Home / Translation by visa / E-2 visa
Certified Translation for an E-2 Visa
An E-2 visa lets a national of a treaty country develop and direct a US business in which they have invested a substantial amount; an E-1 does the same for a treaty trader whose trade is mostly with the United States. From abroad, the application goes to a US consulate, with the documents the post asks for: who owns the business and of what nationality, how much has been invested and where the money came from. Much of that is in the investor's language: USCIS always needs an English translation, and each consulate says in its instructions which documents it needs translated.
A consulate, or USCIS
From abroad, E-2 and E-1 visas are decided at a US consulate; a change of status inside the US goes to USCIS on Form I-129.
Follow the money
Bank statements, sale and loan contracts, transfers: where the investment came from and how it reached the business.
Can run to hundreds of pages
Once years of statements, the company's records and the investment itself are in.
At a glance
| E-2 and E-1 | |
|---|---|
| Who applies | The investor or trader, or an employee of a treaty-country company, at a US consulate abroad: Form DS-160 (and Form DS-156E, except for the E-2 principal investor) with the documents the post asks for. Someone already in the United States can ask USCIS for a change of status on Form I-129 with the E-1/E-2 Classification Supplement, which cannot be filed from abroad. |
| Who decides | The consular officer, for a visa; USCIS, for a change or extension of status. |
| What has to be shown | For E-2: that nationals of the treaty country own at least 50% of the business; that the investment is substantial, for which there is no set dollar minimum (it is measured against the cost of the business); that the funds are irrevocably committed, at risk and not obtained through criminal activity; that the business is real and not marginal; and that the investor will develop and direct it. For E-1: substantial trade, more than half of it between the United States and the treaty country (9 FAM 402.9, 8 CFR 214.2(e)). |
| Usually in another language | The company's formation and ownership records, the bank statements, contracts and transfers that trace the funds, the company's financial records and tax returns; for E-1, invoices, bills of lading and contracts. |
| Translation rule | At USCIS, every document in another language needs a complete English translation, with the translator's certification that it is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate it (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)). At a consulate, each post sets its own rule: Buenos Aires asks for documents in English or with an English translation, Bogotá accepts documents in Spanish and Italy in Italian, and Tunis asks for certified translations of anything not in English. Check the post's E visa instructions before ordering. |
| Page count | Grows with the years of bank statements that trace the money and with the business's own records. It can run to hundreds of pages. |
Documents that usually need translating
Which documents go into the file is your attorney's decision; we translate what is chosen, completely, with every stamp, seal and handwritten note. In E-2 and E-1 files, the documents in another language are usually these:
- Nationality and ownership: the investor's passport, birth certificate or national ID, and the formation deed, bylaws, share certificates or partnership agreement of the US company and of any company that owns it.
- Where the money came from: bank statements over the period that built up the funds, payslips and employment letters, tax returns, a statement of net worth prepared by an accountant, the deed or contract of a property or business sold, loan agreements, and wills or gift documents where the funds were inherited or given.
- How the money reached the business: wire receipts, escrow records and the statements on both ends, in the order the money moved.
- The investment itself: the purchase agreement of a business bought, invoices for equipment and inventory, and the business's financial statements. The US lease, permits and business plan are usually in English already.
- For E-1, the trade: invoices, bills of lading, customs records and contracts that show its volume and that most of it is with the United States.
- For the family: marriage and birth certificates.
Who reads the translations
At a consulate, the officer who interviews the investor reads the file. Each post publishes its own E visa instructions and document list, and some ask for the file in a particular order and format, so check the post's page before ordering: the translations follow the order of the file.
At USCIS, a change or extension of status inside the United States follows 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), and so does any answer to a Request for Evidence.
How many pages to expect
Each sheet of the original counts as one page, whatever its word count. E-2 files grow with the trail of the money:
- Bank statements: one a month for each account the funds passed through, over the period that is traced.
- Sale, loan and gift documents: often notarial deeds of several pages, each with its stamps and annotations.
- The business's records: financial statements, tax returns and invoices, when it was bought or has been operating.
Files of hundreds of pages are quoted as a project and delivered in dated batches, so the consulate's file can be put together as the translations arrive: business immigration translation.
Official sources
Every requirement on this page was checked against these sources on November 5, 2026.
- 9 FAM 402.9, treaty traders and treaty investors (fam.state.gov)
- Treaty trader and treaty investor visa (E) (travel.state.gov)
- 8 CFR 214.2(e), treaty traders and investors (ecfr.gov)
- Form I-129 instructions, edition 09/09/26 (uscis.gov)
- Buenos Aires, US Embassy: first-time E visa document and submission guidelines (ar.usembassy.gov)
- Bogotá, US Embassy: E visas (co.usembassy.gov)
- Italy, US Mission: E-2 first-time application requirements (it.usembassy.gov)
- Tunis, US Embassy: treaty trader and treaty investor visa (tn.usembassy.gov)
- 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), translations (ecfr.gov)
Frequently asked questions
Does the consulate need every document translated?
It depends on the post. Buenos Aires asks for documents in English or with an English translation, Bogotá accepts documents in Spanish and Italy in Italian, and Tunis asks for certified translations of anything not in English. Check the instructions of the post where you apply before ordering.
Do we have to translate every bank statement?
Every statement that is filed is translated in full. Which statements show the source and the path of the funds is your attorney's decision.
Do the translations need to be notarized?
Not for USCIS: 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) asks for the translator's certification, not a notary. If another office asks for notarization, it is $34.90 per order.
Are amounts converted into US dollars?
No. Figures stay in the currency of the original, with the dates beside them, so the conversion can be done at the rate of the right date.
Have the documents in front of you?
Upload them and see the page count, the price and the delivery time before you pay. For a file of hundreds of pages, ask for a project quote.