The Core Issue
The E-2 Treaty Investor visa allows investors to live, conduct business, and bring spouses and children to the United States—spouses can work freely, children attend public schools tuition-free, and the visa can be renewed indefinitely.
However, E-2 is available only to citizens of countries with a commercial treaty with the United States. Vietnam is not on this list. Therefore, holding a Vietnamese passport makes this visa simply unavailable to you.
The Legal Workaround Used by Many
The two citizenship-by-investment programs we advise on both fall within E-2 treaty countries:
| Step | Grenada | Turkey |
|---|---|---|
| Citizenship | from 235,000 USD (contribution) | 400,000 USD (real estate; you retain the asset) |
| Processing Time | 4–6 months | 3–6 months |
| Next Step | Establish US business, file E-2 | Same |
Business capital for a solid E-2 application typically ranges from 100,000–200,000 USD depending on your business model. Combined, the total cost of this two-step pathway remains lower than EB-5 (800,000 USD) and avoids visa backlog delays based on country of citizenship.
What You Need to Understand
E-2 is not a green card. It is the right to live and conduct business in the United States indefinitely through renewals, as long as your business operates genuinely. Many families use E-2 as a bridge: arrive in the US, operate the business for several years, then explore other permanent residency pathways.
Children over 21 must transition to their own visa category—this is an important factor if your children are already 17–18 years old.
This article is for reference only. E-2 applications require a US immigration attorney to structure; VGG coordinates with licensed immigration counsel throughout the entire process.