E-2 Visa for Pakistani Citizens: Eligibility and Visa Validity

Pakistani citizens can get the E-2 treaty investor visa: Pakistan has held E-1 and E-2 treaty status since February 12, 1961, and 147 E-2 visas were issued to Pakistani nationals in FY2024. The eligibility rules are the same as for every treaty country. What deserves extra planning is visa validity, which comes from the State Department reciprocity table for Pakistan and affects how you travel and renew.

Is Pakistan an E-2 treaty country?

Yes. The Foreign Affairs Manual treaty table (9 FAM 402.9-10) lists Pakistan for both E-1 and E-2, in force since February 12, 1961. In South Asia, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka also have E-2 status, while India does not. See our guide to E-2 visas for Indian citizens for the contrast.

Only citizenship counts. A Pakistani citizen living in the UAE or Saudi Arabia still qualifies as a Pakistani national. Pakistani-origin investors who also hold British, Canadian or another treaty citizenship can choose which nationality to use; the ownership of the business must match the nationality chosen.

How many E-2 visas do Pakistani nationals receive?

Pakistan received 147 E-2 visas in FY2024, out of 55,324 worldwide. The figure includes investors, employees and family members. Most E-2 volume in Asia goes to Japan, Korea and Taiwan, but Pakistan has a steady stream of investors, often building on family and community networks already established in the United States.

How does visa validity work for Pakistani E-2 investors?

E-2 visa validity is set nationality by nationality in the State Department reciprocity table, based on how each country treats U.S. citizens. Across nationalities it ranges from 3 months to 5 years. Check the current Pakistan entry on travel.state.gov when you apply, because reciprocity schedules change and secondhand figures are often out of date.

Three points matter whatever the current validity is:

Concept	What it controls	Key rule
Visa validity	How long you can use the visa to enter the U.S.	Set by the reciprocity table for Pakistan
I-94 admission	How long you can stay after each entry	Up to 2 years per entry, regardless of visa validity
USCIS extension	Staying longer without leaving	Form I-129, up to 2 years per extension, no limit on the number

If your visa has short validity, plan around it:

• Travel needs a valid visa. Once the visa expires, you need a new one from a consulate before you can re-enter in E-2 status.
• Staying is not the problem. An expired visa does not end your status. You can stay until your I-94 date and extend through USCIS.
• Schedule renewals with trips. Many investors combine a family trip abroad with a visa renewal appointment, allowing extra time in case of delays. See E-2 renewal and extension and E-2 travel rules.

What are the E-2 requirements for Pakistani investors?

The standard rules come from INA 101(a)(15)(E)(ii), 8 CFR 214.2(e) and 9 FAM 402.9:

1. At least 50% Pakistani ownership of the U.S. business, with you holding at least 50% or operational control.
2. A substantial investment, proportional to the total cost of the business. There is no legal minimum; see E-2 minimum investment.
3. Funds at risk and irrevocably committed.
4. A real, active, for-profit business that is not marginal.
5. Intent to depart when your status ends.

Our E-2 requirements guide explains each element.

Where do Pakistani citizens apply?

Pakistani applicants apply through the U.S. Mission in Pakistan, which provides visa services at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad and the Consulate General in Karachi. Check the mission’s website for which post currently accepts E visa cases, the package format and interview scheduling.

Since September 6, 2025, applicants generally must apply in their country of nationality or legal residence, so a Pakistani citizen legally resident in the UAE, the UK or elsewhere may apply there. Expect an in-person interview.

The steps:

1. Form DS-160 for each applicant (principal investors answer the E-specific questions inside it; employees also file Form DS-156E).
2. The $315 MRV fee per applicant and any reciprocity fee listed for Pakistan.
3. A complete, indexed evidence package with the business plan.
4. The interview. Some applicants are placed in administrative processing after the interview, which can add weeks or longer; build slack into your timeline.

Pakistani nationals already in the U.S. in valid status can change status through USCIS on Form I-129, which avoids a consular trip at the start. See change of status vs consular processing.

Documenting source of funds from Pakistan

Officers review the money trail carefully. Prepare evidence for each source:

Source	Typical evidence
Property sale	Registered sale deed, land record or mutation documents, bank receipt of proceeds
Business income	Company or firm registration, FBR tax returns, accounts, bank statements
Salary and savings	Employment letters, salary slips, multi-year bank history
Family gifts	Gift deed and the donor’s own income documents
Overseas earnings	Foreign employer records and remittance history through banks
Currency transfer	Bank records reconciling rupee amounts to U.S. dollars

Avoid hundi or hawala transfers entirely, and move any cash savings into the banking system well before you apply. See E-2 source of funds.

Business models Pakistani investors often use

In our practice, Pakistani E-2 investors commonly choose:

• convenience stores, gas station businesses and grocery, often as acquisitions with existing staff,
• restaurants and franchise food units,
• trucking and logistics (E-2 employees who drive commercial motor vehicles must show English proficiency under Executive Order 14286),
• IT services and software consulting with U.S. clients and U.S. hires,
• import and wholesale of textiles, sporting goods or food products with real U.S. operations,
• home care and medical billing services.

Texas, New York, New Jersey, Illinois and California have large Pakistani-American business communities.

Family members

A spouse and unmarried children under 21 receive E-2 derivative status regardless of their own nationality. Their visa validity follows their own nationality’s reciprocity or the principal’s, whichever is shorter, so a Pakistani spouse and children will generally follow the Pakistan schedule.

• Spouse. Authorized to work incident to status. The I-94 shows class E-2S, which employers accept as evidence of work authorization. An optional EAD is available through Form I-765.
• Children. Class E-2Y. They can attend public and private schools and universities, but they cannot work. At 21 they age out and need their own status, often F-1.

What we see go wrong in Pakistani cases

In our experience, the most common weak points are an investment that is not yet committed (funds sitting in a U.S. account), a business plan that does not show growth beyond supporting the family, gaps in the money trail from property sales or family businesses, and ownership split among several relatives so that no one controls the company. Each of these can usually be fixed before filing.

Next steps

Run your plan through the E-2 eligibility checker and contact our team. We help Pakistani investors select or build the business, write the business plan and organize the source-of-funds evidence, and we coordinate with your independent immigration attorney, who files the case.