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The E-2 visa lets nationals of treaty countries live and work in the U.S. by investing a substantial amount of capital in a U.S. business they direct. It can be renewed indefinitely as long as the business remains active and viable, making it one of the most flexible options for entrepreneurs.

There is no fixed statutory minimum. The investment must be "substantial" relative to the cost of the business and sufficient to make it operational. Many successful E-2 cases involve investments starting in the low-to-mid six figures, but the right number depends on your specific business — something we'll assess together.

No. JBNP Law serves clients across the United States and internationally through a secure, fully remote process. Wherever you are, you'll work directly with your attorney.

We focus on business and investor immigration: E-2, EB-5, EB-1A, EB-1C, H-1B, L-1, and J-1 visas, along with employment- and family-based green cards. If your goal touches U.S. business immigration, it's likely within our practice.

Book a time on our calendar or submit the consultation request below with a few details about your situation. We'll follow up to discuss your goals and the strongest path forward.

For straightforward cases — a simple visitor visa, or a clear-cut petition with no complications — many people do file on their own. The trouble is that immigration forms are unforgiving: a small error, a missing document, or an answer that raises a question can lead to delays, a request for evidence, or a denial that's hard to undo. The higher the stakes — your job, your family, your ability to return to the U.S. — the more a lawyer's review pays for itself. A consultation can tell you honestly whether you need full representation or just a second set of eyes.

A lawyer can't speed up government processing times — those depend on USCIS, the State Department, and your visa category, and can range from a few weeks to well over a year. What a lawyer changes is the quality and completeness of your filing, which cuts down the back-and-forth (requests for evidence, re-filings) that quietly adds months. At your consultation we'll give you a realistic timeline for your specific case and flag anything that could slow it down.

You're not legally required to have one, but employment-based cases (H-1B, L-1, EB-1, EB-2, EB-5, PERM) are some of the most document- and strategy-heavy in immigration. They involve employer obligations, evidence of qualifications, and tight rules where a misstep can cost a filing window or trigger a denial. Most employers and applicants use counsel for exactly that reason. If you're weighing it, a consultation will show you where the real risks are in your case.

Questions vary by case type, but officers are generally confirming three things: that you are who you say you are, that your relationship or job offer is genuine, and that you're admissible. For a marriage case, expect questions about how you met, your daily life, and your finances; for employment cases, about your role and qualifications. The best approach is simple — tell the truth, answer the question asked (not more), and don't guess; "I don't remember" is better than a wrong answer. We prepare clients with a mock interview so nothing feels like a surprise.

"Notarios" and unlicensed consultants often charge less up front, but they can't give legal advice, can't represent you before USCIS or a court, and aren't accountable to a bar. The real cost shows up later — a botched or fraudulent filing can lead to a denial, lost fees, missed deadlines, or even a finding that follows you for years and makes future cases far harder. Fixing a bad filing usually costs far more than doing it right the first time. Always confirm you're working with a licensed attorney.

Often, yes. Depending on the situation, options can include a motion to reopen or reconsider, an appeal, or simply re-filing a stronger case that fixes what went wrong the first time. The key is understanding why it was denied — sometimes it's a missing document, sometimes a legal issue that needs a different strategy. Bring your denial notice to a consultation and we'll tell you honestly whether there's a viable path forward.

Yes. No honest attorney can guarantee an approval — outcomes depend on the facts, the law, and the government. Be cautious of anyone who promises a specific result, quotes a suspiciously fast timeline, encourages you to leave information off a form or shade the truth, or won't put the scope and fees in writing. A good lawyer gives you a candid assessment that includes the risks, not just the best-case version.

Prior marriages and divorces are common and usually manageable — but they have to be documented correctly. Officers look closely to confirm earlier marriages were genuine and that every divorce was finalized before the next marriage, since gaps or missing decrees can stall a case or raise fraud concerns. A lawyer helps you assemble the right records and present a clean, consistent history. It's exactly the kind of complexity that's far easier to handle before filing than after a question comes up.

Some family petitions are straightforward, but "family-based" covers a lot of ground, and the details matter. Prior overstays, a previous marriage, time out of status, criminal history, or whether your relative is inside or outside the U.S. can change the strategy entirely. A lawyer makes sure you're on the right path (adjustment of status vs. consular processing), that any inadmissibility issues are addressed, and that the petition holds together. At minimum, a consultation can tell you whether yours is simple enough to handle on your own.

The big ones: hiring a "notario" or consultant instead of a licensed attorney; choosing on price alone; not confirming the lawyer actually handles your type of case; and not getting the scope and fees in writing. People also wait too long — bringing a lawyer in after a denial or a missed deadline, when an early conversation could have prevented it. Ask about experience with your specific visa category, who will actually handle your file, and how you'll be kept updated.

Most denials don't come from bad cases — they come from avoidable mistakes: the wrong form or edition, inconsistent answers across documents, missing or untranslated evidence, blown deadlines, or answers that unintentionally raise red flags. A lawyer's job is to catch those before they reach an officer, build evidence that anticipates questions, and present a consistent, complete file. That's the difference between a clean approval and months of requests for evidence.

Sometimes. Certain categories allow premium processing (for an extra government fee) that guarantees a faster decision, and USCIS will consider expedite requests in limited circumstances — severe financial loss, emergencies, humanitarian reasons, or a government interest. A lawyer can tell you whether you qualify and prepare a request that actually meets the criteria. For most cases, though, the bigger time-saver is simply filing it right the first time so it isn't delayed by errors.

There's no single rule, but you should never feel left in the dark. Good practice is a prompt update whenever something happens on your case — a receipt, a request for evidence, an approval — plus a clear way to reach your attorney with questions and a realistic sense of when to expect the next step. Immigration cases often have long quiet stretches while the government processes them, so part of good communication is also telling you when "no news" is normal. We set those expectations at the start.

Several things raise the stakes and make a case more important to get right: prior immigration violations or overstays, time out of status, any criminal history, earlier denials or a removal order, previous marriages or fraud questions, gaps in documentation, country-specific restrictions, and cases that straddle more than one possible path. Even one of these can change your strategy — and the more that apply, the more value there is in having an attorney map the case before anything is filed.

A criminal record doesn't automatically end an immigration case, but it can carry serious consequences — some offenses make a person inadmissible or deportable, and even old or minor matters can surface during background checks. The impact depends on the specific offense, how it's classified under immigration law (which doesn't always match state labels), and your immigration history. This is one area where you should talk to a lawyer before filing anything or traveling, because a wrong move can be very hard to fix. Bring any records you have to a consultation.

Leaving the U.S. while a case is pending can be risky. Depending on your status, travel can be treated as abandoning an application (for example, a pending green card without advance parole), can trigger unlawful-presence bars if you've been out of status, or can leave you stuck abroad if a visa or entry rule changes while you're gone. Some cases require advance parole or a valid visa to re-enter safely. Before you book anything, check with counsel — especially right now, when entry rules and proclamations are shifting quickly.