E-2 Visa for South Korean citizens: Validity and Stay

The E-2 visa for South Korean citizens is valid for 60 months (5 years) with multiple entries. How long you can stay, fees, and what South Korean investors should prepare.

Page reviewed October 30, 2026.

What it is

The State Department issues E-2 treaty investor visas to South Korean 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 validity
60 months60 months (5 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 South Korean 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 no reciprocity fee for South Korean E-2 applicants. The standard visa application fee still applies.
  • The E-1 treaty trader visa has the same validity and entries for South Korean citizens: 60 months (5 years), multiple entries.

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.

What South Korean E-2 applicants should prepare

  • Nationality: you must hold South Korean nationality, and the U.S. business must be owned at least 50% by South Korean nationals.
  • The deadline is the tightest stated in a time unit among the treaty pages we read: documents arrive no later than two weeks before the interview, and the interview is booked first.
  • The summary tab (Tab A) is where the mission asks you to set out the 50% Korean ownership, the substantial investment, the marginality test, the develop-and-direct role and your intent to depart.
  • 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 South Korean cases are processed

South Korea's E-1 and E-2 status rests on the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation between the United States and the Republic of Korea. The State Department's treaty list gives November 7, 1957 as the date it entered into force for both classes.

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.

  • Embassy Seoul processes E cases. The mission's E visa page does not name Busan as an E processing post.
  • Supporting documents go only by email to SeoulNIVEVisa@state.gov, no later than two weeks before the interview. Review starts after you register for an appointment and pay the fee.
  • The packet is one PDF per tab, each named by its tab, with no more than 70 pages or 20MB excluding Tab A. Wrongly named or extra files are returned, and the appointment can be cancelled.
  • The tab list asks for Korean parent-company documents where there is one, including the exchange listing if it is listed.
  • Embassy Seoul: 188 Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea. The Consular Section's international mailing address uses postal code 03141.

E-2 visas issued to South Korean nationals

By our sums of the State Department's monthly tables (October to September), South Korean nationals received 6,639 E-2 visas in FY2023, 6,789 in FY2024 and 5,359 in FY2025. That ranks second, second and third among nationalities, and 10.5% of the 51,047 issued worldwide in FY2025. Seoul issued 6,603, 6,748 and 5,327 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.

We have not read the treaty text itself or the embassy's review time (the page states none). Whether Busan takes any E cases is not stated on the page we read.

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.
  • Taiwan: 60 months (5 years), multiple entries.
  • Israel: 24 months (2 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 South Korean 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 South Korean 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 South Korean citizens apply for an E-1 instead?

The E-1 treaty trader visa has the same validity and entries for South Korean citizens: 60 months (5 years), multiple entries.

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

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

Does the E-2 give South Korean 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.