Form Ds 156E PDF Details

The DS-156E form plays a crucial role for individuals aiming to pursue opportunities in the United States under the E-1 Treaty Trader and E-2 Treaty Investor Nonimmigrant Visa categories. This comprehensive document, used in conjunction with the DS-160 form, lays the groundwork for applicants to demonstrate their eligibility and the legitimacy of their business ventures or investments in the U.S. Applicants are required to provide detailed information about the business, including its nature, financial statements, and the international trade or investment that qualifies them for the visa. Failure to furnish complete documentation can result in application rejection. First-time applicants must meticulously fill out Parts I and II, updating them as necessary, while all applicants must complete Part III and the DS-160. Specific care must be taken to supply evidence of substantial trade or significant investment, control over the investment funds, the economic impact of the business, and the applicant's role within the company. With requirements that emphasize the need for a substantial and ongoing exchange of goods, services, or technology between the U.S. and the treaty country, or a significant investment that is not merely speculative, the process underscores the importance of detailed preparation. This document assists consular officers in evaluating whether an applicant's business endeavors align with the stringent criteria set forth by U.S. immigration law and regulations, ensuring that only qualified individuals are granted these specialized visas. Furthermore, the confidentiality of the information provided and the estimated time burden for completing this form highlight the U.S. Department of State's commitment to privacy and efficiency in processing these applications.

QuestionAnswer
Form NameForm Ds 156E
Form Length4 pages
Fillable?No
Fillable fields0
Avg. time to fill out1 min
Other namesfillable ds 156e form, form 156 156e form, form 156 156e, ds 156 pdf

Form Preview Example

NONIMMIGRANT TREATY TRADER/INVESTOR VISA APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

This form, together with Form DS-160, Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application, constitutes the application for an E-1 Treaty Trader or E-2 Treaty Investor Nonimmigrant Visa. See visa requirements below. Incomplete or undocumented applications will be returned.

All first-time applicants seeking Treaty Trader or Treaty Investor status must complete Parts I and II. Parts I and II must be updated periodically. All individual applicants must complete Part III and Form DS-160. You must answer all relevant questions. Enter "Not applicable" where appropriate. If an enterprise is not yet fully operational, estimates and projections should be made concerning potential income, job creation, volume of sales, etc.

Supporting documents should be submitted in a binder with a table of contents and tabs. The following are examples of supporting documentation which should be attached to first-time applications (not every type of document is applicable in each case; the consular officer may request additional information if required): Evidence of possession and control of investment funds (bank records, financial statements, loans, savings, promissory notes, etc.); evidence of remittance to the United States (bank drafts, transfers, exchange permits, receipts, etc.); evidence of establishment of business in the United States

(articles of incorporation, partnership agreement, organization and staffing charts, shares, titles, contracts, receipts, licenses, leases, etc.); evidence of the nationality of the investors/traders (passports, articles of incorporation of parent company, stock exchange listings, etc.) ; evidence of trade between the United States and the treaty country (invoices, bills of lading, customs clearances, warehouse receipts, shipping receipts, sales receipts, contracts, etc.) ; evidence of investment in the United States (titles, receipts, contracts, loans, bank statements, etc.) ; evidence of substantiality (financial statements, audits, U.S. corporate or business tax returns, etc.); evidence that the enterprise is not marginal (payroll records, IRS Form 941, personal tax returns, evidence of other personal assets and income) ; evidence that the business is a real, operating enterprise (annual reports, catalogs, sales literature, news articles, and other evidence as appropriate) ; curriculum vitae of the proposed visa recipient (optional). Specific instructions may vary by post and applicants should refer to post websites for more details.

Use additional sheets of paper, as necessary, to complete responses.

TREATY TRADER AND TREATY INVESTOR VISA REQUIREMENTS

Section 101(a)(15)(E) of the Immigration and Nationality Act provides nonimmigrant visa status for a national of any of the countries with which the United States maintains an appropriate treaty of commerce and navigation, who is coming to the United States to carry on substantial trade, including trade in services or technology, principally between the United States and the treaty country, or to develop and direct the operations of an enterprise in which the national has invested, or is actively in the process of investing, a substantial amount of capital. The requirements for Treaty Trader and Treaty Investor visas are further elaborated in 22 CFR Part 41.51. These requirements are summarized below:

Requirements for a Treaty Trader (E-1) nonimmigrant visa are:

1.The applicant must be a national of a treaty country.

2.The trading firm for which the applicant is coming to the United States must have the nationality of the treaty country.

3.The international trade must be "substantial" in the sense that it is of a high enough quantum and continuity of trade.

4.The trade must be principally between the United States and the treaty country, which means that more than 50%) of the international trade involved must be between the United States and the country of the applicant's nationality. Trade means the international exchange of goods, services and technology. The item of trade, and title of that item, must pass from one party to the other in exchange for consideration.

5.The applicant must be employed in a supervisory or executive capacity, or possess specialized skills essential to the successful and efficient operation of the commercial enterprise. Ordinarily skilled or unskilled workers generally do not qualify.

Requirements for a Treaty Investor (E-2) nonimmigrant visa are:

1.The investor, either a real or corporate person, must be a national of a treaty country.

2.The investment must be substantial. It must be sufficient to ensure the treaty investor's commitment to the successful operation of the enterprise. The percentage in investment required for a low-cost business enterprise is generally higher than the percentage of investment required for a high-cost enterprise.

3.The investment must be in a real operating commercial enterprise. Speculative or idle investment does not qualify. Uncommitted funds in a bank account or similar security are not considered an investment.

4.The investment may not be marginal. It must have the capacity to generate significantly more income than just to provide a living to the investor and family, or it must have a significant economic impact in the United States.

5.The investor must have control of the funds, and the investment must be at risk in the commercial sense. Loans secured with the assets of the investment enterprise are not considered to be at risk.

6.The investor must be coming to the United States solely to develop and direct the enterprise. If the applicant is not the principal investor, he or she must be employed in a supervisory, executive, or specialized skills capacity. Ordinarily skilled and unskilled workers generally do not qualify.

CONFIDENTIALITY AND PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT STATEMENTS

Confidentiality Statement - INA Section 222(f) provides that visa issuance and refusal records shall be considered confidential and shall be used only for the formulation, amendment, administration, or enforcement of the immigration, nationality, and other laws of the United States. Certified copies of visa records may be made available to a court which certifies that the information contained in such records is needed in a case pending before the court.

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement - *Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 4 hours per response, including time required for searching existing data sources, gathering the necessary documentation, providing the information and/or documents required, and reviewing the final collection. You do not have to supply this information unless this collection displays a currently valid OMB control number. If you have comments on the accuracy of this burden estimate and/or recommendations for reducing it, please send them to: PRA_BurdenComments@state.gov

DS-0156-E

Instruction Page 1 of 1

06-2018

 

U.S. Department of State

 

NONIMMIGRANT TREATY TRADER/INVESTOR APPLICATION

OMB CONTROL NO. 1405-0101

USE WITH FORM DS-160/I-129

ESTIMATED BURDEN: 4 HOURS*

 

EXPIRES: 11/30/2022

(USE ADDITIONAL SHEETS OF PAPER, AS NECESSARY, TO COMPLETE RESPONSES)

(See Instruction Page)

 

 

 

 

PART I - BUSINESS PROFILE

 

 

 

1.

Name of U.S. Enterprise, Business, or Company

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.

Type of Business Enterprise:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corporation

Branch/Liaison Office

 

Partnership

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Privately owned

Joint Venture

 

Subsidiary

Other

 

 

3. Address of Headquarters, Subsidiaries and Branch Offices of U.S. Enterprise (Specify type of office)

Telephone Number:

FAX Number:

4.Date (mm-dd-yyyy) and Place Business Was Established or Incorporated in the United States (Attach appropriate documentation; e.g., corporate papers, partnership agreement, etc.)

5.What is the nature of the business?

General Trade

 

Exports from U.S.

 

Retail Sales

 

Other (Describe)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Services/Technology

 

 

Imports to U.S.

 

Manufacturing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.Describe fully the services, production, or other activity in No. 5 above.

7.Name and Address of Foreign Parent Business (If any)

Telephone Number:

 

 

FAX Number:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. Nationality of Foreign Entity (Corporation, Partnership, etc.) or Foreign Individual Owner of U.S. Business (Attach documentation)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IF INDIVIDUAL INVESTOR,

 

 

 

NAME

 

NATIONALITY

 

 

IMMIGRATION STATUS/

PERCENT OF OWNERSHIP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total - 100%

9. Financial Statement for year

Calendar Year

 

Total Assets of U.S. Business:

Total Liabilities:

Owner's Equity:*

Total Annual Operating Income:

Before Taxes

Fiscal Year (Attach most recent financial statement or auditor's report)

Current Cash

 

Historical Cost

*Owner's equity of a corporation refers to paid-in capital plus retained

earnings; partner's capital accounts in

After Taxesa partnership; and owner's capital account in a sole proprietorship.

DS-156E

PREVIOUS EDITIONS OBSOLETE

Page 1 of 3

06-2018

 

 

10.To measure the amount of international trade with the United States, please complete the following. (For trade in merchandise, exports and imports,T refer to shipment and sale of goods across international boundaries. For trade in services and technology, exports and imports, refer to the sale of services by treaty-country nationals to nationals of the United States and other countries.)

Gross International Trade of the U.S. Enterprise in

 

(year)

Calendar Year

Fiscal Year

Ending

 

DOLLAR VALUE

 

NO. OF TRANSACTIONS

 

PERCENT OF TOTAL TRADE

 

Imports from treaty country to U.S. business

 

 

(Optional)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exports from U.S. business to treaty country

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Imports from third countries to U.S. business

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exports from U.S. to third countries

 

 

 

 

 

 

Domestic U.S. production/manufacturing

 

 

 

100%

 

Total:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11. Type of Investment (Check one)

 

 

 

 

 

Creation of a new business Total Start-up Costs:

Purchase of an existing business Purchase Price:

Continuation of an existing business Fair Market Value of Business:

12. Total Investment from Abroad Made in the United States (Attach documentation)

FOR YEAR

Cash

Inventory

Equipment

Premises

Other (describe)

TOTAL

Calendar Fiscal

INITIAL INVESTMENT

 

TOTAL CUMULATIVE INVESTMENT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13.Source of Investment Capital (personal funds, corporate funds, loans, stocks, debentures, bonds, etc.); Evidence of Possession and Control of Funds in the United States (Attach full documentation)

PART II - STAFF

14. Type of Personnel in the United States (Attach staffing chart)

 

 

 

 

Specify:

 

Calendar Year

 

Fiscal Year

 

SPECIALIZED

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MANAGERIAL

ALL OTHER

 

 

 

 

EXECUTIVE

ESSENTIAL

EMPLOYEES

 

 

 

 

This Year

Next Year

This Year

Next Year

This Year Next Year

Nationals of Treaty Country on E, H, & L Visas:

U.S. Citizens and Legal Permanent Residents:

Other (Third-Country Nationals):

TOTAL:

15. List all personnel of U.S. business holding executive, managerial and/or specialist positions by subsidiary/branch office. If aliens, indicate nonimmigrant visa status or lawful permanent resident (LPR) status.

U.S. VISA

NAME AND POSITION/TITLE/DIVISION

NATIONALITY

TYPE

DATE

PLACE OF ISSUANCE

(mm-dd-yyyy)

DS-156E

Page 2 of 3

 

 

PART III - APPLICANT

 

 

 

 

16.

Name of Applicant

 

 

 

 

 

(Family Name)

(First Name)

 

(Middle Name)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

17.

Type of Applicant:

 

 

Specialist

 

 

 

Principal owner/investor/trader

Supervisor

 

 

Manager

Executive

 

Other

 

 

 

 

 

 

18.Present Position and Duties (Describe in detail)

19.Name and Address of Employer

20. Years with Present Employer

21. Highest Level of Education

Major/Subject

Degree

Year

School

22.Other Relevant Experience and Education (Attach Curriculum Vitae - Optional)

23.Position in the United States

Title

Description of duties (include names and titles of all immediate subordinates)

24. Annual U.S. Salary and Benefit Package 25. Name of Person in the United States Being Replaced

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salary

Type of Visa

 

 

If NOT a replacement, is this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Date issued (mm-dd-yyyy)

 

 

a. An increase in staff?

 

Yes

 

No

 

 

Allowances/Benefits

 

 

 

 

Place issued

b. Continuation of existing employment in the

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL

 

 

 

 

United States?

 

Yes

 

No

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

26.I do solemnly swear or affirm that all statements which appear in this application are true and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Signature of Responsible Officer

Printed Name and Position or Office

Date (mm-dd-yyyy)

27. Name and Address of Person Who May Be Contacted About This Application

Telephone:

FAX:

DS-156E

Page 3 of 3

How to Edit Form Ds 156E Online for Free

In case you desire to fill out ds 156 e, you won't have to download any kind of software - simply try our PDF editor. To keep our tool on the forefront of convenience, we work to integrate user-driven capabilities and improvements regularly. We're routinely grateful for any suggestions - join us in reshaping how we work with PDF files. All it takes is a few simple steps:

Step 1: Access the form in our tool by clicking on the "Get Form Button" above on this page.

Step 2: The editor lets you modify nearly all PDF documents in various ways. Transform it with your own text, adjust what is originally in the file, and include a signature - all at your convenience!

This PDF requires specific info to be filled out, so you should definitely take whatever time to provide what's required:

1. Firstly, when filling out the ds 156 e, start with the section that has the subsequent blanks:

Filling in section 1 of form bendi 156e form

2. Once your current task is complete, take the next step – fill out all of these fields - Name and Address of Foreign, Telephone Number Nationality of, FAX Number, NAME, NATIONALITY, IF INDIVIDUAL INVESTOR IMMIGRATION, PERCENT OF OWNERSHIP, Financial Statement for year, Total Assets of US Business Total, DSE, Calendar Year, Fiscal Year Attach most recent, Current Cash, Historical Cost, and Total with their corresponding information. Make sure to double check that everything has been entered correctly before continuing!

Ways to prepare form bendi 156e form step 2

3. This next part should be quite straightforward, To measure the amount of, Gross International Trade of the, Imports from treaty country to US, Type of Investment Check one, Creation of a new business Total, year, DOLLAR VALUE, Calendar Year, Fiscal Year, Ending, NO OF TRANSACTIONS, Optional, PERCENT OF TOTAL TRADE, Purchase of an existing business, and Continuation of an existing - each one of these empty fields must be completed here.

PERCENT OF TOTAL TRADE, DOLLAR VALUE, and Calendar Year of form bendi 156e form

You can certainly make errors while filling in your PERCENT OF TOTAL TRADE, hence ensure that you take a second look before you decide to send it in.

4. To go ahead, your next section will require typing in a few blank fields. These comprise of PART II STAFF, Type of Personnel in the United, Fiscal Year, Calendar Year, MANAGERIAL EXECUTIVE, SPECIALIZED ESSENTIAL, ALL OTHER EMPLOYEES, This Year, Next Year, This Year, Next Year, This Year, Next Year, Nationals of Treaty Country on E H, and List all personnel of US business, which are crucial to going forward with this particular form.

List all personnel of US business, Nationals of Treaty Country on E H, and Type of Personnel in the United in form bendi 156e form

5. To conclude your form, this final subsection involves a number of extra blanks. Completing DSE, and Page of is going to conclude the process and you can be done very quickly!

form bendi 156e form conclusion process detailed (part 5)

Step 3: As soon as you've reread the information you given, click on "Done" to conclude your form. After getting a7-day free trial account at FormsPal, you'll be able to download ds 156 e or email it promptly. The form will also be readily available through your personal account with your each change. If you use FormsPal, you're able to fill out documents without having to be concerned about personal data incidents or entries getting shared. Our protected software makes sure that your private information is maintained safe.