What Is Substantial Trade for the Purposes of E-1 Visa Application? E1 visa, E1 Substantial Trade, Substantial Trade, E-1 visa Purpose, E-1 visa, E-1 Visa Application

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What Is Substantial Trade for the Purposes of E-1 Visa Application?

Hi William,

I would like to apply for E-1 visa to do business in the United States, but we are a small company. How could we meet the requirement of "substantial trade" for E-1 visa application?

Answer,

"Substantial trade" for an E-1 Visa application refers to a continuous flow of international trade transactions between the United States and the applicant's treaty country, meaning there must be a significant number of transactions happening over time, not just a few large one-off deals; the volume and monetary value of these transactions are considered when assessing substantiality.

Substantial trade also means that there must be numerous trade exchanges between the U.S. and the treaty country over time. For a minimum of 6 months, the trade amounts should exceed $250,000.

The U.S. Consulates are instructed to focus on the volume of the trade, but they also may take into consideration the monetary value of each transaction, and a greater value will be given to numerous transactions over time of a larger value.

However, a single transaction, even an extremely large monetary value, will not be able to demonstrate that the trade is substantial. Normally, there should be at least 20 transactions where the total dollar value exceeds $250,000.

The important consideration about substantial trade for an E-1 visa include:

1) Not just a single large sale: To qualify, there must be a consistent stream of trade activity, not just one large transaction.

2) Focus on frequency and volume: USCIS evaluates both the number of transactions and their monetary value when determining if trade is substantial.

3) Evidence required: Applicants must provide documentation like contracts, invoices, and bills of lading to demonstrate the volume and value of their trade.

4) No set minimum value: While the monetary value of transactions is important, the primary focus is on the continuous flow of trade.