pay a visa issuance fee. See 1.5 Visa validity periods.
• The visa application fee is $315. See 1.4 Fees.
• The principal applicant must be a Turkish citizen. The spouse and children do not have to be Turkish citizens.
• E status is temporary. You must maintain the intention to leave the United States when your status ends. For a green card through investment, see 3.5.

• Be a citizen of a treaty country.
• Have invested or be in the process of investing a substantial amount of capital in a real, active, and for-profit business in the United States.
• The money must be at risk and irrevocably committed to the business. It must be capable of being lost if the business fails. Money sitting in a bank and available for withdrawal generally does not count as an investment.
• You must show that the money does not come from criminal proceeds.
• Come to develop and direct the business. Evidence of this is owning at least 50% of the business or having operational control.
• There is no fixed amount for a “substantial investment.” The investment is evaluated in relation to the total cost of establishing or purchasing the business. The less expensive the business, the higher the investment-to-total-cost ratio should be.
• The business must not be marginal. It must be capable of generating more than the minimum livelihood for the investor and family. For a new business, this capacity is expected to develop within five years.

• At least 50% of the U.S. company must be owned by Turkish citizens.
• Trade includes goods, services, international banking, insurance, transportation, tourism, and technology exchanges.
• Substantial trade means a continuous flow of trade consisting of numerous transactions over time. There is no minimum amount per transaction; the number and value are evaluated together.
• Principal trade: more than 50% of the company’s international trade must be between the United States and Turkey.
• Trade must actually be taking place when applying; planned trade is not enough.

• They must have the same nationality as the investor or trader: a Turkish employee for a Turkish company.
• They must be an executive or supervisor. Otherwise, they must possess special qualifications essential to the efficient operation of the business.
• Foreign-language and cultural knowledge alone does not constitute special qualifications.
• If the employer is a company, at least 50% of the company must be owned by Turkish citizens who hold or qualify for E status.
• An E employee may also work for the company’s parent or affiliated companies if the requirements remain satisfied.

1. Establish or purchase the company. For company type, EIN, and bank account information, see 14.2 Formation steps and 14.3 EIN.
2. Each applicant completes a DS-160 (including the spouse and children).
3. Pay the fee and schedule your own appointment. E visa applicants and family members schedule appointments through the regular visa system.
4. Wait to hear from the E visa unit. After the appointment, the unit will contact you and request the documents.
5. Send documents only when requested: to EVisasIstanbul@state.gov, in the seven sections below.
6. Attend the interview. Your fingerprints will be taken. The consulate will notify you if additional processing is required.
7. Travel once the visa is issued. Upon entry, CBP will grant you a stay of up to two years.

• Section A – Table of contents.
• Section B – Forms:
  • signed and dated DS-156E for the principal applicant only; every section must be completed in full
  • a signed statement by the principal applicant confirming that they will leave the United States when their status ends
• Section C – Applicant information:
  • each person’s DS-160 confirmation page
  • Form G-28 if there is an attorney
  • the identity page of a passport valid for at least six months
  • a full civil registry record showing family relationship and marital status
• Section D – Cover letter and business plan:
  • a cover letter describing the company, position, and applicant
  • if the company is less than five years old, a business plan with profit-and-loss projections for the next five years
  • U.S. corporate tax returns for the last two years and this year’s profit-and-loss statement, if available
  • W-2 and W-4 forms, payroll records, and employee list
• Section E – Ownership: share documents; if there are multiple partners or intermediary companies, an ownership chart with names and registration documents for each link. At least 50% Turkish ownership must be shown.
• Section F – Evidence of trade or investment:
  • E-1: a complete, consistent list of all shipments during the last 24 months, including dates and countries of origin. If there are more than 15 shipments per year, samples are sufficient; if there are 15 or fewer, documentation for all of them must be provided. For each shipment: invoice and payment, packing list, bill of lading, customs documents, and company bank statement.
  • E-2: evidence of the initial capital and its source; a chronological list of all expenditures; contracts, leases, invoices, and corresponding company bank statements for major expenditures. If the path of the money cannot be easily traced, the file may be returned.
• Section G – Professional qualifications: résumé, diplomas, certificates, and letters from previous employers.

• Upon the first entry, a maximum of two years is granted. Extensions are granted in two-year increments and there is no numerical limit.
• Each return from abroad generally results in another two-year period. If family members did not enter with you, this new period does not apply to them; they must separately track their own I-94 dates.
• You may work only in the approved activity.
• If there is a substantial change (such as a merger, acquisition, or sale of a division), a new I-129 must be filed with USCIS. No application is required for a non-substantial change. If unsure, you may request an opinion with Form I-129.

• Spouses and unmarried children under 21 receive dependent E status and generally receive the same period as the principal applicant.
• Spouses may work based on their status. The “E-1S” or “E-2S” notation on the I-94 serves as an employment authorization document (since January 30, 2022). If they wish, they may also obtain an employment card by filing the fee-based Form I-765.
• Children may attend school without changing status. A child’s dependent status ends when they turn 21.
• Family members in the United States request an extension with a single Form I-539: $470 (paper) or $420 (online).

• While in valid status, apply to USCIS with Form I-129 and the E-1/E-2 supplement. The employer files the application for an employee.
• Fee: $1,015 (paper) or $965 (online); $510 for a small employer. There is also a $600 asylum program fee ($300 for a small employer).
• Premium processing is $2,965; a decision is made within 15 business days.
• This status is valid only while you remain in the United States. After traveling abroad, you need an E visa to return. The application is made in Istanbul through the same process as first-time applicants.

• U.S. Consulate General Istanbul – E visa unit — All E-1 and E-2 applications in Turkey
  • Address: Poligon Mahallesi, Sarıyer Caddesi No: 75, 34460 İstinye / İstanbul
  • Phone: +90 212 335 90 00
  • Email (for sending documents only when requested): EVisasIstanbul@state.gov
• Visa Information Hotline (appointments): +90 850 390 1950 from Turkey, +1 313 572 0883 from the United States.
• Istanbul inquiry form: for application questions.
• USCIS Contact Center (change and extension from inside the United States): +1 800 375 5283; Monday–Friday, 08:00–20:00 Eastern Time.

• Sending documents before the E visa unit requests them.
• Sending a ZIP file, sharing link, or scanned PDF whose text cannot be read.
• Keeping investment funds only in a bank account. Unspent, withdrawable money generally does not count as an investment.
• Failing to show step by step, through bank statements, the transfer of money from Turkey to the U.S. company.
• Failing to document that more than half of E-1 trade is between the United States and Turkey.
• Leaving the United States after changing to E-2 inside the country and attempting to return without obtaining a visa.
• Referencing the Department of State’s internal regulations (FAM) in the cover letter; the consulate does not want this.

• How much investment is required at minimum for E-2? There is no fixed amount. The investment must be substantial in relation to the total cost of the business and sufficient to operate it.
• Can my spouse work? Yes. E spouses may work based on their status; the E-1S or E-2S notation on the I-94 is sufficient.
• My trading company is established in Turkey; can I apply for E-1? The consulate also requests documents for companies established outside the United States: an ownership chart and a registration document from the place where the company was established. At least 50% of the company must be owned by Turkish citizens and the trade requirements must be met.
• How many times can I extend? There is no limit. However, you must maintain the requirements and intention to depart each time.
• Can I work at another job? No. You may work only in the approved activity.
• Will I become a tax resident? Once you begin living in the United States, you may be considered a tax resident. See 15.1 Tax residency.

• DS-156E form (PDF)
• DS-160 form · Appointment system (ustraveldocs)
• Form I-129 (PDF) · Form I-129 instructions (PDF)
• Form I-539 (PDF) (extension for family members)
• USCIS fee schedule G-1055 (PDF)
• Department of State regulation 9 FAM 402.9 – E visas
• List of treaty countries
• Embassy – E visa page
• Company formation: 14.1 Company types · 14.6 Free official support