Mexico and Argentina are the Latin American countries that issue the most investor visas. Businesses have to make a profit of US$6,000 per month
By iProfessional
02/09/2023 – 10:39 a.m.
According to a survey by the Law Offices of Carla Anzaldi, on the profile of Latinos who apply for the E2 investor visa to legally emigrate to the United States, the demand grew 50% in the Latin American region and the average of those interested is between 40 and 60 years old.
In the last 3 years, more than 80% of the E2 visas issued in Latin America are issued by the embassies of Mexico and Argentina. According to the US embassy, about 600 E2 visas per year for Argentineswhich represents a 15% of the global total of visas. On average, in the global context, between 25,000 and 30,000 E2 visas are approved in each fiscal year. Currently, it is estimated that in the United States, investors holding such visas own approximately more than 100,000 businesses and will employ 1 million US citizens.
For their part, the embassies in Colombia and Chile have not been issuing E2 visas since the pandemic began, but they have notified that they plan to start processing visas of this type again as of February 2023. In the particular case of Peruvians, they do not have access to E2 visas, unless they also have a passport from another country with access to the investor visa.
Carla Anzaldi explains that in order to apply for the E2 visa it is necessary to be a citizen of a country with which the United States has a trade and navigation treaty or agreement: these are currently Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico and Paraguay.
What do we invest in?
The Top 3 of the most chosen sectors for Latino investors who start a business in the US are gastronomy, technology and services.
The E2 visa is obtained by making a significant investment in an ongoing business, acquiring a franchise, or establishing from scratch.
Those who choose franchises, the four most requested are: health, beauty, gastronomy, maintenance and finance. Less conventional franchise items include: walking and caring for pets, caring for the elderly, cleaning industrial kitchens or collecting old furniture.
He average investment amount of Latino entrepreneurs is US$200,000, and the minimum investment amount must be between US$150 and US$180,000. Regarding the hiring of personnel for business management, the average ranges from 2 to 6 collaborators.
“The expectation is that investments are made that allow the generation of jobs for residents and the corresponding generation of profits that are exposed to the payment of taxes. In this way, the simplest and fastest thing is usually to invest in a company that is already operating,” explains Anzaldi.
To apply for the visa, it is necessary to demonstrate that the business will leave a monthly income of more than US$6,000 per month approximately. On the other hand, the average return time of the initial investment is between 6 to 12 months.
“The investor visa is being highly encouraged by the United States government, since it implies capital investment and job creation in a post-pandemic context, which translates into high application approval rates,” he concludes. Anzaldi.
