The United States represents a powerful launchpad that can take an expanding company to levels of achievement unimaginable in any other location
The short answer is a big “Yes!”. The United States still has the largest gross domestic product of any country in the world at $20.89 trillion. China is far second at $14.86 trillion, followed by Japan at far third with a GDP of $5.04 trillion.
Being the largest consumer market in the world, the United States is indeed considered to be the ultimate goal for many expanding companies, a desirable location for their business to truly skyrocket.
On top of this, the World Bank ranks the United States sixth globally in terms of ease of doing business, demonstrating that the country has a keen focus on making it possible for companies to operate and thrive.
That being said, the World Bank ranks the United States 55th in the world in terms of ease of starting a business here. In addition, a Business Roundtable comparative study ranked the United States 9th out of 10 countries examined with regards to immigration policies that promote economic growth.
These statistics show that while the United States may represent a powerful launchpad that can take an expanding company to levels of achievement unimaginable in any other location, entering the market takes grit, determination, and top experts guiding you along the way.
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Although US immigration law is fairly complex and not necessarily ideal for facilitating economic growth as the study mentioned above explains, with a strong expert at your company’s side, it is definitely achievable.
For the 81 countries that have an E-2 treaty with the United States, the E-2 Treaty Investor visa can often be an excellent and highly workable visa option for companies expanding to the United States.
The main requirements are as follows:
1. The new US company is at least 50% ultimately owned by citizens of the treaty country or is solely traded on the stock market of the treaty country.
2. The employees applying for the E-2 visas are citizens of the same treaty country.
3. A “substantial investment” has been made in establishing the US business operations. There is no set minimum amount for this requirement – it is looked at on a case-by-case basis and depends on how much it typically takes to start that type of business in that particular location in the United States.
4. The visa applicant is either an investor in the US business or an employee who will be working in either an executive/managerial or highly skilled capacity for the company in the United States.
The E-2 is a great starting point in terms of visa options for companies expanding to the United States, but there are certainly others as well if the E-2 is not a good fit, such as the L-1A Intracompany Transferee New Office category, or the O-1 Extraordinary Ability category for highly accomplished business executives or entrepreneurs.
For any Visa advice or support for the USA, contact us to speak to an expert directly. We can help you Incorporate, Move and Manage your business, taxes, payroll, and more in the USA and over 170 countries
Please contact us if you have any questions.
References
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/268173/countries-with-the-largest-gross-domestic-product-gdp/
- https://www.doingbusiness.org/en/rankings
- https://www.businessroundtable.org/policy-perspectives/immigration/state-of-immigration
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute formal legal advice. In addition, this article may constitute attorney advertising.
