Is EB-1 the same as ‘E1’ or ‘E2’?

No, they are different things. EB-1 is an employment-based immigration category: a path to the green card (permanent residence), designed for standout profiles such as individuals with extraordinary ability, outstanding professors and researchers, and certain multinational executives.

E-1 and E-2, on the other hand, are treaty visas — nonimmigrant in nature. E-1 serves trade between the United States and countries with a qualifying commercial treaty, while E-2 is for investors who come to direct a business in the country. They authorize a stay as long as the qualifying activity continues, but do not, by themselves, lead to permanent residence.

• EB-1: green card (permanent), employment- and merit-based.
• E-1: temporary trade visa under treaty.
• E-2: temporary investor visa under treaty.

The alphabet soup of acronyms can be confusing, so whenever terms cross, confirm the category with the official source (USCIS) or with a specialist to avoid mixing paths with such different purposes.

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.