After several years of delay, Israeli citizens are now eligible to apply for the E-2 Treaty Investor Visa. The E-2 visa is one of a few visas that allow citizens of a limited number of nations to set up and operate a business within the United States on a temporary basis.

Benefits of the E-2 visa are that there are no set minimum capital requirements for the investment (but the capital investment must be “sufficient” and realistic) and there is no maximum number of extensions – the visa is for 2 years and can be extended indefinitely as long as the business is a going concern. Immediate family members can also accompany the visa holder.

The downsides are that the visa does not provide a path to a Green Card nor citizenship, children of the visa holder will lose their status when they turn 21 years old, and the visa is only good for two years at a time, and the immigration authorities are not required to renew the visa each time.