What is a registered E company?

Regulations regarding E visas are complicated. As a result, we are required to conduct a detailed review of every company wishing to obtain E visas. Once the review is completed and successful, we add the company's name to the register of E companies for Denmark. Once a company is registered, its employees can apply for E visas following the same procedures as other visa applicants.

How do I register my company?

Detailed instructions can be found on our Treaty Traders Visa Registration page and Treaty Investors Visa Registration page.

How can I find out if my company is registered?

You may send an e-mail inquiry to copenhagenniv@state.gov

Does my company have an E registration number?

No, the U.S. Consular Section does not assign a registered E company an E registration number.

My company registered last year. How do we keep the registration active?

If there has not been an application within one year, the company will no longer be considered as an active company and the company will be required to apply for a new E registration.

Can I send E company registration documents without an individual application?

Initial registration applications must be accompanied by an individual application with proof of payment of the visa application fee (original Danske bank receipt).

Note: If your company has an active and up-to-date E company registry, you may make your visa appointment online and pay the application fee in the regular manner.

How long will it take to review a company's registration request?

Processing time for review of E applications is usually 4-8 weeks.

Can I travel to the United States during the review of my E application?

We strongly encourage applicants not to the travel to the United States during the review of an E application. It is up to the U.S. Immigration officer at port of entry to determent if you are eligible for admission to the United States.

Once my company is registered, how long will it take to process my visa?

If the application is approved, the passport with the visa will be returned to applicant by mail. Most visa applicants will receive their visas within five working days of the interview. However, some applications may require additional clearances and longer processing time. Please do not make firm travel plans until after you have received your visa.

I am in the US. Can I send my E visa application to Denmark?

We do not accept visa applications from the U.S. If you are registering you company, the US firm or lawyer can mail us the registration documents from the US. You will, however, be required to appear personally for an interview in Copenhagen to apply for your visa.

How do I schedule an E appointment?

If your company is not registered, the U.S. Consular Section will contact the applicant in order to set up an appointment with the applicant once the application has been reviewed.

If your company is registered, the applicant may schedule an appointment through our online booking system, please see the “How to Apply” section.

Can I pay an additional fee in order to get the application expedited?

No, it is not possible to pay an additional fee in order to get the E visa application expedited.

What is the MRV fee for an E application?

Please visit our fees page for information about the MRV fee. Initial registration applications must be accompanied by an original bank receipt. The non-refundable machine readable visa (MRV) fee must be paid at any Danske Bank branch in Denmark into the U.S. Embassy account, Reg. No. 0252, Account No. 0010601967.  Payment by Internet banking is not acceptable.  Please note that no refunds will be made for any fees that are transferred incorrectly or if the application is denied.

Do I pay the fee before I submit the E application?

Initial registration applications must be accompanied by an original bank receipt. The non-refundable machine readable visa (MRV) fee must be paid at any Danske Bank branch in Denmark into the U.S. Embassy account, Reg. No. 0252, Account No. 0010601967.  Payment by Internet banking is not acceptable. 

Please note that no refunds will be made for any fees that are transferred incorrectly or if the application is denied. 

Do I need to pay the application fee for my family?

Each family member who wishes to apply for an E visa, must pay the MRV fee. If the applicant wishes family members to attend the interview on the same day, spouses and children must submit an application, copies of marriage-/birth certificates and original bank receipt for payment of the MRV fee in the original E registration package.

Can my family members work in the US?

Family members may work on derivative E visas if permission has been obtained in advance from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

What is substantial trade?

“Substantial Trade” is intended to describe the flow of the goods or services that are being exchanged between the treaty countries.  The trade must be a continuous flow that should involve numerous transactions over time. 
For more detailed information, please see: 9 FAM 41.51 N6

What is substantial investment?

The purpose of the requirement is to ensure to a reasonable extent that the business invested in is not speculative but is, or soon will be, a successful enterprise.  The rules regarding the amount of funds committed to the commercial enterprise and the character of the funds, primarily personal or loans based on personal collateral, are intended to weed out risky undertakings and to ensure that the investor is unquestionably committed to the success of the business.
A substantial amount of capital for E-2 visa purposes constitutes an amount that is:

(1)    Substantial in a proportional sense, i.e., substantial in relationship to the total cost of either purchasing an established enterprise, or creating the type of enterprise under consideration;
(2)    Sufficient to ensure the treaty investor's financial commitment to the successful operation of the enterprise; and
(3)    Of a magnitude to support the likelihood that the treaty investor will successfully develop and direct the enterprise.  No set dollar figure constitutes a minimum amount of investment to be considered "substantial" for E-2 visa purposes.

For more detailed information, please see: 9 FAM 41.51 N10

Can I immigrate to the United States with an E-2 Visa?

No.  E-2 visas are non-immigrant visas and, thus, temporary.  The E-2 visa is not a means for foreigners to retire or merely reside in the United States.  Section 101(a)(15)(E) of the Immigration and Nationality Act explicitly states that E-2 visas are available "solely to develop and direct the operations of an enterprise" in which he or she has invested.  Treaty investor visas can be renewed or extended only if the investment or trade continues to meet all applicable requirements of U.S. immigration laws and regulations.  Persons wishing to remain indefinitely in the United States should apply for the appropriate immigrant visa.

Non-Danish E-1 and E-2 Applications

Only Danish citizens may apply for an E-1 or E-2 visas at the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen. To determine whether the company is qualified, we would need to be able to verify the documents submitted, and as a practical matter, this can only be done in the country of origin. 
If the U.S. Embassy or a Consulate in your home country has already determined that your company meets E-1 and E-2 standards, then it may be possible for us to process your visa here.  We will need to get verification from our colleagues in your home country before we can do your interview.

Where Can I Get More Information?

For information about non-immigrant visas, please see the non-immigrant visa section of the U.S. Department of State’s Consular affairs website. If you have a specific question about an E-1 Treaty Trader or an E-2 Treaty Investor case, please send our non-immigrant visa section an email at CopenhagenNIV@state.gov