The E-1 treaty trader visa and the E-2 treaty investor visa are some of the lesser-known visas that permit foreign nationals to conduct business in the U.S. For people legally in the country with these visas, however, the visas are of primary importance because they represent their livelihoods as well as their right to remain in the U.S. And now, the economic downturn is threatening some business owners' ability to renew their E-1 and E-2 visas, especially in Florida.
Statistics from news-press.com show that, in 2006, 8,000 E-1 treaty trader visas and 29,400 E-2 treaty investor visas were granted by the by the U.S. Department of State. In contrast, 6,279 E-1 trader visas and 25,500 E-2 investor visas were issued in 2010, largely because the recession is making it difficult for business owners to meet the requirements for obtaining or renewing E visas.