E-2 Visa for Jordanian Citizens: Requirements and Application Process

The legal authority for Jordanian E-2 eligibility is the bilateral investment treaty (BIT) between the United States and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, signed July 2, 1997, and entered into force June 12, 2003. The treaty provides the requisite bilateral agreement under INA 101(a)(15)(E)(ii) that authorizes the E-2 classification. Jordan's inclusion in the qualifying treaty countries list is confirmed in 9 FAM 402.9-4(A).

Nationality, not residence, determines E-2 eligibility. A Jordanian citizen residing outside Jordan in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, or elsewhere may still apply as a Jordanian national at a U.S. consular post willing to accept third-country national appointments, or through an I-129 change of status petition when already in valid U.S. nonimmigrant status. The applicant must hold Jordanian citizenship; permanent residency in Jordan or stateless Palestinian travel documents do not confer E-2 eligibility.

Jordan does not participate in the Visa Waiver Program, so Jordanian nationals traveling to the United States as investors require either an E-2 visa stamp from a U.S. Embassy or a USCIS I-129 approval if they are already in valid nonimmigrant status in the country. There is no self-petition or blanket E-2 pathway.

The investment standard under 8 CFR 214.2(e)(12) and the proportionality formula in 9 FAM 402.9-6(B) is the same for Jordanian applicants as for any other E-2 national. There is no fixed dollar minimum. The investment must be substantial relative to the total cost of establishing or acquiring the enterprise. For a lower-cost business, a higher percentage of total cost must be invested; for an expensive enterprise, a smaller percentage may satisfy the standard, though the absolute amount must still be genuinely substantial.

For Jordanian applicants investing in service-oriented businesses such as consulting, technology, or professional services, E-2 approvals have been obtained at investment levels in the range of $80,000 to $150,000 when the business cost structure supports treating that amount as substantial. Retail, restaurant, and franchise operations generally require $100,000 to $400,000. Capital-intensive enterprises such as light manufacturing or import-export operations involving significant inventory or equipment often require $400,000 or more, with documentation of the full enterprise cost to anchor the proportionality analysis.

All invested capital must be at risk before the visa or status is granted. Funds not yet committed, sitting in a personal account subject to retrieval, do not satisfy the irrevocability standard of 9 FAM 402.9-6(A). Forms of at-risk commitment the Amman Embassy and USCIS regularly accept include signed lease agreements with deposits paid, equipment purchase invoices, franchise fee receipts, construction and build-out contracts, inventory purchases evidenced by purchase orders and receipts, and pre-opening payroll or licensing expenditures. An escrow arrangement conditioned on visa approval is accepted when structured through a formal escrow agreement that transfers control of the funds to an independent escrow agent.

• Service or technology businesses: $80,000 to $150,000 is a common approval range when enterprise costs are proportionately low
• Retail, restaurant, or franchise: $100,000 to $400,000 depending on location, build-out, and franchise fee
• Manufacturing, distribution, or import-export: $400,000 and above, with full documentation of enterprise cost
• Escrow: accepted when a signed formal agreement transfers control to an independent agent pending visa approval
• Undeployed personal savings: not counted; funds must be irrevocably committed to the enterprise before the interview

Consular officers in Amman scrutinize the lawful origin of invested funds carefully. The applicant must trace every dollar of the investment back to a legitimate source through a documented chain of evidence. Acceptable sources under 9 FAM 402.9-6(C) include employment income, prior business profits, real estate sale proceeds, loans secured by the applicant's own assets, inheritance, or family gifts supported by evidence of the donor's funds.

The standard documentary package for a Jordanian source-of-funds showing includes Jordanian income tax returns for the preceding two to three years filed with the Jordanian Income and Sales Tax Department, Jordanian bank statements covering at least twelve months showing accumulation and outflow of funds, and wire transfer records or SWIFT confirmations demonstrating the movement of funds from Jordan to the U.S. entity's bank account. If the source is real estate, a signed sale contract and documentation of proceeds from a licensed Jordanian real estate broker or notary are expected.

A common challenge for Jordanian applicants is demonstrating the origin of funds accumulated in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. If an applicant worked in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, or Kuwait and saved there before investing in the United States, the documentation chain must cover the Gulf employment period with salary confirmation letters, pay stubs, and Gulf bank statements, and must trace the transfer back to Jordan or directly to the United States. Gaps in the document trail are frequently cited as grounds for 221(g) administrative processing at the Amman Embassy.

A comprehensive business plan is required for every E-2 application regardless of nationality. For Jordanian applicants, the plan must satisfy two core legal standards: the non-marginality requirement of 9 FAM 402.9-9 and the develop-and-direct requirement of 8 CFR 214.2(e)(2).

Non-marginality means the enterprise must generate, or have a credible trajectory to generate, significantly more income than needed to support the investor and family. The plan demonstrates this through five-year financial projections showing revenue growth, increasing employee headcount, and a realistic investor salary stated at market rate. The projections must rest on documented market research and stated assumptions, not arbitrary round numbers. Officers evaluate whether the model reflects a genuine understanding of the U.S. market the applicant is entering.

The develop-and-direct standard requires the plan to describe the investor's executive role in concrete, operational terms. It must specify what decisions the investor makes, which functions they control, and how the business hierarchy positions them at the top. A business plan showing an investor delegating all operations to a hired general manager while retaining only an equity stake will not satisfy this requirement. The investor need not manage every detail, but must retain and exercise executive authority over essential business direction. The plan must be written in English.

Jordanian nationals apply for the E-2 visa at the U.S. Embassy in Amman, located at Al-Umawyeen Street, Abdoun, Amman. The process begins with completing the DS-160 nonimmigrant visa application at ceac.state.gov and paying the nonimmigrant visa application fee, currently $205 for E visa classifications (verify the current amount at travel.state.gov before applying). Appointment scheduling is done through the ais.usvisa-info.com platform.

E-2 interview appointments at the Amman Embassy are scheduled through the nonimmigrant visa unit. Wait times fluctuate with demand; applicants should check current availability when ready to schedule rather than relying on historical averages. Jordanian nationals who need to travel to the United States before receiving an E-2 stamp may enter on a B-1/B-2 visa for preliminary business activities, but actual E-2 investment and operations cannot commence until E-2 status is granted.

The consular interview is conducted in person at the Embassy. The officer will typically ask about the nature of the business, the source of invested funds, the investor's specific managerial role, planned employee headcount, and the projected timeline to profitability. After the interview, the officer may approve on the spot, issue a 221(g) request for supplemental documents or administrative processing, or deny the application. Administrative processing for Jordanian E-2 applications can extend from two weeks to several months depending on the nature of any required clearances.

• DS-160: complete at ceac.state.gov before scheduling the appointment
• Fee: $205 nonimmigrant visa application fee for E classifications; confirm current amount at travel.state.gov
• Scheduling: ais.usvisa-info.com or the Embassy online portal
• Documents: upload to CEAC in advance; bring organized paper originals and copies to the interview
• 221(g) processing: timelines for Jordanian applicants vary; administrative clearances can extend resolution to several months

Under current reciprocity tables, Jordanian citizens are issued E-2 visas with five-year validity and multiple entries. At each entry into the United States, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer at the port of entry grants an admission period of up to two years in E-2 status, regardless of the remaining validity of the visa stamp. A Jordanian investor can therefore operate the business in two-year admission increments throughout the five-year visa cycle.

There is no statutory limit on the number of times the visa can be renewed. When the five-year stamp expires, the investor returns to the Amman Embassy or applies at a U.S. consulate in a third country, submits a new DS-160, pays the fee, and attends a new interview. Renewal approval requires demonstrating that the business remains active, the investment is still committed and at risk, and the investor continues to develop and direct the enterprise.

Jordanian nationals already present in the United States in valid nonimmigrant status such as B-1/B-2, F-1, or H-1B may apply for E-2 status without returning to Jordan by filing Form I-129, Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker, with the E supplement and the full evidentiary package. Premium processing is available and reduces the USCIS adjudication window to 15 business days.

A USCIS approval of an I-129 petition grants E-2 status within the United States but does not issue a visa stamp. When the investor travels internationally after the I-129 approval, they must obtain an E-2 visa stamp at a U.S. Embassy, typically in Amman or at a willing third-country consular post, before re-entering the United States. Re-entry requires a valid E-2 visa stamp in the passport in addition to the I-797 approval notice.

Administrative processing under INA 221(g) is more common for Jordanian applicants than for applicants from many European treaty countries. Officers may flag cases for security clearance checks or request supplemental documentation on source of funds, business plan projections, or the investor's role. Applicants should submit a complete, well-organized package at the initial appointment and be prepared for a resolution timeline of weeks to months if 221(g) is issued.

A second recurring issue is fund sourcing from Gulf countries. Jordanian investors who accumulated wealth in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, or Kuwait face the task of producing Gulf salary records, employment contracts, and bank statements to establish the chain of custody of their funds. Missing Gulf documentation is a common basis for 221(g) additional evidence requests. Retaining and organizing these records before applying significantly reduces processing delays.

A third consideration is dual nationality. Some Jordanians hold citizenship in another country, including countries that are not E-2 treaty partners. E-2 eligibility flows from the nationality used to apply: a dual Jordanian-Egyptian national must apply as a Jordanian national, because Egypt is not an E-2 treaty country. The passport presented and the nationality designated in the DS-160 must be the treaty-country nationality, and the investor must demonstrate genuine ties to that nationality.