E-2 Visa for Turkish Citizens: Requirements, Ankara and Istanbul Processing, and Business Choices

Turkish entrepreneurs have made the E-2 one of their main routes to the United States. Thousands of Turkish-owned businesses operate under E-2 status in Texas, New Jersey, Florida, California and Illinois, from restaurants and construction firms to logistics companies and technology consultancies. This guide explains the process from Turkey specifically: eligibility, the Ankara E-visa unit, documentation issues that arise with Turkish funds, and business models that have worked.

Eligibility

Turkey is an E-2 treaty country under the 1990 bilateral investment treaty. Turkish citizens by birth or naturalization qualify without further conditions. Those who obtained Turkish citizenship through the citizenship-by-investment program must additionally show three years of continuous domicile in Turkey before the E-2 application, a requirement added to U.S. law in December 2022.

The U.S. business must be at least 50% owned by Turkish citizens. Dual Turkish-and-other nationals may apply on either citizenship; the ownership test follows the nationality used.

Turkish citizens receive E-2 visas valid for up to 60 months with multiple entries, among the longest validity periods. Each entry provides a two-year stay.

Applying from Turkey

E-2 cases for Turkey are handled by the E-visa unit at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara. The process:

1. Complete the DS-160 for each applicant and the DS-156E for the principal.
2. Pay the visa fee of $315 per applicant.
3. Submit the complete E-2 evidence package electronically as instructed on the embassy’s website, following its file-size and organization rules precisely. The unit returns incomplete packages.
4. Wait for document review. In 2026 this typically takes six to twelve weeks, longer in peak periods.
5. Attend the interview when scheduled. Interviews are conducted in English; bring a translator only if the post permits and you genuinely need one.
6. Receive the passport with the visa by courier, usually within one to two weeks of approval.

Turkish applicants who are already in the United States in a valid status, for example on a B-1/B-2 or F-1, can alternatively change status through USCIS; see change of status vs consular processing. Because the Ankara unit’s review period is comparatively long, this two-step approach is common among Turkish investors who are already in the U.S.

Source of funds from Turkey

Documentation of the origin of investment funds receives careful attention in Turkish cases, for practical reasons: currency volatility, a large share of real estate wealth, family businesses with mixed personal and corporate finances, and gold or cash savings held outside the banking system.

Prepare a clear chain for each source:

• Sale of real estate: tapu records, sale contract, bank transfer of proceeds, and an explanation if the sale price differs from the declared value.
• Business income or dividends: company registry documents, tax returns, board resolutions for dividends, and bank statements showing the transfers.
• Salary savings: employment contracts, payslips, and bank history over several years.
• Gifts from family: a notarized gift letter and the donor’s own source-of-funds evidence.
• Currency conversion: bank records showing the lira-to-dollar exchange and the transfer to the U.S. account, with amounts reconciled.

Cash and gold savings without a bank history are the hardest to document and should be converted and deposited well before the application, with an explanation of their origin.

Investment amounts

Turkish approvals in our experience follow the general pattern: $100,000 to $200,000 for service businesses and franchises, $200,000 to $500,000 for restaurants, retail and logistics, and larger sums for acquisitions. Escrow arrangements for acquisitions are accepted by the Ankara unit when properly drafted. See E-2 minimum investment.

Business models that have worked for Turkish investors

• Food service. Turkish and Mediterranean restaurants, bakeries and cafes, especially in metro areas with Turkish communities. Labor-intensive and easy to show as non-marginal, but capital-intensive.
• Construction, remodeling and trades. Countertop fabrication, flooring, painting and general contracting. Our founder built a countertop manufacturing business in Dallas on this model.
• Trucking and logistics. Owner-operators scaling to small fleets. Strong job creation profile; requires careful compliance planning.
• Cleaning and home services franchises. Fast to launch, modest capital, early hiring.
• Wholesale and import. Textiles, food products and building materials from Turkey. Works when there is genuine U.S. operation, warehousing and staff, not just a trading account.
• Technology and consulting. Software development and IT consultancies serving U.S. clients, often with a Turkish development team. The U.S. entity must have real operations and U.S. hires to avoid marginality concerns.

Family

Spouses and children under 21 receive E-2 dependent visas. Spouses may work for any employer or start their own business without a separate permit. Children attend public school. See E-2 for families.

Practical notes

• Military service obligations for men should be resolved or deferred before relocating; the U.S. process does not address them but travel may be affected.
• Turkish tax residency ends on departure under most circumstances; U.S. tax residency begins. The U.S.-Turkey tax treaty affects how business income and pensions are treated. Consult a cross-border accountant.
• The Turkish-American business community in Texas, New Jersey and Florida is a real advantage for vendors, staffing and customers, and we use it actively for our clients.

How we help

We work in Turkish and English and have helped Turkish investors select and launch businesses in Dallas, Houston, New Jersey and Florida, prepare the investment documentation the Ankara unit expects, and write the five-year business plan. Tell us about your budget and business idea, or read the Turkish version of this site at /tr.