E-2 Visa Reciprocity for French Nationals Reduced

Starting on August 29, 2019, E-2 visa reciprocity for French nationals will decrease from the current 60 months (5 years) to 15 months (1 year and 3 months). The amount of time an E-2 visa can be granted for varies by country and depends on the agreement (the legal term is reciprocity) between the applicant’s country and the United States. Some countries, such as Egypt and Bangladesh, have reciprocity periods of as little as 3 months while other countries allow applicants to get an E-2 visa for up to 5 years. Even in cases where the country reciprocity allows the applicant to apply for 5 years, the actual amount of time granted to the applicant is also based on the discretion of the consular officer adjudicating the application. Towards the end of the visa validity period, the E-2 applicant will have to renew the visa to continue to work and reside in the U.S.

The French consulate did not provide a reason for this change, but they did notify that U.S. citizens hoping to live and work in France on the reciprocal visa will also receive reduced visas as a result of this change. For citizens of a treaty country, an E-2 visa is a convenient way to obtain a visa to enter, work, and live in the United States. Treaty visas are available to nationals of countries that hold treaties with the United States. In a family of different nationalities, only the investor has to hold the nationality of the treaty country. For more information about E-2 visa requirements, please click here.