Scenario
You’ve been approved for an E-2 Treaty Investor visa and are planning to move to the United States with your family. Your spouse and children can apply as dependents. But what happens with your parents or siblings?
Does having an E-2 visa change the visa options for your other family members?
Short answer: No.
An E-2 visa allows only certain family members to apply for derivative E-2 status. It does not provide any benefit or pathway for other relatives.
Under U.S. immigration law, the definition of family for the E-2 visa is limited to the investor’s spouse and unmarried children under age 21. These individuals may apply for E-2 derivative visas based on the principal investor’s status. This definition is set by law and does not vary based on personal circumstances.
Parents, siblings, adult children, and other relatives are not included in the E-2 visa category. They cannot receive E-2 status through the investor, and they cannot be added to the E-2 application.
For these other family members, the existence of an E-2 visa has no legal effect on future visa applications. U.S. immigration authorities review each visa application independently, based on the applicant’s own qualifications and the requirements of the visa category they seek. An E-2 approval or denial does not influence that review.
This rule applies to both non-immigrant and immigrant visas. Parents or siblings can still apply for visitor, student, work, or family-based immigrant visas if they qualify. These applications are separate from the E-2 visa and follow different parts of U.S. immigration law.
Key takeaway
With an E-2 visa, an investor can bring a spouse and unmarried children under 21 as dependents. That is the limit of its family coverage. For parents, siblings, and other relatives, the E-2 visa does not affect their future visa options. Each person must qualify on their own for the visa they want.
Official sources