When deciding which is the right type of franchise to invest in with your E2 Visa, it is best to start by thinking about which industries best fit your skills and passion.
2. The E2 visa is a great way for foreign nationals to
live and work in the United States (without any
family or employment connections) by owning and
operating their own business.
3. To be eligible, you must meet certain
requirements, one of which is that the investment
must be in a real business;
that is, not an enterprise that would be considered
marginal, such as a multi-level marketing
company.
4. To meet this requirement, a growing
number of E2 visa candidates are investing
in U.S.-based franchises.
5. But which type of franchise is best
for a foreign national to invest in?
6. Before discussing specific industries to start a
franchise business in, it is important to understand
the rest of the requirements to be approved for an
E2 visa.
7. In addition to investing in a real enterprise,
foreign nationals must also do the following:
8. Invest a substantial amount in their E2 visa
business; the USCIS has no specific definition of
“substantial”, but to be safe, it is best to plan on
investing somewhere between $100,000 and
$150,000 USD at a minimum.
9. Own at least 50% of the business you are
investing in.
Show that you obtained your funding for the
franchise legally.
10. Be directly involved in the operation of your
business.
Your new business must create a minimum of
two new jobs for U.S. workers.
11. Because of these requirements, there are certain
types of franchises that are successful business
models, but would never qualify for an
E2 visa.
12. Examples include home-based sales franchises,
vending franchises, and generally any franchise
opportunity with a required investment of under
$100,000.
13. Also, you will need to own a business that requires
a minimum of two employees to operate –
this would also preclude home businesses and one-
man operations.
14. Though there are some franchise business
opportunities E2 investors cannot take advantage
of, there are still hundreds across a wide range of
industries that can qualify.
15. When deciding which is the right type of
franchise to invest in with your E2 visa,
it is best to start by thinking about which
industries best fit your
skills and passion.
16. For example, if you have experience managing a
McDonalds, you may be a great fit for a
restaurant or fast food franchise.
On the other hand, if you have a background in
nursing or the health care field in general, a
senior care franchise might be a better fit.
17. There are also growing industries that
could provide great business models for the
right E2 visa candidate:
Maid and cleaning franchises
Children’s services
Pet care
Health and fitness
Automotive
18. Aside from finding a franchise opportunity in an
industry you know and are passionate about, it is
important to work with a well-established brand in
that industry.
Remember, you are making a very large
investment, and moving yourself and your family
to a new country.
19. With so much on the line, it is
best to be sure you are dealing with
a company that offers the training
and support to ensure you are well-
positioned to be successful.
20. At Franchise City, we provide access to free,
unlimited franchise consulting for E2 visa
candidates.
With nearly 600 franchise brands to choose from,
we are most often able to place investors in the
ideal business based on their passion, skills and
budget.
21. For further information on how we can help
fulfill your dream of business ownership in the U.
S., check out:
http://franchisecity.net