E-2 Visa Document Checklist (2026): Everything the Consulate Expects in Your Package

E-visa officers review the written package before anyone is scheduled for an interview. A complete package with a clear index moves through review faster and gives the officer fewer reasons to issue a 221(g). This checklist covers what a consular E-2 package should contain. Posts publish their own instructions and sometimes require specific cover sheets or file formats; follow those exactly and use this list to make sure nothing is missing.

1. Forms and fees

• DS-160 confirmation page for each applicant, including spouse and children.
• DS-156E, completed and signed by the principal applicant. Parts I and II for the enterprise; Part III for the applicant’s role.
• Visa fee receipt, $315 per applicant.
• Appointment confirmation once scheduled.
• Post-specific cover sheet or table of contents, if required.

2. Personal documents for the principal

• Passport valid at least six months beyond the intended stay, with prior U.S. visas.
• Passport-style photograph meeting current requirements.
• Curriculum vitae or resume showing relevant experience.
• Diplomas and professional certifications relevant to the business.
• Evidence of any prior U.S. immigration history and status, including I-94 records and prior visa approvals or refusals.

3. Treaty nationality

• Passport page proving citizenship of the treaty country.
• For naturalized citizens: naturalization certificate. For citizenship acquired by investment: evidence of three years of continuous domicile in the treaty country.
• Passports or nationality documents for all other owners of the enterprise, to prove at least 50% treaty ownership.

4. Business entity documents

• Certificate of formation or articles of incorporation, and any amendments.
• Operating agreement or bylaws showing ownership percentages and management authority.
• Membership or stock ledger and certificates.
• EIN confirmation letter from the IRS.
• State registrations: foreign entity registration if applicable, sales tax permit, employer accounts.
• Business licenses and permits.
• Organizational chart showing your position and all employees.
• If owned by a foreign parent: the parent’s formation and ownership documents.

5. Investment evidence

• Bank statements of the U.S. business account from opening to present.
• Wire transfer confirmations from your personal or foreign accounts to the business.
• Purchase agreement and closing documents if buying a business; escrow agreement with release conditions if funds are escrowed.
• Franchise agreement and proof of franchise fee payment, if applicable.
• Commercial lease, deposit receipt and rent payments.
• Invoices and payment proof for equipment, inventory, vehicles, build-out, software, marketing, professional fees.
• Loan agreements, if any part of the investment is borrowed, showing personal liability and that collateral is not the E-2 business.
• An investment summary table reconciling every expenditure to the bank statements and to the business plan.

6. Source of funds

• A narrative statement explaining each source, amount and path of funds.
• Employment income: employment contracts, payslips, tax returns for several years.
• Sale of property: title records, sale contract, closing statement, bank receipt of proceeds.
• Sale of business or shares: sale agreement, corporate records, bank receipt.
• Dividends and business income: corporate financial statements, tax returns, board resolutions, bank records.
• Inheritance: will, probate or estate documents, bank receipt.
• Gift: notarized gift letter, donor’s identification and donor’s source-of-funds evidence.
• Loans: agreements, collateral evidence, lender’s identity.
• Personal bank statements for at least 12 months showing the accumulation and transfer of funds.
• Currency exchange records reconciling foreign-currency amounts to dollars.

7. Business plan

• A five-year business plan in the format your post expects, including executive summary, company description, market and competitor analysis, marketing plan, operations, management and personnel plan with hiring schedule, investment schedule, and financial projections with assumptions. See business plan format and our business plan service.

8. Evidence the business is real and operating

• Photographs of premises, signage, equipment and inventory.
• Website, marketing materials and advertising invoices.
• Customer contracts, purchase orders, invoices and sales records.
• Vendor and supplier agreements.
• Payroll records, employment agreements, and W-2 or 1099 forms for staff.
• Insurance policies.
• Utility bills and other operating expenses.
• For acquisitions: the target’s tax returns and financial statements for three years, and the transition or training agreement with the seller.

9. Develop and direct

• Your position title and job description in the enterprise.
• Documents you have signed on behalf of the company: lease, contracts, bank signature card.
• Board resolutions or member consents appointing you as manager or officer.

10. Nonimmigrant intent

• A brief statement of intent to depart upon termination of E-2 status.
• Ties to the home country where relevant: property, family, business interests. This is less emphasized for E-2 than for visitor visas but should not be ignored.

11. Dependents

• DS-160 confirmation and fee receipt for each.
• Passports and photographs.
• Marriage certificate; birth certificates for children.
• Certified translations where needed.

12. Translations and formatting

• Certified English translations for all foreign-language documents.
• Legible scans, compressed to the post’s file limits.
• A table of contents with exhibit numbers, and tabs or bookmarks in the PDF.
• Consistency: the same figures for investment, ownership and hiring in the DS-156E, the business plan and the investment summary.

Common gaps we see in self-prepared packages

• Bank statements that stop months before filing.
• No reconciliation between the plan’s investment schedule and actual spending.
• Source of funds shown by a bank letter rather than transaction records.
• Ownership documents that do not add up to 100% or do not show nationality.
• Missing translations for foreign tax returns and property documents.

How we help

We assemble the business side of the package: entity records, investment evidence, source-of-funds narrative, business plan and operations evidence, indexed and reconciled, then hand it to your attorney for the legal filing. If you want a review of your package before submission, contact us.