To get an E-2 investor visa, you must control your investment funds and prove they came from a lawful source. Here are the most common acceptable sources, including employment earnings, sale proceeds, gifts, inheritance, and certain loans.
The E-2 visa is an investor visa. To be approved for such a visa, an E-2 investor must have possession and control of the investment funds, and those funds must come from a lawful source. This is sometimes referred to as the “source of funds” requirement.
What Is a Lawful Source of E-2 Investment Funds?
What’s a lawful source of the E2 visa investment funds?
Here are the most notable ones:
- Earnings from Employment: If the E2 investor earned money from his employment abroad, those funds can be used to make the E2 investment.
- Proceeds from the Sale of a Business or Property. If the E-2 investor sold a business or property abroad, the proceeds from that sale are considered to have been obtained from a lawful source.
- Gifts. If someone gave the E-2 visa applicant a gift and confirmed it in writing, those funds can be used as part of the E-2 visa investment.
- Inheritance: If the E-2 visa investor obtained funds for his investment from an inheritance, that is considered to be a lawful source.
- Loans. Some loans count, but not all. If you borrow against your own personal assets, like a mortgage on a home you own, that money can count toward your investment. An unsecured loan doesn’t count, and neither does a loan secured by the E-2 business’s own assets.
You Must Prove It
Regardless of which source of funds is used, an E-2 visa investor must provide clear and convincing documentary evidence to prove that the source was legal and acceptable as part of the application.
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