E-2 Visa for Turkish Citizens: Requirements and the 3-Year Rule

Turkish citizens can get the E-2 treaty investor visa: Turkey’s E-2 treaty status has been in force since May 18, 1990, and Turkish nationals received 697 E-2 visas in FY2024. Turkish citizens by birth or ordinary naturalization apply under the standard rules, while those who became Turkish citizens through an investment program must also meet a three-year domicile requirement added to U.S. law on December 23, 2022.

Is Turkey an E-2 treaty country?

Yes. The treaty table in 9 FAM 402.9-10 lists Turkey for E-2 (treaty investor) from May 18, 1990, the date the U.S.-Turkey bilateral investment treaty entered into force, and for E-1 (treaty trader) from February 15, 1933.

The usual nationality rules apply. Only Turkish citizenship counts, not residence in Turkey. The U.S. business must be at least 50% owned by Turkish nationals, and if you hold a second treaty nationality you choose one for the E-2 case. See E-2 ownership rules.

How many E-2 visas do Turkish nationals receive?

Nationality	E-2 visas issued, FY2024
Spain	1,438
Turkey	697
Argentina	675
Israel	657
Colombia	623

The figure includes investors, employees and family members. Turkey is one of the larger E-2 nationalities outside Western Europe and East Asia.

Turkish citizenship by investment and the three-year domicile rule

Turkey operates a citizenship-by-investment program, and because Turkey is an E-2 treaty country, that passport became a common route to the E-2 for nationals of non-treaty countries. Congress changed this in the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for FY2023 (Public Law 117-263), signed December 23, 2022.

Under the amended law, if you acquired treaty-country nationality through a financial investment and you have not previously held E status, you must have been domiciled in that country for at least three continuous years at some point before applying for an E visa.

What this means for Turkish passport holders:

How you became a Turkish citizen	E-2 position
By birth or descent	Standard E-2 rules
By marriage or ordinary naturalization	Standard E-2 rules
Through the investment program, no prior E status	Must show 3 continuous years of domicile in Turkey before applying
Through the investment program, already held E status before	Discuss with your attorney; the rule targets those not previously in E status

Consular officers look for evidence that Turkey was genuinely your home: a residence, local tax filings, school enrollment for children, bank activity and time spent in the country. A passport held while living elsewhere does not meet the standard. Program prices and conditions for Turkish citizenship are set by the Turkish government and change over time; check official Turkish sources rather than marketing material. Nationals of countries without an E-2 treaty should read this route alongside the Grenada option.

What are the E-2 requirements for Turkish investors?

Once nationality is settled, the standard requirements of INA 101(a)(15)(E)(ii), 8 CFR 214.2(e) and 9 FAM 402.9 apply:

• A substantial investment, measured against the total cost of the business, with no legal minimum. See E-2 minimum investment.
• Funds at risk and irrevocably committed.
• A real, active, for-profit business that is not marginal.
• At least 50% ownership or operational control by you.
• Intent to depart when your status ends.

Read the complete E-2 requirements for detail.

Where do Turkish citizens apply?

Turkish applicants apply through the U.S. Mission in Turkey, which includes the U.S. Embassy in Ankara and the Consulate General in Istanbul. E visa cases are typically handled by a designated unit rather than every post, so check the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Turkey website for the current post, submission format and interview scheduling.

Since September 6, 2025, applicants generally must apply in their country of nationality or legal residence. A Turkish citizen legally resident in Germany or the UAE may apply there. Expect an in-person interview.

The steps are standard: Form DS-160 for each applicant (principal investors answer the E questions inside it; employees also file Form DS-156E), the $315 MRV fee per applicant, the evidence package and the interview. Visa validity for Turkish nationals is set by the reciprocity table on travel.state.gov, which also lists any issuance fee; check it when you apply. Each admission gives up to two years.

Turkish nationals already in the U.S. in valid status can change status through USCIS on Form I-129. See E-2 application process.

Documenting source of funds from Turkey

Turkish cases often involve real estate wealth, family businesses and savings held in foreign currency or gold, so the money trail needs care:

• Real estate sales: title deed (tapu) records, sale contract, bank receipt of proceeds, and an explanation if the declared value differs from the price.
• Business income: trade registry documents, tax returns, dividend resolutions and bank statements.
• Salary savings: employment records, payslips and multi-year bank history.
• Family gifts: a notarized gift document and the donor’s own source evidence.
• Currency conversion: records showing lira, euro or gold conversions and the transfer to the U.S. account, with amounts reconciled.

Our E-2 source of funds guide explains what officers expect for each type.

Business types Turkish investors often choose

In our practice, Turkish E-2 investors commonly build or buy:

• Turkish and Mediterranean restaurants, bakeries and cafes,
• construction, remodeling, countertop fabrication and flooring businesses,
• trucking and logistics companies (E-2 employees who operate commercial motor vehicles must show English proficiency under Executive Order 14286),
• cleaning and home service franchises,
• import and wholesale of Turkish textiles, food products and building materials with real U.S. warehousing and staff,
• software and IT consultancies with U.S. clients and U.S. hires.

Texas, New Jersey, Florida and Illinois have active Turkish-American business communities. See E-2 businesses in Dallas.

E-2 or E-1 for Turkish exporters?

Turkey has both E-1 treaty trader and E-2 treaty investor status. A Turkish company that already sells substantial volumes of goods or services to the United States, with more than half of its international trade between the U.S. and Turkey, may qualify its owners and key staff for the E-1 without making a new investment. The E-2 fits better when you are buying or building a U.S. operating business with your own capital. Some groups use both: an E-1 for the trading arm and an E-2 for a separate U.S. operating company, each with its own evidence.

Practical notes

• Military service. Turkish men with outstanding service obligations should resolve their status with Turkish authorities before relocating.
• Family. A spouse and children under 21 receive E-2 derivative status; the spouse may work, and children can study but not work.
• Taxes. Moving to the U.S. generally makes you a U.S. tax resident. Take cross-border advice on Turkish and U.S. obligations.

Next steps

Check your fit with the E-2 eligibility checker or book a consultation. We help Turkish investors choose or build the U.S. business, write the business plan and organize the source-of-funds evidence, and we coordinate with your independent immigration attorney, who files the case.