My E-2 Visa Was Only the Beginning: Building a Business That Lasts
Edmundo Treviño shares his E-2 visa experience: investment preparation, keeping a U.S. business running and planning a family move.
By Buying America Editorial · Sun Oct 04 2026 · Investor Visas
An E-2 investor visa can be part of a plan to build a business and move to the United States. For Edmundo Treviño, however, discovering that visa came after he had already opened a company—and after a frightening inspection at the border.
In this episode of Buying America, he describes returning to Mexico with his wife while carrying business receipts and invoices. Officers were looking for cash. The inspection eventually ended, but the experience left him determined to understand how his business and his immigration situation should fit together.
The company existed. The preparation was missing.
A phone call to the consulate introduced Edmundo to the E-2 category. Finding an attorney with business immigration experience was the next step. Preparing the business took roughly a year in his historical case.
That distinction is useful for anyone considering a U.S. investment: owning a company, building a viable operation and preparing an immigration application are related tasks, but they are not interchangeable. A business can already be spending money and making sales while its owner still has substantial documentation to organize.
Edmundo had to reconstruct the trail of the funds, document the investment and correct the way he handled workers and payroll. The lesson is practical: bring the business immigration attorney into the planning before committing funds, and coordinate the accounting work instead of treating it as an afterthought.
His investment was more than a bank balance
Edmundo recalls working toward approximately $100,000 of investment for his application. Part of it involved equipment, inventory and other assets transferred into the business. That is the history of his case, not a universal E-2 minimum or a promise that the same amount will work for someone else.
The broader business question is what the proposed operation actually needs. A credible budget should explain the assets, premises, working arrangements and resources behind the plan. An attorney can then evaluate the immigration implications of that specific investment and its documentation.
The harder question: can the business keep going?
The most important part of Edmundo’s story comes after the first approval. He says the greater challenge has been keeping the company operating through the years and supporting subsequent renewals.
He has come close to bankruptcy twice during his entrepreneurial journey. He also has businesses that have continued operating for years, including the company that originally brought him to the United States. Both sides belong in the story. Approval does not remove the commercial risks of serving customers, managing costs and maintaining an operation in another country.
For a prospective investor, that suggests a better question than simply asking which business might support an application: would you understand and want to operate this business even after the excitement of moving has worn off?
For Canadians, a shared language is only part of the move
Edmundo specifically addresses Canadian viewers in the episode. Speaking English does not mean that everyday life will feel the same. Texas, Florida, New York and California involve different routines, communities and family decisions.
His experience leads him to suggest exploring the destination and considering a rental before making every decision permanent. That is a way to assess fit, not a guarantee that a particular city or housing choice will be right for every family. Any exploratory stay must also fit the person’s permitted immigration activities.
Before selling a home or choosing a school, separate the family’s preferred timeline from the business’s actual readiness. Ask what remains unknown about the location, the household budget and who will handle the day-to-day operation.
What to take into your first planning meeting
Bring a description of the business you intend to operate, an explanation of where the investment funds came from, a realistic operating budget and a list of the family decisions that depend on the move. These are preparation topics, not a complete application checklist.
The E-2 is a nonimmigrant category. Official criteria include treaty-country nationality, a substantial investment in a real operating enterprise and a business that is not merely marginal. Eligibility is assessed individually. Read the U.S. Department of State’s E-2 guidance and discuss your circumstances with qualified counsel.
At Buying America, this conversation starts with the business and the life you are trying to build around it. Explore the project and contact options if you want to discuss that business side; immigration eligibility belongs with a qualified attorney.
Watch or listen to Edmundo’s experience
Watch the full episode: A Border Inspection Led Me to My E-2 Visa.
Source: Buying America: Edmundo Treviño