E-1: Foreign national coming to the U.S. pursuant to a treaty of trade or commerce to foster international trade between the U.S. and his/her native country. To qualify, there must be a treaty of trade between the U.S. and the foreign employer’s country, the individual must have the same nationality as the employer, and there must be substantial trade by the company between the U.S. and that country. The U.S. consulate in the foreign country can approve these visas, and there is no fixed limit on how long the individual can remain in the U.S.
E-2: Foreign national coming to the U.S. pursuant to a treaty of trade between the U.S. and his/her native country in connection with a substantial U.S. investment. Again, there must be an appropriate treaty of trade, the visa can be issued by the U.S. consulate without prior US CIS approval, and there is no fixed limit on the length of stay.
