Applying for an E-2 visa at the US Embassy in London, step by step

Where these steps come from, and how current they are

The rules on what must be proved are federal: 22 CFR 41.51 and 9 FAM 402.9, the State Department’s regulation and its Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) guidance to consular officers. How you submit is set by each embassy. The London-specific steps below come from the US Embassy London’s visa pages and the US Visa Appointment Service pages it uses (ais.usvisa-info.com), as read on 27 October 2026. Posts change their instructions, and the DS-156E form itself says specific instructions may vary by post, so read the embassy’s pages again before you start.

Sources: Form DS-156E instructions (06-2018 edition)

Should you apply in London at all?

Under 22 CFR 41.101, a nonimmigrant visa application is made at the consular office with jurisdiction over your place of residence, unless an office where you are physically present agrees to take it. London’s overview says applicants should book at the embassy or consulate in their country of residence or nationality. Its E-2 document list asks for evidence of your ongoing UK residence, and its general list asks non-UK passport holders for evidence of UK status, such as a share code or eVisa.

Where you apply does not change which treaty you use. That depends on your nationality, which the guide to E-2 treaty countries covers, including the UK treaty’s own conditions.

Sources: 22 CFR 41.101(a)(1); Nonimmigrant Visas; Applying for the Visa; Treaty Trader or Treaty Investor: Treaty Investor Visa (E-2), Sections A to G

Investors register the company first; employees book directly

London runs an E visa company registration. A treaty investor’s first application registers the company with the E Visa Unit, through submission, review and interview. Employees of an already registered company book an interview through the appointment service and bring their documents on the day; they file Form DS-156E, which an E-2 principal investor does not.

The FAM describes these registration programs as a record of businesses already found to meet E visa standards, reviewed at least every five years where possible, and tells officers to assess each applicant on their own merits rather than treating registration as an endorsement or a disqualification.

Sources: 9 FAM 402.9-7(D); 9 FAM 402.9-11(A); Treaty Trader or Treaty Investor: How To Apply

Step by step: registering the company

• Step 1, DS-160. Each applicant completes the online nonimmigrant visa application, Form DS-160, and signs it electronically. For the principal investor, the DS-156E questions are built into the DS-160, so there is no separate DS-156E. Print the confirmation page with its barcode.
• Step 2, account and fee. Create an account on the US Visa Appointment Service, answer No to both questions in the “Applicant Responses” section (London says new and renewing registrations both answer No to the question about working for a company already registered), and pay the application fee.
• Step 3, documents. Submit the supporting documents electronically, following instructions that are given only after Step 2. The destination, file format and size limits are not on the public pages.
• Review. The E Visa Unit does not accept a case until steps 1 to 3 are done, then emails a receipt. Cases are reviewed against 9 FAM 402.9 first in, first out from the date of acceptance, and more documents may be requested. London states the current initial review time as over 90 working days, as guidance only, and says cases cannot be expedited.
• Interview invitation. When the review is complete, the applicant or their representative gets an email invitation to book an interview. London asks registration applicants to attend within three months (90 days); if not, they can be asked to resubmit from the beginning.
• Interview day. Bring the printed DS-160 confirmation; its number must match the one in your appointment account or you will not be let in. London’s E visa page says to sign and submit the DS-160 at least 2 business days before the appointment; an appointment-service notice of 29 April 2025 says at least three business days. Allowing three covers both.
• Decision and passport. If the visa is issued, London says processing averages 3 to 5 working days, plus 5 working days for courier delivery. Passports cannot be collected in person at the embassy.

Sources: 22 CFR 41.103(a)(1); 9 FAM 402.9-11(A); Treaty Trader or Treaty Investor: How To Apply; Processing Times & Return of Passport

What goes in the document submission (sections A to G)

London’s E-2 page organizes the submission into seven sections. In summary:

• A: a table of contents and a cover letter that addresses each requirement in 9 FAM 402.9, from the treaty and nationality through investment, real and operating enterprise, substantiality, marginality, develop and direct, and intent to depart.
• B: the DS-160 confirmation sheet, the fee receipt, and, if you have one, a signed agreement with your legal representative.
• C: passport bio page; prior US visas, entry stamps and I-94 records; any USCIS change or extension notices (Form I-797); evidence of ongoing UK residence, such as a lease or mortgage and a recent UK pay slip; a CV; education certificates; and a signed statement of intent to depart the US when E-2 status ends.
• D: ownership. US formation documents, share certificates or ledgers or operating agreements, and nationality evidence for the ultimate owners. A UK parent company provides its latest Companies House confirmation statement (CS01) or register of members; layered ownership needs an organogram and proof of each link.
• E: investment. A breakdown of all funds invested; leases, contracts, invoices and bank records showing payments; for a purchase, the signed purchase agreement and closing papers or a binding escrow agreement; for a franchise, the agreement, disclosure document and fee payment; and the source of the funds and their transfer to the US.
• F: real and operating. Licenses, client contracts, invoices or purchase orders, and marketing material; for a subsidiary, evidence that the foreign parent is active.
• G: marginality. For an established business, three years of US federal (not state) tax returns, profit and loss statements for the current and previous year, and Form 941s, W-3s, 1096s or payroll records for two years. For a start-up, a business plan, a five-year profit and loss forecast with its assumptions, and a breakdown of start-up costs.

Sources: Treaty Trader or Treaty Investor: Treaty Investor Visa (E-2), Sections A to G; 9 FAM 402.9-4(C)

Government fees, dated

These are government fees only. Legal fees, accountants, translations, couriers you choose to use and travel are separate costs, and fees change. The State Department’s own fees page could not be read for this guide, so any other government charge collected with the application is not covered here; check travel.state.gov before paying.

• Application (MRV) fee: 22 CFR 22.1 lists $315 per person for an E visa (eCFR issue of 21 October 2026). The appointment service listed the same $315 for E-1, E-2 and E-3 on 27 October 2026. Each family member pays their own. It is non-refundable, non-transferable, good for one application, valid for 365 days from purchase, and usable only in the country where it was paid. Bank transfers take 3 business days to clear.
• Visa issuance (reciprocity) fee: charged on top for some nationalities, at the amount in the reciprocity schedule for that nationality. London says it is paid to the embassy cashier on the interview day. The reciprocity tables are not covered here, so check your nationality’s entry on travel.state.gov.

Sources: 22 CFR 22.1, item 21 (nonimmigrant visa application fees); 22 CFR 22.1, item 23 (reciprocity fee)

The interview and who must attend

Under 22 CFR 41.102, applicants aged 14 to 79 must appear in person and be interviewed by a consular officer unless the requirement is waived. London’s family page goes further and says children under 14 must also attend the embassy in person. Laptops and large bags are not admitted and there is no storage; phones may be brought in but not used.

Bring a 5 x 5 cm color photo taken in the last six months, and a passport with blank pages. London says the six-month passport validity rule does not apply to UK passports but can apply to other nationalities.

Sources: 22 CFR 41.102(a); Applying for the Visa; Interview Documents for Family Members

Family members

Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 each complete their own DS-160 and pay their own fee; they do not file a DS-156E. London asks them for a copy of your passport bio page and visa (if issued), marriage and birth certificates, and their own signed statement of intent to depart. Their nationality need not match yours. A family member with a treaty nationality gets a visa valid for the period in their own nationality’s reciprocity schedule or for the length of your visa or authorized stay, whichever is less, and pays reciprocity fees under their own nationality’s schedule; a family member from a non-treaty country follows your schedule for entries, fees and validity.

Sources: 9 FAM 402.9-9(a); 9 FAM 402.9-11(A); Interview Documents for Family Members; E-2 Treaty Investors: Family of E-2 Treaty Investors and Employees

After the interview: delays and passport return

A visa is permission to travel to a US port of entry and ask to be admitted. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) decides admission and records your period of stay on Form I-94.

• Administrative processing under INA 221(g): London says it does not know how long this takes and will contact you when it is complete.
• A waiver of ineligibility: London says to expect up to 9 months from the interview.
• Courier return: you choose delivery or pick-up when booking. Pick-ups need identification and are returned to the embassy if not collected within 30 days; home deliveries are attempted up to 3 times and released only to an adult who signs.
• London advises against non-refundable travel plans until you have the visa and your passport back.

Sources: 22 CFR 41.103(a)(1); Processing Times & Return of Passport

Common problems

• A DS-160 barcode that does not match the appointment account, which means rescheduling.
• Missing the 90-day window to interview after the invitation.
• No evidence of UK residence or status for someone applying in London on another passport.
• State tax returns sent instead of federal returns for an established business.
• Paying the fee in another country, or letting it pass 365 days.

Sources: 22 CFR 41.101(a)(1); 22 CFR 22.1, item 21 (nonimmigrant visa application fees); Treaty Trader or Treaty Investor: How To Apply; Treaty Trader or Treaty Investor: Treaty Investor Visa (E-2), Sections A to G

How Visa Trouble can help

Free route discovery at Visa Trouble covers the E-2 treaty investor route, including the treaty-country check. We’re building application preparation for E-2 investors; it is planned, not open yet. Visa Trouble is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.

You can begin free route discovery at visatrouble.com.