If you have the Argentine nationality you can obtain an entrepreneur visa. No minimum investment required.
There is a US Investor Visa for Argentines knows as “the entrepreneur visa”, but its formal name is: E-2 Visa. The E-2 Visa can only be requested by citizens of countries that have a bilateral trade agreement with the US
Argentina is one of the countries where its citizens can take advantage of this visa. Every year thousands of its citizens apply for E-2 in order to open their businesses in the United States.
The E-2 visa provides additional benefits, such as work permit for spouses and the freedom of children under 21 years old to live and study in the country.
Miami – Florida, the gateway of Argentines to the United States
One of the cities that receives the most people from Argentina is Miami, Florida. The city has large number of Argentine restaurants and hundreds of businesses owned by Argentines.
In addition, Miami offers the advantage of the language. Spanish is the most used language in the city; therefore, language there is not a barrier anymore to operate businesses.
The Argentine community in Miami is huge. According to their religious beliefs or particular tastes they are concentrated in different neighborhoods of the city. But without a doubt, Miami Beach is the favorite area of Argentines in Miami.
Its blue beaches and white sand make Miami Beach the favorite place to live of the Argentines who arrive to the country.
But beyond the beauty of the city, the charm of its beaches, the warmth of our Argentine brothers and the advantage of language, we have the tax benefit.
Florida is one of the nine states of the American Union where residents do not pay state personal taxes. Residents only have to pay federal taxes, which is great for investors.
Minimum investment amount
A great thing about the Entrepreneur Visa or E-2 is the minimum investment required. The truth is that the law does not establish a minimum amount, it only mentions “investing a substantial amount of capital “. At VisaBP we have developed business plans for hundreds of E-2 visa applications; therefore, we know for fact that the investment must be according to the type of business.
In addition to the purchase of assets and the common expenses of any business, you must have cash in the bank. With this money you will be able to sustain the business operations for months.
In our 16 years of experience developing business plans for E-2 visas application, investments have been varied. Some have only invested $60,000, others $100,000, and there are cases where millions of dollars have been invested as well.
Business plan for E-2 visas
The US Department of Immigration requires a business plan when submitting an application to the E-2 visa.
In our more than 16 years of experience we have successfully delivered thousands of business plans for immigration applications, making our clients to invest the right amount. Remember, a well-structured $80,000 investment will be more effective than a poorly-structured $150,000 investment.
The business plan is considered “the backbone” of the E-2 visa application. That is why it is important to have professional business experts with vast experience in immigration.
Labor force
Like the investment, US Immigration does not require to hire a fixed number of employees. The human force must be commensurate with the type of business. But in all cases it is recommended to include full-time workers.
Initial investment – E-2 Visa
In any US Investor Visa for Argentines application it is recommended to show the following elements:
- Premise rental signed agreement. In the past, investors used virtual offices only to cover this requirement. Now it is strongly recommended to have a physical address before apply to the visa.
- Expenses. Every business has expenses such as insurance, licenses and permits, remodeling, stationery purchases, advertising in different media, to name just a few.
- Short term assets. A company or business should not operate without furniture, shelves and other.
- Long-term assets. Vehicles and real estate properties owned by business. This element should not always be present in an E-2 visa investment.
- Inventory. Inventory is another element that is not always present in all enterprises. It will vary according to the nature of the business.
- Cash. It is the money in the bank accounts of the company to cover the expenses or part of them while the business begins to generate sales. It could also cover the working capital of the company. This element is essential when applying to an investor visa.
Investment example: Cafeteria
This is one of the examples that I like to show because it is an easy business to explain. You do not need to be an expert in coffee bars or restaurants in order to understand this example.
One of the fundamental pieces of a visa business plan for an E-2 is the so-called startup table. This table shows each of the items included in the initial investment.
Initial Investment Table – Cafeteria
| CONCEPT | CAFETERIA |
|---|---|
| Rent Deposit | $5,000 (500 sq ft) |
| Architect | $2,000 |
| Remodeling | $5,000 |
| Software | $1,000 |
| Permits and Licenses | $700 |
| Computer y Hardware | $1,000 |
| Cash Required | $23,000 (2 months) |
| Inventory | $2,500 |
| Short-Term Assets | $7,000 |
| Long-Term Assets | $30,000 |
| TOTAL INITIAL INVESTMENT | $77,200 |
This table shows the basic items that are usually present in any initial investment. The officials of the US Immigration Department need to see the detail in what and how much is being invested in the business.
Example of annual expenses: Cafeteria
Like the initial investment amount Immigration must see the company’s operating expenses, including employees, which are a fundamental part of any visa application E-2.
Annual Expenses Table – Cafeteria
| CONCEPTO | CAFETERÍA |
|---|---|
| Payroll | $43,000 |
| Marketing | $24,000 |
| Depretiation | $8,000 |
| Rent | $30,000 |
| Utilities | $6,000 |
| Payroll Taxes | $6,480 |
| Software | $3,000 |
| Professional Services | $5,000 |
| Other | $12,000 |
| ANNUAL EXPENSES | $137,480 |
This table shows the basic expenses of the business, and two of them have special importance in the eyes of Immigration: 1) Payroll, and 2) Payroll taxes.
A business plan for visa application must show five-year projections of expenses, sales, cash flow, and p&l. It should also include the target market, description of the industry, competitive advantage, among others.
Conclusions
The E-2 visa is also known as the Entrepreneur Visa. This is because all the advantages it offers to those who wish to start a new business in the US. It is a visa that allows Argentines and other foreigners to live indefinitely in the country, generate income and grow as entrepreneurs.
If you wish to enjoy the benefits of this visa, make sure that you have the support of knowledgeable professionals in the field. As an investor, you should hire lawyers, business advisers, accounting and tax advisers, and realtors.
There is another business visa that you could also qualify. Please check this link to know more about the L-1.
If you would like more information, do not hesitate to contact us.