Is Philippines an E-2 treaty country?
Both E-1 and E-2; treaty in force since 1955. Philippine nationals pursue E-2 across services, retail, food, and trade, with cases at the U.S. Embassy in Manila. The document typically frames the enterprise as real, active, and operating, and documents the lawful source and path of the invested funds, which officers scrutinize closely.
What being a treaty country means for Philippines nationals
Treaty nationality is the threshold E-2 requirement, but it is only the first one. A Philippines national still has to show a substantial, at-risk investment in a real, active, more-than-marginal U.S. business they develop and direct. The business plan is how nearly every E-2 case demonstrates those points, and a generic one is a common reason for refusal. We don’t assess your eligibility (confirm that with a licensed immigration attorney); we build the plan document to the E-2 standard.
Build your E-2 plan outline
Pick your business model to see the full USCIS-format section list and what it needs to emphasize, pre-set to Philippines.
Your E-2 plan outline
- 01Executive summary
The enterprise, the treaty-investor, the amount invested, and the headline case at a glance.
- 02Company & service/product
What the business does, its structure, and its stage of development.
- 03Substantial investment & capital at risk
An itemized use-of-funds showing the investment is proportional to the business and irrevocably committed: the E-2 substantiality test.
- 04Source-of-funds narrative
How the invested capital was lawfully acquired and traced into the enterprise.
- 05Market analysis
Industry sizing and named competitors with real comparisons, specific to the business model and location.
- 06Marketing & operations plan
How the business reaches customers and runs day to day.
- 07Organization & management (develop-and-direct)
Ownership stake and the investor's operational-control role, framed to the E-2 develop-and-direct standard.
- 08U.S. job-creation staffing table
A year-by-year staffing chart with roles, headcount, and wages: the core marginality rebuttal.
- 095-year financial projections
P&L, cash-flow, and break-even built from your numbers, with the assumptions behind every figure stated.
- 10Marginality rebuttal
Evidence the enterprise generates more than a minimal living, via job creation and future capacity generally realizable within ~5 years.
What a restaurant plan must emphasize
- Itemized use-of-funds reconciling total project cost to qualifying invested capital, with proof funds are spent or irrevocably committed
- Detailed staffing chart with roles, wages, and a hiring timeline showing the investor directs while employees run service
- Conservative, benchmarked 5-year projections (covers, average check, seat turns, food/labor ratios) that clear minimal-living income with margin
- Local market and competitor analysis supporting the concept in the specific trade area
- Owner's develop-and-direct narrative distinct from front-line labor
This builds the structure of a USCIS-format business-plan document for your business model. It is general information, not legal or immigration advice, and does not assess your eligibility. E-2 has no fixed minimum investment; confirm your strategy with a licensed immigration attorney.
See what you actually get
As a Philippines national, the plan you order is a written, USCIS-format document prepared from your own certified figures. A page from a plan:
6. The Enterprise Is Not Marginal
The enterprise does not exist solely to provide a minimal living for the investor. As shown in the five-year projections (Exhibit C), it generates operating profit above the income needed to support the investor and family.
Independently, the enterprise makes a significant economic contribution through U.S. job creation, with roles, wages, and hire dates specified in the staffing table (Exhibit D). Either basis is sufficient; both are satisfied here.
Under 9 FAM 402.9, an enterprise is not marginal where it has the present or future capacity, generally within five years, to generate more than a minimal living or to make a significant economic contribution…
One plan. A fraction of the writing-service price.
Writing services charge $800–$5,000 for the same document. Your plan is built to order from your business details, in USCIS format, and delivered within 3 business days, with a full refund anytime before delivery.
Delivered within 3 business days, with a full refund anytime before delivery. This is a business document and financial model you prepare from your own information, not legal advice, and not a filing service.
Philippines E-2 visa FAQ
Other E-2 treaty countries
Sources
- travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/fees/treaty.html
- www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/e-2-treaty-investors
- travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/employment/treaty-trader-investor-visa-e.html
Treaty status last reviewed 2026-06-30 against the U.S. Department of State treaty-country table; the list is periodically updated, so verify before relying on it. This is factual treaty-status information, not an eligibility determination or legal advice.
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