USA E-1 Visa

USA E-1 Visa - Treaty Traders

The E-1 nonimmigrant classification allows a national of a treaty country (a country with which the United States maintains a treaty of commerce and navigation) to be admitted to the United States solely to engage in international trade on his or her own behalf.  Certain employees of such a person or of a qualifying organization may also be eligible for this classification.

E1 Visa Entitlements

An E1 visa entitles the holder to live and work in the US temporarily. An E1 visa is usually granted for an initial period of 2 years and extensions may be granted. A treaty trader or employee may only work in the activity that was approved when the visa was granted. Any substantive changes in the trade activity or the organization's characteristics must be continued to meet the E1 visa requirements and be approved by the USCIS.

Spouses and unmarried children under 21 years of age may apply for the applicable derivative visa (E1 visa) to join their spouse or parent in the US. Accompanying spouses and children are entitled to study in the US without obtaining a student visa and accompanying spouses may undertake employment with an approved employment authorization.

Who May File for Change of Status to E-1 Classification
If the treaty trader is currently in the United States in a lawful nonimmigrant status, he or she may file Form I-129 to request a change of status to E-1 classification.  If the desired employee is currently in the United States in a lawful nonimmigrant status, the qualifying employer may file Form I-129 on the employee’s behalf.

How to Obtain E-1 Classification if Outside the United States
A request for E-1 classification may not be made on Form I-129 if the person being filed for is physically outside the United States.  Interested parties should refer to the U.S. Department of State website for further information about applying for an E-1 nonimmigrant visa abroad.  Upon issuance of a visa, the person may then apply to a DHS immigration officer at a U.S. port of entry for admission as an E-1 nonimmigrant.

General Qualifications of a Treaty Trader
To qualify for E-1 classification, the treaty trader must:

• Be a national of a country with which the United States maintains a treaty of commerce and navigation
• Carry on substantial trade
• Carry on principal trade between the United States and the treaty country which qualified the treaty trader for E-1 classification.

Trade is the existing international exchange of items of trade for consideration between the United States and the treaty country.  Items of trade include but are not limited to:

• Goods
• Services
• International banking
• Insurance
• Transportation
• Tourism
• Technology and its transfer
• Some news-gathering activities.

Substantial trade generally refers to the continuous flow of sizable international trade items, involving numerous transactions over time.  There is no minimum requirement regarding the monetary value or volume of each transaction.  While monetary value of transactions is an important factor in considering substantiality, greater weight is given to more numerous exchanges of greater value.  See 8 CFR 214.2(e)(10) for further details.

Principal trade between the United States and the treaty country exists when over 50% of the total volume of international trade is between the U.S. and the trader’s treaty country.  See 8 CFR 214.2(e)(11).

General Qualifications of the Employee of a Treaty Trader
To qualify for E-1 classification, the employee of a treaty trader must:

• Be the same nationality of the principal alien employer (who must have the nationality of the treaty country)
• Meet the definition of “employee” under the relevant law
• Either be engaging in duties of an executive or supervisory character, or if employed in a lesser capacity, have special qualifications.

If the principal alien employer is not an individual, it must be an enterprise or organization at least 50% owned by persons in the United States who have the nationality of the treaty country.  These owners must be maintaining nonimmigrant treaty trader status.  If the owners are not in the United States, they must be, if they were to seek admission to this country, classifiable as nonimmigrant treaty traders.

Duties which are of an executive or supervisory character are those which primarily provide the employee ultimate control and responsibility for the organization’s overall operation, or a major component of it.

Special qualifications are skills which make the employee’s services essential to the efficient operation of the business.  There are several qualities or circumstances which could, depending on the facts, meet this requirement.  These include, but are not limited to:

• The degree of proven expertise in the employee’s area of operations
• Whether others possess the employee’s specific skills
• The salary that the special qualifications can command
• Whether the skills and qualifications are readily available in the United States

Knowledge of a foreign language and culture does not, by itself, meet this requirement.  Note that in some cases a skill that is essential at one point in time may become commonplace, and therefore no longer qualifying, at a later date.

Period of Stay
Qualified treaty traders and employees will be allowed a maximum initial stay of two years.  Requests for extension of stay may be granted in increments of up to two years each.  There is no maximum limit to the number of extensions an E-1 nonimmigrant may be granted.  All E-1 nonimmigrants, however, must maintain an intention to depart the United States when their status expires or is terminated.

An E-1 nonimmigrant who travels abroad may generally be granted an automatic two-year period of readmission when returning to the United States.  It is generally not necessary to file a new Form I-129 with USCIS in this situation.

Er Ashima Patel
www.aisikitesi.com


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