E-2 Visa and Franchises: How to Invest and Qualify

One of the pillars of the E-2 visa, the category for investors from countries with a treaty of commerce and navigation with the United States, is the concept of capital at risk: the funds invested must be fully committed to the business, subject to partial or total loss if the company doesn’t succeed. This is exactly why many international investors choose to buy a franchise. Entering an already-tested business model, with a recognized brand and standardized operations, reduces part of the uncertainty and gives the investor a powerful argument before the consular officer.

Why franchises are attractive

Franchises are not risk-free and require serious research, but an established brand reputation works as a signal of solidity. Investing in a network that has already succeeded in multiple regions tells the officer reviewing the case that the venture has a real chance of generating profit and jobs.

Beyond the brand, franchises deliver ready-made operating models, training programs, and support networks that make entering a new market far more accessible for newcomers. And with the track record of dozens of units to serve as a reference, projecting growth, revenue, and job creation becomes a more concrete and defensible task.

Even so, no brand is a guarantee. Established networks have seen units fail and close when the franchisee underestimated the local market. That’s why, even within a franchise, developing a business plan tailored to the specific territory is essential: each location has its own costs, competition, and demand.

How much does a franchise cost

Cost varies widely depending on the industry and location. Franchisors typically publish a Franchise Disclosure Document, a document that details expected costs, initial fees, royalties, and contractual obligations, mandatory reading before making any decision.

There are affordable options, generally in the $80,000 to $200,000 range, compatible with a well-structured E-2 application. The most common segments include:

• Food and beverage: restaurants, bars, cafes, smoothie shops, and ice cream parlors.
• Health and fitness: gyms, spas, training studios, and personal training studios.
• Business services: shipping and printing centers, marketing and advertising, cleaning and janitorial services.
• Automotive: repair and brake shops, tires, window tinting and detailing, oil change and maintenance.
• Personal care and pets: beauty salons and barbershops, daycare centers, pet boarding and grooming.

A word of caution: the franchise fee is not the only expense. Working capital, rent, buildout of the location, initial inventory, and reserves for the first few months all need to be factored in, and it’s the whole package that the consulate evaluates as committed investment.

E-2 visa fees

In addition to the investment in the business, there are the fees for the visa process itself, updated for 2026:

• Applicants outside the United States, applying through a consulate, pay the DS-160 MRV fee of $315 per applicant, which also applies to the spouse and each dependent child.
• Those filing a change of status within the United States submit Form I-129. Under USCIS’s current fee schedule, the total is $810 for small employers (25 or fewer full-time employees, the bracket most new franchises fall into) and $1,615 for all others. These amounts already include the Asylum Program Fee.
• Depending on nationality, a reciprocity fee may also apply when the visa is issued, ranging from zero to a few thousand dollars.

Investor requirements

• Be a national of a country with an E-2 treaty in force with the United States, a list that includes around 80 countries.
• Play an active role in the company: genuinely participate in the day-to-day operation, not as a passive investor.
• Hold at least 50% ownership of the business or operational control through a managerial position or another corporate arrangement.
• Demonstrate that the invested funds have a lawful origin, with no direct or indirect connection to criminal activity.

The business plan matters

Even though the franchise provides network-wide projections, the consulate wants to see a localized, realistic plan for that specific unit. Approved cases tend to rest on solid market analysis, population density, consumer profile, regional competition, to support revenue and job-creation projections over a five-year period. Investments in the range of $100,000, when well documented and tied to defensible numbers, have been approved; what matters is not just the amount, but the consistency between the capital invested, the business model, and the expected return.

In the end, a franchise is a shortcut, not a free pass. It shortens the learning curve and reinforces the viability narrative, but E-2 approval still depends on funds genuinely at risk, an investor actively involved in management, and a plan that makes sense for the market where the operation will launch.

About the author

Victoria Harper

Editor-in-Chief

Meet the author

As a journalist and lead editor at Visto n’ Visa, Victoria helps ensure that immigration topics are covered in a clear, trustworthy, and easy-to-understand way. Her focus is on delivering useful, human, and relevant content for people exploring new paths abroad.