# E2 cleaning business



## Hurley1 (Feb 22, 2015)

Does anyone have any experience/stories; good or bad of buying/running an E2 visa cleaning business? Would love to get input on whether this is a good E2 option.

Thank you. Sophie


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

What type of cleaning business?

Houses, dry cleaners, car valet, pool cleaning

Have you got a company in mind? If so what is the investment?


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## Hurley1 (Feb 22, 2015)

Thanks, it's a house and office cleaning business. I'm just looking to chat with anyone on here who went that route. Sophie


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## Moulard (Feb 3, 2017)

Not cleaning, but general E-2 requirements include lease a commercial space for the business, establish the new business by filing articles of incorporation, applying for the applicable business license, etc. 

You will also have to provide some evidence that the funds he will be investing in the business are “at risk.” Committing funds to a portion of the investment funds to the business for example by paying rent on the commercial space, purchasing equipment, inventory, paying employees etc.

An applicant for an E-2 investor visa must make a substantial investment to qualify. The law does not state a minimum dollar amount, but I gather if the amount put at risk is less than $100,000 the application for an E-2 visa less likely to be successful. That at least gives you an idea of the scope and size the business needs to be in order to qualify.


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## Hurley1 (Feb 22, 2015)

*We are buying the cleaning biz*

Thanks, but we are actually buying a cleaning business in Florida. It has 4 W2s and has been going ten years. He runs it from home though. Do we need to lease a premises before we get the visa or can we just say we will in the business plan?




Moulard said:


> Not cleaning, but general E-2 requirements include lease a commercial space for the business, establish the new business by filing articles of incorporation, applying for the applicable business license, etc.
> 
> You will also have to provide some evidence that the funds he will be investing in the business are “at risk.” Committing funds to a portion of the investment funds to the business for example by paying rent on the commercial space, purchasing equipment, inventory, paying employees etc.
> 
> An applicant for an E-2 investor visa must make a substantial investment to qualify. The law does not state a minimum dollar amount, but I gather if the amount put at risk is less than $100,000 the application for an E-2 visa less likely to be successful. That at least gives you an idea of the scope and size the business needs to be in order to qualify.


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## Moulard (Feb 3, 2017)

If you are buying an existing business, you need to provide all of the following that apply in your case:

A signed, dated, valid purchase agreement; and 

If applicable, a binding escrow agreement that explicitly confirms how the funds will be distributed if the visa is issued, what happens when it not issued, and is signed and dated by all parties. acquire and set up the business.

If you are purchasing a franchise, you need to provide a signed and dated franchise agreement;


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## Hurley1 (Feb 22, 2015)

*Thanks*

Thanks for your answer, yes I read that online. Just need to check if we need to commit to lease an office before we get the visa or if buying the business is enough and saying we will lease an office. The current owner just uses her home office. It should go through OK as she has plenty of w2 staff and netting over 120k a year.
The cleaners are all Spanish speaking which is common in Florida and that line of work buy hoping we can get some staff that speak more English! I don't like the idea I can't communicate easily with my staff! 

Anyway thanks so much for taking the time to reply, appreciate it. Sophie




Moulard said:


> If you are buying an existing business, you need to provide all of the following that apply in your case:
> 
> A signed, dated, valid purchase agreement; and
> 
> ...


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

Am I overlooking something or is Great Britain not on the US Dept of State Treaty Country list? https://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/temporary-workers/e-2-treaty-investors


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## Hurley1 (Feb 22, 2015)

*E2*

Hi, thanks, yes we are going the E2 visa route. Buying a well established cleaning business with W2 staff and good numbers and records. My initial post was just to see if anyone else had bought a cleaning biz and had stories that might help us. Good or bad!
Always fab to hear from people who have experience. Sophie




twostep said:


> Am I overlooking something or is Great Britain not on the US Dept of State Treaty Country list? https://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/temporary-workers/e-2-treaty-investors


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

Hurley1 said:


> Hi, thanks, yes we are going the E2 visa route. Buying a well established cleaning business with W2 staff and good numbers and records. My initial post was just to see if anyone else had bought a cleaning biz and had stories that might help us. Good or bad!
> Always fab to hear from people who have experience. Sophie


Back to my question - is your country of origin on the list of Treaty Countries? If not it is all stories.


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## Hurley1 (Feb 22, 2015)

*Yes*

Yes, UK is on the list of treaty countries.



twostep said:


> Back to my question - is your country of origin on the list of Treaty Countries? If not it is all stories.


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

Hurley1 said:


> Yes, UK is on the list of treaty countries.


Nothing has changed since 2015. Biz plan, financial disclosure, interview at US consulate. Regular renewals with book review in country of origin. 

Your posts sound like you are buying a book of business and three workers. How do you plan to communicate with them especially by phone as you do not speak Spanish. Have you gone through the books and have you had a CPA go through them. 120k net with three workers?


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## Hurley1 (Feb 22, 2015)

*Cleaning biz*

Thanks, yes I'm aware of the process, just wondered if anyone else on here had bought a cleaning biz for their E2 but I've found a lady in Florida now who did 15 years ago and loves it. They changed all staff to English speaking and are very successful. They also bought it as just a list of uncontracted customers with minimal assets. I think this is the nature of purchasing this kind of business and the risk we take. She has 4 W2s and 4 1099s as of course it's seasonal. I really appreciate everyone's responses on here but think I'm ok now as I have found someone who has been there and done it which is really what I was looking for. Always good to learn from someone else's experience/mistakes.




twostep said:


> Nothing has changed since 2015. Biz plan, financial
> 
> disclosure, interview at US consulate. Regular renewals with book review in country of origin.
> 
> Your posts sound like you are buying a book of business and three workers. How do you plan to communicate with them especially by phone as you do not speak Spanish. Have you gone through the books and have you had a CPA go through them. 120k net with three workers?


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