E visa employees may perform work for the parent treaty company or any subsidiary thereof. This is an area where the 1997 regulations have made a number of changes from prior regulations. The processing time and procedure varies from consulate to consulate. In the past, many consulates have used their own application forms and instructions. The State Department's Form OF-156E should now be used at consular posts.
Many consulates can process E visa applications in two to ten days.
Unfortunately, the approved change of status is only valid while the individual remains in the United States. The Immigration and Naturalization Service's decision is not binding on the American consulates and a new E visa application will have to be submitted before the visa will be issued. E-2 Visas There must be an appropriate treaty between the United States and the country of the visa applicant's nationality. The country of the visa applicant's nationality and the nationality of the majority of the ownership of the company in the U.S. must be the same. E-2 applicants must be coming to the U.S. solely to develop and direct the operations of an enterprise in which there has been, or is actively in the process of receiving, an investment of a substantial amount of capital.