Possibly, through the E-2 treaty investor visa, if you are a citizen of a country that has an investment treaty with the US and you put real, at-risk money into a genuine US contracting, landscaping, or trades business that you own, actively run, and staff with US workers. The UK, Ireland, Canada, Mexico, and much of Europe are treaty countries. It is one of the more realistic routes for an established, entrepreneurial tradesperson, but it is not a green card, and it is not a way to simply buy your way in.
What the E-2 is
The E-2 lets a national of a US treaty country invest a substantial amount of capital in a US business they own and direct, and come to the US to run it. Unlike most work visas, there is no employer sponsoring you. You are the investor and the boss.
Key point: it is a non-immigrant visa. You are expected to leave when your status ends, and it does not, by itself, lead to a green card.
What "substantial investment" really means
There is no fixed statutory minimum dollar amount. The test is whether the investment is substantial relative to what it costs to set up that kind of business, and whether the business is real. As a rule of thumb as of 2026:
- Below roughly $100,000, the investment should represent close to 100% of the business's cost.
- A small-to-medium contracting, landscaping, electrical, or plumbing business in the rough $100,000 to $500,000 range can credibly qualify, if the investment is genuine.
The money has to clear several bars:
- Real and at risk. The capital must be irrevocably committed and genuinely exposed to loss, not just sitting in an account or promised on paper.
- Non-marginal. The business must do more than support just you and your family. It has to generate real economic activity and employ US workers. A one-person shell that only pays your own wage will not qualify.
- Actively run by you. You must come to develop and direct the enterprise, not to be a passive investor.
Who can use it, and for how long
- You must be a national of a treaty country. The UK, Ireland, most of Europe, Canada, and Mexico are all on the list. Verify your country at travel.state.gov.
- You apply at a US embassy or consulate in your home country. There is no USCIS petition needed first.
- The initial stay is two years, renewable in two-year increments indefinitely as long as you keep meeting the conditions. There is no cap.
The E-2 does not directly give you a green card, but an E-2 holder can pursue a separate route like EB-3 at the same time.
The honest verdict for a tradesperson
If you are an established tradesperson with genuine business ambition and can invest real money in a real US business that employs US workers, E-2 is worth serious consideration. It is one of the more accessible routes for the entrepreneurial, precisely because it does not depend on an employer choosing you.
But be clear about what it is not. It is not a way to buy a visa cheaply, and it is not passive. The money must be truly at risk, the business must be real and more than marginal, and you must run it. A staged "investment" designed only to get the visa will be refused, and can leave you out of pocket. Get an immigration attorney and a US business attorney working together before you commit a dollar.
A word on EB-5, the other investor route
People sometimes confuse E-2 with EB-5. EB-5 leads directly to a green card, but the numbers are in a different league: roughly $800,000 in a targeted (rural or high-unemployment) area or about $1,050,000 otherwise, plus the creation of at least 10 full-time US jobs, with the program authorized through September 30, 2027 as of 2026. Unlike E-2, it can be a passive investment.
For almost every working tradesperson, EB-5 is out of reach. The one exception is someone with access to serious family capital, for whom it can be a direct, skills-free path to a green card. Verify current amounts and the program status at uscis.gov, and remember these investments are genuinely at risk. Projects have failed.
Common questions
Which countries can use the E-2 investor visa?
Nationals of countries that have a qualifying investment treaty with the US, which includes the UK, Ireland, Canada, Mexico, and most of Europe. If your country is on the treaty list and you invest substantially in a real US business you run, E-2 may be open to you. Nationals of non-treaty countries cannot use E-2 at all. Check whether your country qualifies at travel.state.gov, and confirm with an immigration attorney.
Is there a minimum investment for an E-2 visa?
No fixed statutory minimum, but the investment must be "substantial" relative to the cost of the business and the business must be real and more than marginal. As a rough guide in 2026, a contracting or landscaping business in the $100,000 to $500,000 range can qualify if the money is genuinely at risk and it employs US workers. A token or paper investment will be refused. Verify the current guidance at travel.state.gov and with an attorney.
Does the E-2 visa give me a green card?
No. The E-2 is a renewable non-immigrant visa, not a green card. You are expected to depart when your status ends. It can be renewed in two-year increments indefinitely while you keep meeting the conditions, and there is no cap, but it does not automatically lead to permanent residence. An E-2 holder can pursue a separate green card route such as EB-3 at the same time. For the permanent side, get advice from a licensed immigration attorney.
Can I get a visa by buying an existing landscaping or contracting business?
Possibly, through E-2, if you are a treaty-country national and the purchase is a real, at-risk investment in a business you actively run and that employs US workers. Buying a genuine going concern can qualify just as starting one can, provided it is more than marginal. But it must be a real business you direct, not a shell bought to secure a visa. Contractor licensing for the business is a separate, state-level matter. See Working in Your State, and get legal advice first.
The honest bit
- The E-2 investment guidance is exactly that, guidance, not a fixed legal amount, and the treaty-country list and practice change. Verify the current rules and your country's eligibility at travel.state.gov before committing money.
- EB-5 amounts and the program's authorization date (September 30, 2027) are current for 2026 but can change. Verify at uscis.gov.
- No government filing fees are quoted here, because they change. Get real figures from the official sites.
- This is general information, not legal or financial advice. An E-2 turns on the specific structure of your investment and business, so use both a licensed US immigration attorney (aila.org) and a US business attorney, or a DOJ/EOIR-recognized accredited nonprofit for the immigration side. Never a notario or unlicensed consultant, who cannot legally advise you.
- Anyone offering to "sell" you an investor visa or guaranteeing approval is a scam. The investment must be real and at risk, and no one can guarantee the outcome. State contractor licensing still applies to your business. See Working in Your State.
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Templates you might need
Sources
- USCIS - EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program · The investor route and what it actually requires: a qualifying investment amount and the creation of full-time jobs for US workers, which is a different thing from starting a small contracting business
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