Business and Investment Visas Attorney in Florida

When you require an investment visa, a business and investment visa attorney in Florida can help. Securing a green card that allows you to conduct business and invest in Florida can be a difficult and confusing process. Some individuals spend years sorting through all of the U.S. immigration laws. That’s why it’s essential to find the right visa attorney to meet your needs. 

There is a broad range of business visas, each with its requirements.  Certain visas are better-suited for a specific purpose, and no visa applies to all situations.  Florida business owners looking to improve their workforce through immigration solutions and applicable immigrants desiring to work in the United States need to carefully assess which visa provides the best options for them. 

You don’t have to deal with the business and investment process on your own. The skillful immigration professionals at Florida Immigration Law Counsel can get started on your application and help you expedite your business immigration as quickly as possible. 

Types of Investment and Business Visas

Many individuals immigrate to the United States by obtaining a business or investment visa. These visas allow you to remain in the U.S. for various purposes, including education, business, travel, or pleasure, depending on your situation. 

If you seek residency for professional reasons, you may be granted one of the many kinds of business and investment visas by demonstrating to the U.S. Government that you have valuable skills and talents necessary for your company and are valued in this country. Listed below are the most common types of business visas and investment visas available.

B-1 Nonimmigrant Business Visa

A B-1 visa is designed for persons seeking temporary residence in the U.S. for educational, professional, or vacation/travel purposes. A temporary nonimmigrant visa is designed for those wishing to enter the United States for a short-term period to conduct business. 

Some examples of business activities and people allowed are consultations with business associates, attending a business event, exchange students and teachers, college/university attendees, business visitors, media, journalists, religious workers, physicians and foreign military stationed in the U.S., or educationally related conference or convention. 

The B-1 visa allows you to conduct research and be involved in legal negotiations. A B-1 visa is valid for six months and can be extended one time for an additional six months. This visa is not designed for an employee.

There are many forms and types of non-immigrant visas, so be cautious when pursuing a nonimmigrant business visa. A Florida immigration lawyer can help you complete the necessary steps and paperwork to secure your business and investment visa today. 

Immigrant Business Visas

There are different types of immigrant business visas including: 

Employment First Preference (E1): Priority Workers Visa

The E-1 visa was created for persons with extraordinary abilities, innovative professors and researchers, and multinational business managers and executives. E-1 visas serve business persons who intend to conduct trade that aligns with the treaties signed by their home country. 

The E1 visa is designed to allow certain individuals to enter the United States to conduct some form of international trade on their behalf. In some instances, employees are permitted to hold this type of investment visa. 

Areas of trade generally include goods, insurance, tourism, services, technology, international banking, and more. Any individual with an E-1 visa must conduct 50% of their trade between their home country and the United States. The E1 priority workers visa is valid for two years and can be extended more than once if all requirements are met.

Employment Second Preference (E2): Professionals Holding Advanced Degrees and Persons of Exceptional Ability 

E-2 visas were created for non-immigrant nationals of countries with which the U.S. has a commerce or navigation treaty. Individuals looking to obtain an E-2 visa must make a significant investment in a U.S. business. 

Only individuals with the following credentials will be allowed to work as treaty investors:

• A citizen/national of a country with which the United States has a treaty of commerce and navigation
• In the process of investing or have invested a significant amount of capital into a U.S. enterprise
• Own at least 50% of a company or be in a management level role while seeking admission into the U.S. to direct the investment enterprise

Interested employees looking to apply for the E-2 visa must meet the following requirements:

• Employees must be of the same nationality as the principal employer
• The applicant’s role is as an employee of the business
• The job description has the attributes of an executive or supervisory position  
• The employee must have unique qualifications

Investment Qualifications for E-2 Visa

Investments come in the form of money or other types of assets. Each applicable investment has to be made to turn a profit. Also, qualifying investments must be subject to being lost. Only investments made to a “bona fide enterprise” that is active and has the current and future ability to support the visa holder and their family financially will be allowed. 

E-2 visa holders can stay for a maximum of two years, and this visa can be extended for an unlimited amount of times. Treaty investors and the employees of a treaty investor are only allowed to work in the matter for which their E-2 visa application was approved. If there are changes in their work or investment scope, then it must be approved by the USCIS. 

EB-5 Direct Investment

The EB-5 investment visa program was created in 1990 to help stimulate the US economy. This visa allows foreign investors to obtain lawful permanent residency through their investments.  This visa also allows them to establish a successful business in the United States by demonstrating their experience and financial stability.‍

Direct EB-5 investment is suitable for many overseas investors who want to own and operate a business. Commercial enterprises available for investment include sole proprietorships, joint ventures, corporations, business trusts, and more.

If you are interested in an investment visa, you can invest $500,000 in a rural employment area or sector with significant unemployment rates. You can also invest $1 million or more in the United States to be eligible for the EB-5 visa. 

Other Florida Business and Investment Visas

Business immigration can be tough, especially understanding immigration law. Finding the right immigration attorney in Florida to help you sort through your immigration process can be essential to beginning your business immigration process. Here are some other common visas that could lead to green card status: 

L-1A Intracompany Transferees Executive or Manager

The L-1A visa allows a foreign company to transfer an executive or manager to one of its US offices. This classification also allows foreign companies to send an executive or manager to the United States to establish a U.S. office. L-1A visa holders can obtain green card status and or permanent residency by applying for an EB-1C visa after one year serving in the US branch.

H1-B Visas

The H1 B visa program enables U.S. companies to temporarily employ highly specialized workers with a bachelor’s degree or higher in a specific specialty or its short-term equivalent.  H-1B specialty occupations typically include fields such as science, engineering, and information technology.  

To qualify for any of the above, you must have an employer who has obtained a labor certification approval from the Department of Labor, or in the case of an E1, you must file for approval. 

The paperwork for each visa process can be confusing. Understanding all of the legal jargon, meeting the qualifications of an investor, trying to fulfill your business needs, and obtain a green card all at the same time may seem impossible. 

It can be equally as daunting finding and applying for the correct visa type. It’s equally important that your application is submitted mistake-free. If you want to make sure you’re on the right path to securing your investor visa, speak with skilled immigration lawyers in Florida today. 

Business Immigration Visa Eligibility

If you want to start or relocate your business to the United States, you could be eligible for an investment visa. If you engage in a large amount of international trade with the U.S., you may be eligible for an investment visa as well. Each visa has its eligibility requirements, including but not limited to:

• The EB-5 Investment Visa requires a direct investment of $1.8 million in a business that will create jobs for at least ten U.S. workers, an investment of $900,000 in a Congress-designated target employment area (TEA), or a regional investment of at least $900,000 in a government-approved EB5 regional center.
• E-2 Treaty Investment Visa requires the individual to control a U.S. investment with a substantial amount of capital.
• E-1 Treaty Trader Visa is available to individuals who participate in a significant amount of international trade with the U.S. (the majority of the trader’s international trade); there is no set minimum for this trade, but the volume must be enough to justify residence in the U.S. to manage the trade.

EB-5 Visa Eligibility

The Immigrant Investor Program gives investors conditional permanent resident status and allows investors’ spouses to work in the U.S. and their unmarried children under the age of 21 to attend U.S. schools.

Navigating immigration law and the complexities of business immigration alone could be a serious mistake. Each visa requirement has several caveats that can make the immigration process even more difficult. Your Florida investor and immigration law attorney can help you sift through all of the legal information, find the visas available to you, and apply for your permanent residency. 

EB-5 Capital Investments

Capital investments to secure an EB-5 visa may include: 

• Cash
• Equipment
• Inventory
• Other tangible property

Keep in mind that your investments will be valued at fair-market value in United States dollars and cannot be borrowed capital. However, your immigration law legal team can support your petition by supplying business plans, an economic analysis, and documentation that you own the capital invested. 

The U.S. government could scrutinize your EB 5 visa petition because of this category’s history of fraud and misuse. That’s why experienced immigration process professionals suggest securing a savvy legal advocate well-versed in the intricacies of the EB 5 visa. Florida immigration lawyers advocate on your behalf with accountants, corporate attorneys, and other immigration lawyers to ensure that your petition is adequately prepared and supported.

Choosing the Correct Investment Visa

The EB-5 visa grants permanent residency within the U.S. and U.S. citizenship rights to you and your family. E-2 visas have to be renewed every two years. E-1 visas are issued for 2-5 years. Each of these visas can be renewed while the individual is actively investing and trading in the U.S.

The legal and logistical ramifications of relocating your family and business are difficult. We can help. Let the experienced immigration law professionals at Florida Immigration Law Counsel help with your investor visa and business needs. 

Applying for a Florida Business and Investment Visa

Applying for the wrong business of investment could seriously damage your application for permanent residency. Visas have been delayed or denied for this reason as well. You don’t have to deal with this process alone. Many investors turn to a reputable immigration lawyer to help them protect their investments. 

Visa application approval could take anywhere from a month to a year. This could be due to the elements of your application or where you’re applying from. Each visa has its special requirements and varying lengths on how long you can stay and how many times you can extend it. 

If all of this sounds confusing to you, then consider speaking with an experienced immigration attorney. They’ve cooperated with investors before and understand how to apply for the visa that allows you to conduct business, investments, and trade in the U.S.

Immigrant investor visas are issued chronologically until the annual numerical limit for the category is reached. The filing date of a petition is the applicant’s priority date. Immigrant visas won’t be issued before an applicant’s priority date is reached. Categories with lots of applicants may be waiting several years before a priority date is reached. 

The Business Immigration Visa Process

Every year approximately 140,000 employment-based immigrant visas are made available to qualified applicants under the provisions of U.S. immigration law. E5 investors receive more than 7% of all employment-based immigrant visas each year.

To be considered for an E5 immigrant investor visa, an applicant must file the Immigrant Petition by Alien Investor with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). After USCIS approves your petition, it is sent to the National Visa Center (NVC). 

NVC will begin pre-processing the applicant’s case, and after the appropriate fees are paid, the applicant will need to submit the necessary immigrant visa documents, including application forms, civil documents, and more. 

Business Immigration Visa Costs

There are certain fees you should be aware of before beginning your business immigration visa process. The admin fees charged by the regional center normally total between $50,000.00-$70,000.00. The USCIS charges additional smaller processing fees. 

Your business immigration attorney will charge varying rates depending on your needs, documentation, category, and other variables affected by your application. Contact Florida Immigration Law Counsel to discuss your application, especially if you’ve been previously denied. 

Making the Right Investments for a Visa

Many individuals choose to invest in the U.S. because of its vibrant economy. Real estate is one of the markets many people choose; however, you can’t get a green card simply by buying a house in the U.S. Owning real estate doesn’t give you any visa or other immigration benefits. 

If you are interested in setting up or expanding your business to the United States and have at least $100,000 to invest, then you could pursue an E-2 Investor Visa. This visa would allow you to live in the U.S. while running your business. 

Many investors choose the EB-5 Immigrant Investor program. This visa allows you and your immediate family to qualify for green cards through an investment of at least $900,000. Normally, the EB-5 visa has nothing to do with buying a house or real estate. A business immigration attorney can help you decide if your investments are sufficient enough for permanent residency in the U.S.

Investment Visas Attorney Florida

The business immigration attorneys at Florida Immigration Law Counsel will work to have your application approved as soon as possible. They can help reduce the amount of paperwork you face, manage your immigration documentation process, advocate on your behalf, and help you obtain the business or investment visa you desire. 

A reputable immigration attorney can save you lots of stress. They have experience helping their clients who are in the U.S. on short-term business or investing significant amounts of capital into the U.S. markets. Schedule an initial consultation with the adept investment visa lawyers at Florida Immigration Law Counsel and discuss your options today.