Buying a Restaurant to Obtain Immigrant Visa

Truforte Business Group - Brokers Blog

Many chefs and restaurateurs from around the world know that buying a restaurant can be a great way to enter the U.S. and obtain an immigrant visa. By making a substantial investment into the U.S. economy foreign investors are granted permission to live and work in the U.S. for extended periods of time. Florida with its great weather, beautiful beaches and robust economy has become a destination place for foreign nationals who are making acquisitions on both the West & East Coast to accomplish their dream of coming to American and buying a Florida Restaurant for sale and obtaining an immigrant visa.

There are several options available but the E2 and EB5 are the most popular. The requirements and benefits of each are different so it is important that a prospective buyer check with a competent immigration attorney to see which might be the best option. There are also different restrictions depending on which country the immigrant is coming from.

The E2 visa usually requires the lowest investment and many E2 visas get processed with as little as $100,000 U.S. dollars being invested.  The challenge with the low investment for the E2 is often finding a restaurant for sale that has clean books and records where the income can be proven on tax returns. It is important that the restaurant being acquired for a visa is profitable and that it is a viable business enterprise. The lack of tax records can sometimes be overcome by providing a good business plan where detailed financial information about the restaurant for sale is presented. The drawback with the E2 is that it has to be renewed every 2 years and it does not offer a clear, permanent path to U.S. residency.

The EB5 visa usually requires a significantly higher investment. Again it is always best to check with an immigration attorney but the general guidelines for the EB5 visa is a minimum of $500,000 U.S. dollars being invested, the restaurant being acquired for the visa should be able to support 10 or more employees and some management staff is helpful. The benefit to the EB5 is that it is a more permanent path to a green card and U.S. citizenship. So whether it is an E2 visa or EB5 visa the path to U.S. residency by buying a restaurant and obtaining a visa is a great way to be able to live and work in the U.S. IF you are specifically looking at buying a restaurant in Florida please visit restaurants for sale in Florida.

You may also want to take a look at the 3 things to consider when buying a Florida restaurant.

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