E-2 Visa Business Plan for a Consulting Firm
By Doğukan Ergüven, Founder Checked against primary sources
Consulting is one of the most challenging businesses for an E-2 visa. A single consultant working from home is the textbook example of a marginal enterprise, and consulting is capital-light, which makes the substantial-investment test harder. An E-2 visa business plan for a consulting firm has to work hard on both fronts. This guide covers what consulting cases must address.
Why consulting is the hardest category
Two E-2 requirements push against a solo consultancy at once. The substantial-investment test is harder because consulting needs little capital, and the marginality test is harder because a one-person consultancy mainly supports the consultant. A credible consulting E-2 plan addresses both directly.
Making the investment substantial
Because consulting is capital-light, the plan should account for every legitimate investment: office space, staff salaries, systems and software, professional setup, and marketing. The more the firm is built as a real operation with employees rather than a solo practice, the stronger the substantiality case.
Overcoming marginality
The clearest answer to marginality is a team. A staffing plan that hires consultants or support staff, with a hiring timeline and revenue to fund it, shows the firm will do more than support its founder. A plan that describes only the applicant working alone is weak.
What the plan must emphasize
A consulting E-2 plan is strongest when it reads as a firm, not a freelancer:
- A defined service, market, and client-acquisition plan
- A staffing plan beyond the founder
- Office or operational premises
- Realistic, funded five-year projections
- How the firm contributes economically and employs workers
Common pitfalls
Consulting E-2 plans tend to fail on the same points:
- A solo practice with no hiring plan
- Too little capital to look substantial
- Projections that only cover the founder's income
- No premises or operational footprint
Frequently asked questions
- Can a consultant get an E-2 visa?
- It is possible but among the hardest E-2 cases. Consulting is capital-light and a solo practice reads as marginal, so the plan must show a substantial investment and a team that grows the firm beyond the founder.
- Why is consulting difficult for the E-2?
- Consulting needs little capital, which strains the substantial-investment test, and a one-person firm strains the marginality test. Both have to be answered with real investment and a staffing plan.
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