There are three stages involved in the processing of E– visas: submission of documents, review of those documents, and final adjudication.

Submission

All applicants must submit specific documents for an E-1 visa or an E-2 visa. These documents should be provided in a hard binder with appropriate tabs.

Upon receipt, if the application is missing the DS-160 Confirmation Sheet, fees or photograph, the case will be returned to the applicant or legal representative for correction and the interview date will be adjusted.

Review

Once we have deemed that the documents are complete, the case is reviewed by a consular officer. Consular officers meticulously examine all documents submitted by the applicant. Please make sure that these are germane to the case. The reviewing officer will note any missing or additional documents that may be required at the interview.

Adjudication

On the day of the interview, applicants should come to the appointment no more than 15 minutes prior to the appointment time so that they can proceed through security. Upon entrance into the waiting room, applicants will be directed to the window for the interview. Complete applications (DS-160 confirmation sheet) for dependents will be required at this time. Consular officers will take fingerprint scans at this time and may accept additional documents if necessary.

Applicants should be prepared to discuss their business in detail during their interview. Legal representatives and/or financial advisors are not permitted to attend. At the conclusion of the interview, the Consular Officer will determine if the business and applicant qualify under U.S. regulations for the visa.

If the applicant qualifies for an E visa, he or she will be told when to return to the Embassy to pick up their visa.

If the applicant is denied an E visa, the officer will provide a form describing the reasons for the refusal and citing the appropriate section of US law. The officer’s decision is final. If the applicant feels strongly that the case was misjudged or if the material facts of it change, he or she may submit a new application for the same business. This will be treated as a new submission and take its place at the end of the queue.