--- title: E-2 Visa for Italian citizens: Validity and Stay | Lando url: https://trylando.com/e2-visa-italy description: The E-2 visa for Italian citizens is valid for 60 months (5 years) with multiple entries. How long you can stay, fees, and what Italian investors should. --- # E-2 Visa for Italian citizens: Validity and Stay The E-2 visa for Italian citizens is valid for 60 months (5 years) with multiple entries. How long you can stay, fees, and what Italian investors should prepare. Page reviewed October 30, 2026. What it is The State Department issues E-2 treaty investor visas to Italian citizens for 60 months (5 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 validity60 months60 months (5 years), from the State Department schedule. EntriesMultipleHow many times the visa can be used to seek entry. Usual stayUp to 2 yearsPer admission, set by the border officer. Reciprocity fee$198On top of the standard visa application fee. ## E-2 visa validity for Italian citizens - Validity: 60 months (5 years). - Entries: multiple entries, so you can travel in and out of the U.S. until the visa expires. - The State Department lists a reciprocity (visa issuance) fee of $198 for Italian E-2 applicants, on top of the standard visa application fee. - The E-1 treaty trader visa has the same validity and entries for Italian citizens: 60 months (5 years), multiple entries. - [E visa validity for every country](https://trylando.com/e2-visa-validity-by-country) ## Visa validity is not the length of your stay The 60 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. - [E-2 extension and renewal](https://trylando.com/e2-visa-extension) ## What Italian E-2 applicants should prepare - Nationality: you must hold Italian nationality, and the U.S. business must be owned at least 50% by Italian nationals. - Italian nationality, however it was acquired, is what counts, including citizenship acquired by descent. A person who holds an Italian passport can generally apply under Italy's treaty status even if they live elsewhere. The U.S. business must be at least 50% owned by Italian nationals. - Funds that come from outside Italy, or from a business you are selling, need a clear paper trail to the U.S. investment. - 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. - [E-2 investment amount](https://trylando.com/e2-visa-investment) - [E-2 visa requirements](https://trylando.com/e2-visa) ## Treaty basis and where Italian cases are processed Italy's E-2 status comes from the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation, signed February 2, 1948 and in force July 26, 1949, supplemented by an agreement signed September 26, 1951. 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. - The embassy states that E visas are processed only in Rome. Every applicant is interviewed, renewals included. - Cases are submitted through the embassy's E Visa Navigator to RomeEvisas@state.gov, and the queue is worked by the date a complete case is received. - The embassy says most E interviews take place on Tuesdays, and strongly encourages applicants who do not live in Italy to apply in their country of residence. ## E-2 visas issued to Italian nationals The State Department's NIV Detail Tables list 978 E-2 visas issued to Italian nationals in fiscal year 2022, 1,801 in fiscal year 2023 and 1,531 in fiscal year 2024. Fiscal years run October 1 to September 30. The counts include family members who received E-2 dependent visas, so they are not a count of investors, and we do not offer a reason for any change from year to year. ## How this compares with other treaty countries - Argentina: 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. - Israel: 24 months (2 years), multiple entries. - Turkey: 60 months (5 years), multiple entries. - [E-2 visa for Argentine citizens](https://trylando.com/e2-visa-argentina) - [E-2 visa for Spanish citizens](https://trylando.com/e2-visa-spain) - [E-2 visa for Colombian citizens](https://trylando.com/e2-visa-colombia) - [E-2 visa for British citizens](https://trylando.com/e2-visa-united-kingdom) - [E-2 visa for French citizens](https://trylando.com/e2-visa-france) - [E-2 visa for German citizens](https://trylando.com/e2-visa-germany) - [E-2 visa for Mexican citizens](https://trylando.com/e2-visa-mexico) - [E-2 visa for Japanese citizens](https://trylando.com/e2-visa-japan) - [E-2 visa for South Korean citizens](https://trylando.com/e2-visa-south-korea) - [E-2 visa for Taiwan passport holders](https://trylando.com/e2-visa-taiwan) - [E-2 visa for Israeli citizens](https://trylando.com/e2-visa-israel) - [E-2 visa for Turkish citizens](https://trylando.com/e2-visa-turkey) How it works ## From first call to filed petition - 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. 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. 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. 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 Italian citizens?+ 60 months (5 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 Italian 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 Italian citizens apply for an E-1 instead?+ The E-1 treaty trader visa has the same validity and entries for Italian citizens: 60 months (5 years), multiple entries. Is there an extra visa fee for Italian E-2 applicants?+ The State Department lists a reciprocity (visa issuance) fee of $198 for Italian E-2 applicants, on top of the standard visa application fee. Does the E-2 give Italian 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 - [U.S. Department of State: Visa Reciprocity, Italy](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country/Italy.html) - [U.S. Embassy in Italy: E Visas](https://it.usembassy.gov/e-visas/) - [U.S. Embassy in Italy: Overview of application procedures](https://it.usembassy.gov/overview-of-application-procedures/) - [U.S. Department of State: NIV Detail Table, FY2024](https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Statistics/Non-Immigrant-Statistics/NIVDetailTables/FY24NIVDetailTable.xlsx) - [U.S. Department of State: 9 FAM 402.9, Treaty Traders and Investors](https://fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM040209.html) - [USCIS: E-2 Treaty Investors](https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/e-2-treaty-investors) - [8 CFR 214.2(e), treaty traders and investors, on eCFR](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/section-214.2) Checked October 2026. Lando is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Petitions are prepared in coordination with licensed U.S. immigration attorneys. --- Lando is not a law firm. Petitions are prepared in coordination with licensed U.S. immigration attorneys. Source: https://trylando.com/e2-visa-italy