E-2 business plans by industry
Every E-2 plan answers the same questions. Your industry decides which answers need the most detail.
Published November 2, 2026 · By VisaPlans team
Short answer
An E-2 business plan covers the same core points in every industry: the investment, the market, staffing and five-year financials. The industry changes where the detail goes. A restaurant plan spends more time on buildout and licensing. A consulting plan spends more time on growth beyond the owner's own work.
What do officers look for in every E-2 business?
The U.S. Department of State sets out its E-2 guidance in the Foreign Affairs Manual, at 9 FAM 402.9. The same criteria apply to a café, a trucking company and a consulting firm. Four of them shape the business plan most.
Real and operating
The business has to produce a service or a product. Guidance excludes idle, speculative holdings such as undeveloped land.
Substantial investment
There is no set dollar minimum. Officers compare the investment with the cost of the business. The lower the cost, the higher the share the investor usually needs to fund.
At risk
The funds are committed and could be lost if the business fails. Loans secured by the business's own assets don't count toward the investment.
More than marginal
The business should be able to do more than support the investor's family, or make a significant economic contribution, generally within five years.
That five-year horizon is why plans carry five-year projections. The State Department's suggested document checklist names five-year financial projections, supported by a thorough business plan, as evidence for a new business.
How does the plan change by industry?
The criteria stay the same. What changes is the evidence each business model needs. The table shows where the investment typically goes and what the plan explains in more depth.
| Industry | Where the investment usually goes | What the plan explains in more depth |
|---|---|---|
| Franchise | Franchise fee, buildout, equipment, opening inventory | How you direct the business within the franchise agreement, using the franchise disclosure document |
| Restaurant and food service | Buildout, kitchen equipment, lease deposits | Opening timeline, permits and licenses, staffing ramp |
| Consulting and professional services | Systems, early marketing, working capital | Growth beyond your own billable hours, and the hiring plan behind it |
| E-commerce | Inventory, fulfillment, platform and marketing | U.S. operations, suppliers and how the business runs each day |
| Home services and cleaning | Vehicles, equipment, initial marketing | Crew hiring, service area and route planning |
| Real estate services | Office, licensing, systems, marketing | An operating business, such as brokerage or property management, rather than property held for appreciation |
| Retail | Inventory, lease, store fit-out | Location economics, foot traffic and licensing |
| Logistics and trucking | Vehicles, insurance, operating authority | Contracts, driver hiring and fleet growth |
| Buying an existing business | Purchase price, often held in escrow | Historical financials, the transition and your growth plan |
These are typical patterns, not rules. Your immigration attorney can confirm what counts toward your investment.
Industry guides
Each guide goes deeper on one industry: startup costs, the staffing plan and the questions officers typically ask. New guides are added here as they are published.
Where VisaPlans fits
VisaPlans prepares E-2 business plans for $599 one time. Expert-trained AI writes the plan, including a market and industry analysis specific to your business, and a human specialist reviews every page. You receive editable Word and Excel files within 3 business days of confirmed information.
Questions, answered
Does the E-2 visa limit which industries qualify?
No. State Department guidance sets criteria, not a list of industries. A for-profit business that is real and operating is assessed against those criteria, and nonprofit organizations do not qualify. Your immigration attorney can confirm what fits your case.
Is there a minimum investment for an E-2 business?
State Department guidance sets no fixed dollar minimum. Officers weigh the investment against the cost of the business, so a lower-cost business usually needs a higher share funded by the investor. Your attorney can advise on your amount.
Does an E-2 business need a physical office?
Not necessarily. State Department guidance says physical office space is not a requirement, though it can be relevant when officers assess whether the business is real and operating.
Does VisaPlans write plans for a business being purchased?
Yes. For an acquisition, the VisaPlans plan explains what you are buying and how ownership changes hands, then builds the five-year projections on the business's past results.
Your E-2 plan. $599. Three days. Done right.
Delivery within 3 business days of confirmed information.