Comparison of B-1 and E-2 visas

If you are interested in getting a work visa in the USA, most likely you will have questions about the difference between the different B1 and E2 visas. The B-1 visa applies to work trips related to tasks, primarily consulting, meetings, opening bank accounts. In the case of the E2 visa, it is an investor visa. People often confuse these visas, combine them, and apply them to one another. In this article, we will explain the difference between these visas.

The B nonimmigrant visa subcategories are divided into B-1 and B-2. These two numbers will be issued to you simultaneously with the following description: B-1/B-2. These visas are issued for 6 months if this is the first visa in the USA. If it is repeated, you can request a visa for 10 years, but still, the maximum period of stay in the USA with a visa for 10 years is 6 months, with the possibility of extending it for another 6 months.

At each border crossing in the USA, the representative of the immigration service will ask you about the purpose of the visit and this will be reflected in the new stamp. It will indicate whether you have a tourist subcategory visa, or a business visa, or both at the same time. If you want to go to the USA for a period of less than 3 months and if you are covered by the ESTA program, it is better for you to use this visa, which provides the same opportunities. Next, there will be more details about the B1 business visa.

It is very common for US companies to be owned by foreigners or foreigners seeking business opportunities in the US. Some people do not plan to live permanently in the US, but consider this country as a place to do business. But having a business in the USA, they have to participate in meetings, solve questions related to the management of the company, attend conferences or exhibitions and other events in the USA. In such cases, it is not permanent management of the company as the main place of work. You do not receive a basic reward or payment for this activity.

If a person wants to do initial market research in their field, manage organizational initial questions, find an office, warehouse, rent a car, open a bank account, find employees, conduct an interview, hold a meeting, then the B1 visa will be appropriate.

rent of premises and transport

negotiations with partners and clients

participation in events

educational events, seminars, conferences

employee interviews

conclusion of agreements

opening a bank account

But if you already need to actively manage the company, then the B1 visa is not enough for you.

One of the most common visas you will need is the E2 investor visa. There are two types of visa 2, namely E1 and E2. The E1 visa is intended for international trade, and the E2 visa is for investors in the American company. An investor must own at least more than half of a company’s stock to qualify as an investor.

Each country has its own deadline for obtaining a visa. In some countries it is 3 months, in others 2 years or 5 years, and some have not even concluded agreements on investor visas.

For example, in Slovakia, visas are issued for 2 years, in the Czech Republic for 5 years, in Austria for 5 years. This is the maximum allowed stay. If some country has 3 months. This means that the person must enter the USA within 3 months from the date of visa issuance. Always in the US, these individuals will have a 2-year residence permit stamp. After your visa expires, you need to renew your visa again if you wish. This can be done again at the US embassy of your home country according to your nationality, or you can apply in the US, but before your visa expires.

You can carry out any activity in the US, but only within the limits of the company that is indicated on your visa.

With an E2 visa, you, as an investor, get parvo to apply for your individual social security number (SSN), and the investor’s spouse can work in the US. Children under the age of 21 automatically receive dependent E-2 visas (however, children are not eligible for an SSN or work authorization).

Next, we will show you a general table with the differences between these visas.