I heard the US has recently issued a law that makes Portuguese citizens eligible for the E-2 visa – will it also apply to those with permanent residency through investment?
The E-2 USA visa was open to Portuguese citizens. This means that Portuguese investors can now apply for it. The initial condition is to have an eligible nationality. As such, holding a Portuguese residence permit is not enough. Such holders must hold it for 5 years, apply for Portuguese citizenship and then they become qualified for the E-2.
Unfortunately, Amigos Act only applies to Portuguese nationals and not to residence holders in Portugal. As such, the only way to apply for the E-2 visa through the Portuguese Golden Visa would be to apply for Portuguese citizenship.
The Amigos Act is a bill that includes Portugal in the list of foreign states whose nationals are eligible for admission into the United States as E-1 and E-2 nonimmigrants if United States nationals are treated similarly by the Government of Portugal. In this sense, we note that this bill only applies to Portuguese nationals and not to foreigners with legal residence in Portugal. However, through the Golden Visa, you can apply for Portuguese citizenship after 5 years and then benefit from the Amigos Act.
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