E-2 Visa for Israeli citizens: Validity and Stay

The E-2 visa for Israeli citizens is valid for 24 months (2 years) with multiple entries. How long you can stay, fees, and what Israeli investors should prepare.

Page reviewed October 30, 2026.

What it is

The State Department issues E-2 treaty investor visas to Israeli citizens for 24 months (2 years), with multiple entries.

That is how long the visa can be used to travel to the U.S. How long you may stay is set separately by the border officer at each entry, and for E-2 holders is usually up to two years per admission, with no limit on the number of extensions.

Visa validity
24 months24 months (2 years), from the State Department schedule.
Entries
MultipleHow many times the visa can be used to seek entry.
Usual stay
Up to 2 yearsPer admission, set by the border officer.
Reciprocity fee
NoneOn top of the standard visa application fee.

E-2 visa validity for Israeli citizens

  • Validity: 24 months (2 years).
  • Entries: multiple entries, so you can travel in and out of the U.S. until the visa expires.
  • The State Department lists no reciprocity fee for Israeli E-2 applicants. The standard visa application fee still applies.
  • The E-1 treaty trader visa is listed at 52 months, multiple entries.

Visa validity is not the length of your stay

The 24 months is the window in which the visa can be used to travel. Each time you enter, the border officer sets how long you may stay. E-2 holders are usually admitted for up to two years at a time, and a traveler who is found admissible can generally be readmitted for an automatic two-year period. An extension of stay can be requested for up to two years at a time, with no limit on how many.

The E-2 is a temporary status and requires an intention to depart when it ends. It does not lead to a green card on its own.

What Israeli E-2 applicants should prepare

  • Nationality: you must hold Israeli nationality, and the U.S. business must be owned at least 50% by Israeli nationals.
  • The E-2 is shorter for Israeli citizens than for most large treaty countries: the schedule lists 24 months, against 60 for Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Turkey. Plan to renew the visa in your passport, since the period of stay is set separately at each entry.
  • The package goes by mail and the Embassy page sets no appointment step first. Treat the three month preliminary review as the planning figure, and confirm it on the live page.
  • A substantial investment in a real, operating business that is not marginal, with the money committed and at risk.
  • A lawful source for every dollar invested, shown with records.

Treaty basis and where Israeli cases are processed

Israel's E-2 does not rest on a treaty. The State Department's treaty list says the 1954 treaty with Israel gave Israeli nationals E-1 status for treaty traders but not E-2, and that Public Law 112-130 (2012) gives Israeli nationals E-2 status if Israel offers similar treatment to U.S. nationals. The Department confirmed that Israel does, and E-2 visas could be issued to Israeli nationals from May 1, 2019. The list gives April 3, 1954 for the E-1 and May 1, 2019 for the E-2.

Embassy details below were read on October 30, 2026. Embassy pages change often and most carry no update date, so confirm them on the official page before you file.

  • Do not book an appointment first. The Embassy page says a case will not be adjudicated until the company has been registered under its instructions.
  • For first-time applicants and renewals, the company mails the supporting documents and the employee's application to the E1/E2 Visa Assistant, Embassy Branch Office Tel Aviv, Consular Section, 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv 6343229. Email is not the channel here.
  • The Embassy page says the preliminary review of corporate files currently takes about three months, first come first served. The page is undated.
  • Attorneys and representatives are not allowed to attend the visa interview, and the Embassy does not discuss prospective E cases by phone or email.
  • Additional employees of an already registered company and dependents book a regular appointment online.
  • Embassy Branch Office Tel Aviv: 71 HaYarkon Street, Tel Aviv 6343229. U.S. Embassy Jerusalem: 14 David Flusser Street, Jerusalem 9378322.

E-2 visas issued to Israeli nationals

By our sums of the State Department's monthly tables (October to September), Israeli nationals received 545 E-2 visas in FY2023, 657 in FY2024 and 757 in FY2025. That ranks twelfth, thirteenth and eleventh, and 1.5% of the 51,047 issued worldwide in FY2025. Because E-2 issuance to Israeli nationals began on May 1, 2019, the series is short. Tel Aviv issued 522, 524 and 559 E-2 visas in those years, to applicants of any nationality. The counts cover the E-2 class, which includes family members on E-2 dependent visas, and they count visas issued abroad. We do not offer a reason for any change from year to year.

The State Department schedule prints 52 months for the Israeli E-1 and 24 months for the E-2 with no explanation, and we have none. We have not read Public Law 112-130 or the 2019 State Department notice, only the Foreign Affairs Manual summary of them.

How this compares with other treaty countries

  • Argentina: 60 months (5 years), multiple entries.
  • Italy: 60 months (5 years), multiple entries.
  • Spain: 60 months (5 years), multiple entries.
  • Colombia: 60 months (5 years), multiple entries.
  • United Kingdom: 60 months (5 years), multiple entries.
  • France: 48 months (4 years), multiple entries.
  • Germany: 60 months (5 years), multiple entries.
  • Mexico: 48 months (4 years), multiple entries.
  • Japan: 60 months (5 years), multiple entries.
  • South Korea: 60 months (5 years), multiple entries.
  • Taiwan: 60 months (5 years), multiple entries.
  • Turkey: 60 months (5 years), multiple entries.

How it works

From first call to filed petition

  1. 1. Evaluation

    You get an honest answer.

    We review your situation on a 15-minute call and tell you honestly whether the visa fits and what would make the case stronger. No retainer. No commitment.

  2. 2. Strategy

    You know exactly what your case looks like.

    We map which company documents and evidence prove each requirement, and what is still missing. You see the full picture before we file anything.

  3. 3. Preparation

    Your petition is built without you lifting a finger.

    Our team drafts the support letters and the legal brief, curates every exhibit, and reviews the full petition before it leaves our hands. You approve. We file.

  4. 4. Filing

    Filed. You get on with your life.

    Your petition is filed at USCIS and we manage every communication from there. We handle any RFE at no extra charge.

Common questions

How long is the E-2 visa valid for Israeli citizens?

24 months (2 years), with multiple entries, according to the State Department reciprocity schedule. The State Department can change this at any time, and a consular officer may issue a visa for a shorter period.

How long can Israeli citizens stay in the U.S. on an E-2?

E-2 holders are usually admitted for up to two years at a time. Extensions of stay are granted in increments of up to two years each, with no limit on the number of extensions, as long as the business and the other requirements are still met.

Can Israeli citizens apply for an E-1 instead?

The E-1 treaty trader visa is listed at 52 months, multiple entries.

Is there an extra visa fee for Israeli E-2 applicants?

The State Department lists no reciprocity fee for Israeli E-2 applicants. The standard visa application fee still applies.

Does the E-2 give Israeli citizens a path to a green card?

The E-2 is a nonimmigrant status and requires an intention to depart when it ends. A filed or approved immigrant petition alone is not a reason to deny an E application, but the E-2 itself does not give a path to permanent residence.

Is Lando a law firm?

No. Lando is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Petitions are prepared in coordination with licensed U.S. immigration attorneys. For advice about your own situation, speak to a licensed immigration attorney.

Sources

Lando is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Petitions are prepared in coordination with licensed U.S. immigration attorneys.