E-2 visa · Belgium
The E-2 visa for Belgian citizens: what your passport changes
If you hold a Belgian passport, the E-2 visa is open to you: Belgium and the United States are bound by a treaty in force since 1963. You can invest in an American business (new or existing) and move to the United States to run it, with your family, without the lottery or green-card waiting lines.
Treaty in force
since 1963
Where cases are filed
U.S. Embassy Brussels
Your spouse
authorized to work in the US
Legal minimum investment
none (“substantial”)
E-2 cases from Belgium are handled by the U.S. Embassy in Brussels.
In practice, from Belgium
Your case is filed at the U.S. Embassy in Brussels. The documentary file is written in English, a natural advantage for many Belgian applicants already used to a multilingual environment.
The typical path: a structured project with committed funds, a complete documentary file (the source of funds must be crystal clear: savings, a property sale, a share sale, a family gift), forms DS-160 and DS-156E, then the interview in Brussels.
A frequent Belgian profile: taking over an existing shop or small business in Florida or Texas, often found during a scouting trip. Takeovers carry a file advantage: the business's financial history proves viability better than any projection.
Visa validity depends on your country's official reciprocity schedule (U.S. Department of State). It changes over time; check travel.state.gov when you file.
The questions we get asked
What is the minimum investment amount?
The law sets no minimum amount. The test is that your investment is “substantial” relative to the real cost of your business, and already committed when you file. Solid cases exist from $50,000-$100,000 depending on the activity. Coherence matters, not a magic threshold.
Can my spouse and children come with me?
Yes. Your spouse and children under 21 receive derivative E-2 status. Your spouse is authorized to work in the United States for any employer, and children can attend school normally.
How long is the E-2 visa valid?
Validity depends on the reciprocity schedule between the US and your country of nationality, published by the Department of State, and the visa is renewable indefinitely as long as the business genuinely operates. Each entry admits you for two years.
Do I need a lawyer to file an E-2 case?
No, nothing requires one. An E-2 case is a documentary case: you sign and file it yourself. VisaCrafter helps you structure it and prepare every document (business plan included), without legal advice: we are not lawyers, and thousands of cases are filed every year without one.
Where to start?
The free guide breaks down a real $15,000 attorney fee agreement and shows how to self-file. Rather talk it through? 15 minutes with Anthony, free.
VisaCrafter helps you structure and prepare the documents of your E-2 case. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice.