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In the aftermath of the New York terror attack of a couple months ago, in which eight people were killed a few blocks away from the World Trade Center, Grenada fears losing access to the US E2 visa scheme. It has been reported that Uzbeck national Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov drove into pedestrians that resulted in the deaths. Following the attack, Trump has once again turned his attention to visa entry into America.
Sanwar Ali workpermit.com comment:
Under the US visa system people can already be refused entry for numerous different reasons. Those suspected of terrorism and other criminal activity can be refused entry. If Trump and others are really concerned about the types of people who gain Grenada citizenship and E2 visas then such people can be kept out under the E2 visa scheme and indeed other visa schemes such as the L1 visa, E1 visa, H1B visa, etc.
Perhaps instead of making an already difficult, expensive and bureaucratic visa system even more difficult to navigate President Donald Trump should concentrate on reforming a corrupt US political system. Corruption in US politics is not the fault of recent immigrants.
As expected, President Trump took to Twitter to condemn the terror attack before turning his attention to US immigration issues stating the following ‘chain migration’ must end now! Some people come in, and they bring their whole family with them, who can be truly evil. NOT ACCEPTABLE!’
Grenada is the only English-speaking, eastern Caribbean territory whose citizens can apply for the coveted E2 visa. Grenada has been described as a ‘backdoor’ route into the United States.
The E2 visa is issued to businesspeople, individuals with specialist knowledge or essential skills and those that work in management or supervisory level. The E2 treaty investor visa program, in many cases, makes it easier for a business person with a nationality on the E2 visa list to start a new business in the US and bring in overseas staff with the same nationality on US E2 work visas.
The E2 treaty investor visa scheme allows entry to the US with a relatively low investment requirement. There is no quota and the E2 visa can continue to be extended as long as the business continues in the US.
E2 Visa and Grenada citizenship by investment program
In August, Workpermit.com reported that citizenship applications for the island of Grenada had ‘boomed’ in the last three years, with reports that Grenada’s citizenship by investment program, introduced in 2014, was being used to fast-track US E2 visa applications.
However, in the aftermath of the New York terror attack, Grenada’s pathway to the US could come under threat should Donald Trump make further sweeping changes to US visa programs. Trump was allegedly incensed that Saipov, a national of Uzbekistan, had been in the US illegally since 2010, a fact which served to reinforce Trump’s justification for often outrageous US visa restrictions.
Meanwhile, the E2 visa scheme continues to generate increasing interest, having so far avoided Trump’s radar, which has been heavily focused on the H1B and L1 visa programs.
An anonymous source told WIC News: “There is no doubt that China and the Middle East are being looked at by the citizenship by investment industry in Grenada as ‘fertile ground’ to say look, you get access to Grenada, but more importantly a route into the United States of America.”
E2 visa scheme should be considered in many cases
The E2 visa scheme is viewed by many as a means of getting around US visa restrictions. According to WIC News, a number of online directories provide options on US visa entry.
Most of these directories state that utilizing the Grenada citizenship by investment program will reduce the wait for US entry to less than six months. The rise in Grenadian citizenship applications is partly attributed to the ever-increasing backlog of immigration applications in the US.
Citizens of China, El Salvador, Guatemala and India in particular are facing severe delays, with some facing a 10-year wait. With the possibility of having to wait 10 years and with President Trump ‘attacking’ the H1B and L1 visas, those who can afford to are opting for citizenship in Grenada followed by an application for an E2 visa.
Though the E2 visa program has not become President Trump’s major focus following the New York atrocity, he has turned his attention to the Diverse Visa Lottery, which is said to be responsible for allowing terror suspect, Saipov, into the country.
Workpermit.com can help with E1, E2, L1, H1B, B1 in lieu of H1B, B1 Business Visit Visas, E3 Visas and other types of US Visas
For more information, or to find out if you are eligible for a US work visa, contact WorkPermit.com on 0344 991 9222.
