How Can Romanian Citizens Secure A U.S. E-2 Visa?

What’s the actual starting point for chasing an E2 Visa for Romanian Citizens: the embassy, the paperwork, or the investment itself? It starts with the investment. Romania holds treaty status with the U.S., so once you’ve structured a real, active business around a substantial investment, the rest of the process (forms, interview, documentation) follows a fairly predictable path. This guide covers what qualifies, where things commonly go wrong, and what to expect at each stage.

What Is an E2 Visa for Romanian Citizens, and Who Qualifies?

An E-2 visa for Romanian Citizens is a nonimmigrant visa that lets you enter and work in the U.S. based on an active investment in a U.S. business. Romania is one of the recognized treaty countries under the U.S.-Romania treaty, so Romanian nationality itself isn’t a barrier here.

To qualify, you’ll need to show Romanian citizenship, a substantial investment, and at least 50% ownership or clear operational control of the business. One distinction worth noting: the E2 focuses on active investment and business management, while the related E-1 visa centers on substantial trade between the U.S. and Romania rather than investment. Most entrepreneurs looking to run a company in the U.S. want the E2, not the E-1.

What Are the E2 Visa Requirements for Romanian Citizens?

The core requirements mirror the standard E2 criteria:

• Investment size: No fixed minimum, but most successful cases fall between $100,000 and $200,000, scaled to the type of business.
• Lawful source of funds: Savings, business profits, or inheritance all work, provided you can document where the money came from.
• A real business plan: One that shows the business can generate enough income to support you and your employees, backed by financial projections.
• Active, not passive, investment: Buying property for personal use doesn’t qualify.
• Intent to depart: You’ll need to show you’d leave the U.S. if your E2 status ended.

Our E-2 visa guide covers how officers evaluate “substantial” investment and documentation standards in more depth.

What Are the Steps to Apply for an E2 Visa as a Romanian Citizen?

1. Gather your documents: investment evidence, business ownership records, source of funds, and a business plan.
2. Complete Form DS-160, making sure every detail matches your passport and investment paperwork.
3. Pay the visa fee, roughly $205 for Romanian applicants, and keep proof of payment.
4. Schedule your interview, typically at the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest, though some Romanian citizens residing abroad apply through the U.S. Embassy in London instead.
5. Attend the interview, prepared to explain your business, your investment, and your role in running it.
6. Wait for processing, usually one to three months depending on embassy workload and how complete your application is.

Keeping your investment fully active and traceable by the time of your interview matters more than almost anything else in this process. Ambiguous funding sources are one of the most common reasons cases stall.

When It Works, and When It Doesn’t: Two E2 Outcomes for Romanian Applicants

These composite examples illustrate the difference between a well-documented case and one that falls short:

Approved: A Romanian software entrepreneur invests $150,000 in a U.S.-based SaaS company, owns 60% of the business, and hires local employees early on. With clear documentation tying the funds to prior business profits, a case structured this way typically satisfies E2 requirements.

Denied: A different applicant invests roughly €50,000 into a coffee shop but has no evidence of hiring or ongoing operational expenses. Without proof that the business is actively growing and creating jobs, the investment reads as too small and too passive, a common reason for denial.

The gap between these two outcomes usually isn’t the investment amount. It’s whether the business can show real operational activity.

What Common Challenges Do Romanian Citizens Face When Applying?

A Request for Evidence (RFE) is one of the most frequent setbacks in E2 cases. The usual causes include:

• Insufficient or unclear proof of investment
• Passive investments, like property purchased without an operating business attached
• Incomplete or inconsistent documentation
• Failing to demonstrate business viability or job creation potential

Preparing thorough documentation before filing avoids most of these issues entirely.

How Long Does It Take, and What Does It Cost?

Processing time depends on embassy workload and how complete your application is. Romanian applicants typically go through the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest, though some apply through London if residing there. Check current U.S. visa appointment wait times for the most accurate timeline before planning your travel.

There’s no premium processing for E2 visas, but well-documented applications with a clear source of funds tend to move through review with fewer RFEs. For current filing fees, check the official U.S. visa fees page. Beyond the filing fee, budget for business setup costs and any legal guidance you bring in to prepare your case.

How Can Romanian Citizens Maintain and Renew Their E2 Visa?

E2 status is typically granted for two to five years depending on the consulate, and it can be renewed indefinitely as long as the business stays active. To maintain status, you’ll need to:

• Keep the business operational and continue employing staff where applicable
• File renewals before your current status expires
• Maintain detailed financial and operational records, since these are what renewal reviews rely on

Dependents can remain in the U.S. under E2 status throughout this process.

How Robinson Immigration Helps Romanian Citizens With Their E2 Visa

Between investment documentation, business plans, and embassy requirements, an E2 case has many moving parts. Here’s how we help:

• Evaluating your eligibility based on your business and investment structure
• Reviewing investment documents and your DS-160 before filing
• Preparing you for your embassy interview
• Advising on transitioning from an E2 visa to a green card, such as EB-2 NIW, if that’s part of your longer-term plan

If a green card is the eventual goal rather than a temporary visa, our visa guides hub compares EB-2 NIW, EB-1C, and EB-5 side by side.

FAQs About E2 Visa For Romanian Citizens

Conclusion

Securing an E2 Visa for Romanian Citizens comes down to a well-structured investment, a real operating business, and thorough documentation at every step. Whether you’re opening a tech startup, a restaurant, or a service business, understanding the investment thresholds and application process upfront helps you avoid the delays that trip up less-prepared applicants.