On August 1, 2018, the Knowledgeable Innovators and Worthy Investors Act, or the KIWI Act, having already passed both the US House of Representatives and the Senate, was signed by the president and became law. This is a most welcome development for the business community of New Zealand as the KIWI Act will now permit citizens of New Zealand to apply for U.S. E-1 visas (Treaty Trader Visas) and E-2 visas (Treaty Investor Visas).
The E-1 Visa is designed for New Zealand owned, U.S.-based businesses carrying on substantial and continuous trade with New Zealand, while the E-2 Visa is applicable to New Zealand owned, U.S.-based companies that have invested a substantial amount of qualifying funds in establishing the U.S. business entity. This new accessibility to E-1 and E-2 visas will be very useful for: 1) Companies already operating in the United States that are owned by New Zealand Nationals; 2) New Zealand-based companies seeking to expand to the United States market; and 3) Individual entrepreneurs seeking to establish a New Zealand-owned business in the United States.
Green and Spiegel has a dedicated E Visa unit and maintains decades of experience in processing E-1 and E-2 visas. If you are a New Zealand national interested in obtaining a business trade or investor U.S. visa, contact us today to talk about your options.
