Recently, the United States House of Representatives officially passed a proposal called the "AMIGOS ACT," aimed at opening the E-1 and E-2 visas to Portuguese citizens in the United States, allowing Portugal to become an E-1 and E-2 treaty country, permitting them to engage in trade or significant investment in the United States.
This bill has received bipartisan support in the House of Representatives. Currently, Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse from Rhode Island and Republican Senator Pat Toomey from Pennsylvania have submitted the proposal to the Senate. If approved, it will be sent to President Trump for enactment. If Trump signs it into law, it means that in the future, Portuguese citizens will be able to apply for the U.S. E-2 visa for expedited entry into the United States.
The U.S. E-2 visa is a non-immigrant visa issued to citizens of treaty countries. Currently, China is not among the treaty countries, so Chinese citizens cannot directly apply for the E-2 visa. Currently, Chinese citizens can apply for the U.S. E-2 visa through passports from countries such as Montenegro, Turkey, and Grenada. The 350,000 Euro investment for a Montenegrin passport, as well as the 250,000 USD investment in real estate for a Turkish passport, are popular options among investors and are good choices for identity planning. If Portugal joins the U.S. treaty countries in the future, Chinese investors will have another option to apply for the U.S. E-2 visa through a Portuguese passport.
How to apply for a Portuguese passport?
Currently, through the Portuguese Golden Residence Permit Program, an investment starting at 350,000 Euros for real estate allows the entire family across three generations to apply for the Portuguese Golden Residence Permit visa. According to the amendment to the Portuguese Nationality Law issued by the Portuguese government in July 2018, holders of the Portuguese Golden Residence Permit visa who reside in Portugal for a certain period within five years and pass the A2 level Portuguese language exam will be eligible to apply for Portuguese citizenship and receive a Portuguese passport. Holding a Portuguese passport not only allows visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 185 countries and regions but also enables free movement, work, and residence in 32 European countries, including all 28 EU member states (such as the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Finland, etc.) and three members of the European Economic Area (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein), as well as Switzerland, enjoying the generous benefits of EU citizenship. 1=32!!! Furthermore, there is hope for future entry into the United States through the E-2 visa application, making it a win-win situation!
As an active promoter of European investment immigration, WorldWay Immigration Group introduced the "Golden Residence Permit Program" of Portugal to China in 2013 in collaboration with the Portuguese Embassy in China, starting an exciting journey of investment immigration to Portugal. As one of the early immigration agencies promoting the Portuguese "Golden Residence Permit Program" in China, WorldWay Immigration has maintained good interaction with the Portuguese government over the years, assisting you in easily immigrating to Portugal!
Great news! To thank our new and old clients for their trust and support, WorldWay Immigration is launching a "Year-End Mega Sale, Customer Appreciation" promotion from December 1 to 31, 2019, with many activities, numerous discounts, and surprises. We welcome all new and old clients to actively participate and seize the opportunity! For more details, please consult: 400-138-2929.
