Grenada CBI E-2 Visa Access: How the US Treaty Really Works

Reviewed by Jane Katkova, Founder & Licensed CICC Consultant· Last updated: September 2026

Grenada CBI E-2 visa access is a distinctive feature of the programme: Grenada is the only Caribbean citizenship-by-investment country with a US E-2 treaty. It is also a lengthy, conditional route. You need Grenadian citizenship, genuine domicile in Grenada (commonly three years), and a substantial at-risk investment in a US business you will run. It is a non-immigrant visa. Canadian citizens already qualify under Canada's own treaty.

Grenada CBI and the E-2 visa: key facts and eligibility

• US–Grenada Treaty in Force Since 1989. the only Caribbean CBI country on the US treaty list
• E-2 Treaty Investor Visa, Non-Immigrant. renewable while the business operates; no path to a green card by itself
• Grenadian Citizenship Meets the Nationality Test. from US$235,000, 7 months average (4–9)
• Genuine Residence in Grenada Required. commonly described as three years' continuous residence; expected by Grenada and US consular practice
• Substantial, At-Risk Investment. no fixed minimum; a real, operating US business you direct
• Spouse and Children Under 21 Included. spouse can work; children can study
• Not Relevant for US and Canadian Citizens. Canada has its own E-2 treaty
• Valuable for Non-Treaty Nationals. India, China, Nigeria, Vietnam, Russia and others

How the Grenada–US E-2 treaty works and who is eligible

The E-2 is a US visa for nationals of countries that hold a commerce and navigation treaty with the United States. The applicant must be a national of the treaty country, must have invested or be actively investing a substantial sum, at risk, in a bona fide US enterprise that is more than marginal, and must be entering to develop and direct it. It is granted for up to five years at a time, renewed while the business operates, and never becomes permanent residence on its own.

Where Grenada comes in. Grenada has held an E-2 treaty since 1989. Nationals of India, China, Nigeria, Vietnam, Russia, Brazil and many other countries have no treaty, so a founder from Lagos or Hyderabad cannot file an E-2 on their own passport. As a Grenadian citizen they can. That is the Grenada CBI E-2 visa eligibility our clients are asking about, and it accounts for Grenada's higher minimum investment compared with Dominica.

The domicile condition. The treaty requires nationality, and US consular officers scrutinise nationality obtained by investment. Grenada's own rule and consular practice expect the applicant to have a genuine domicile in Grenada before relying on the treaty, commonly described as three years' continuous residence. A plan to obtain the passport in seven months and file an E-2 in month eight is likely to end in refusal. Plan for citizenship, then a real period living in Grenada, then the petition.

Who it is not for. A US citizen has no use for it. A Canadian citizen has no use for it either, because Canada has its own E-2 treaty; a Canadian founder can file today on a Canadian passport. Canadian permanent residents and work-permit holders from non-treaty countries are a different matter: they are exactly who this route serves.

Figures verified 27 September 2026. E-2 adjudication is a matter of US immigration law and consular discretion; we work with US-licensed immigration counsel on the petition itself.

Grenada citizenship to E-2 visa: application stages and timeline

Three stages, in order. We manage the first end to end; the second requires your own residence in Grenada; the third is filed by US counsel with our coordination.

1. Grenadian citizenship by investment (About 7 months)

US$235,000 to the National Transformation Fund or approved real estate from US$270,000 plus US$50,000, government fees, due diligence and a video interview. Seven months on average (range 4–9). Details on the process page.

2. Genuine domicile in Grenada (Commonly 3 years)

Establish a real residence: a home, a local address, banking, time physically spent on the island, tax residence if you stay 183+ days. Grenada's proposed genuine-link legislation and the 30-day presence rule point the same way. Commonly three years' continuous residence is expected before an E-2 filing is credible. This period can be used to plan and capitalise the US business.

3. Structure and fund the US business (3–6 months, overlapping stage 2)

Incorporate the US entity, open its accounts, commit the investment irrevocably (lease, equipment, inventory, staff, purchase of an existing business), and document that the funds are yours, lawfully obtained and at risk. Marginal enterprises that only support you and your family are refused.

4. E-2 petition at a US consulate (2–6 months)

Form DS-160, DS-156E, the business plan, evidence of investment and source of funds, evidence of Grenadian nationality and domicile, and an interview. US immigration counsel prepares and files; we provide the citizenship and domicile file. If approved, the visa is issued for up to five years and renewable.

E-2 Treaty Investor visa requirements for the US business

These are US requirements, applied by the consulate, and they are the same whether your treaty passport is Grenadian, Canadian or Japanese.

The investment

• Substantial relative to the total cost of the business; no statutory minimum, and smaller businesses need a higher proportion invested
• Irrevocably committed and at risk of loss; funds sitting in an account do not count
• From a lawful source, documented back to origin, the same standard as the Grenada file

The business

• A real, operating commercial enterprise producing goods or services
• More than marginal: able to generate more than a minimal living for your family, or to create US jobs within five years
• At least 50% owned or controlled by treaty nationals
• A business plan with five-year projections that a consular officer will read critically

You

• Grenadian citizenship, with genuine domicile in Grenada, commonly three years
• Entering to develop and direct the enterprise, in an executive, supervisory or essential-skills role
• Intent to leave the US when E-2 status ends, since the visa is non-immigrant
• Spouse and unmarried children under 21 may accompany you; they need not be Grenadian

Grenada CBI E-2 visa access: benefits and risks

Advantages

• The only Caribbean CBI treaty. St Kitts, Dominica, Antigua and St Lucia have no E-2 treaty. If the US is in your plans and your nationality has no treaty, Grenada is the only Caribbean CBI programme that provides a route.
• Live and work in the US on your own business. Renewable in five-year grants for as long as the enterprise runs; your spouse can work for any employer; children can attend school.
• No fixed investment floor. Unlike EB-5's US$800,000 minimum, the E-2 asks for a substantial sum relative to the business. A US$150,000 to US$300,000 business can qualify if it is real and more than marginal.
• Grenada is not in Proclamation 10998. Antigua and Dominica nationals are restricted from several US visa categories since January 2026. Grenadian nationals are not, and E-2 is a non-immigrant category in any case.

Limitations and risks

• A multi-year timeline. Seven months for citizenship, then commonly three years of genuine domicile in Grenada, then a petition that a consular officer scrutinises closely because the nationality was acquired by investment. Applicants who need a faster timeline should consider other US routes.
• Genuine residence in Grenada is required. A mailbox address is not domicile. Consular officers ask where you have lived, and a Toronto address for the last three years will undermine the petition.
• No green card. E-2 is non-immigrant. When the business closes, the status ends. Permanent residence needs a separate route.
• Two separate sums at risk. The US$235,000 contribution is non-refundable, and the US business investment must be at risk of loss. Neither is a secured deposit.
• No benefit for Canadian or US citizens. If you hold either passport you already have E-2 access or do not need it. The treaty should not be a reason for you to choose Grenada.

The Grenada E-2 route for US and Canadian applicants

For US and Canadian citizens

The E-2 treaty adds nothing for you. A US citizen needs no visa, and a Canadian citizen already has E-2 access under Canada's own treaty and can file today on a Canadian passport. If you are considering Grenada, do it for the second passport, China access and family planning, and give the E-2 argument no weight. Be cautious of any adviser who presents the E-2 as a benefit to a Canadian citizen.

For US and Canada residents on another passport

This is who the treaty serves. If you are Indian, Chinese, Nigerian, Vietnamese, Russian or from any other non-treaty country and you want to build a business in the United States, Grenadian citizenship plus genuine domicile in Grenada gives you an E-2 route your own passport cannot. It suits a founder who can spend three years partly based in Grenada while preparing the US venture. It does not suit an H-1B holder hoping for a quick alternative to the lottery; the timeline is too long and the visa is not a green card. Indian nationals also lose Indian citizenship on taking Grenada's.

Request an assessment of your Grenada E-2 eligibility

Tell us your nationality, your status in the US or Canada and the business you have in mind. We will tell you whether Grenada citizenship followed by an E-2 application is a viable plan for you, and bring in US counsel only if it is the former. Book a consultation.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a US E-2 visa immediately after Grenada citizenship by investment?

No. The treaty requires you to be a Grenadian national, and Grenada's rule and US consular practice expect genuine domicile in Grenada, commonly three years' continuous residence, before you rely on that nationality for an E-2. You also need a substantial, at-risk investment in a real US business you will direct. Plan for four years from first payment to visa, not seven months.

Does Grenada's E-2 treaty help a Canadian citizen?

No. Canada has its own E-2 treaty with the United States, so a Canadian citizen can already apply for an E-2 on a Canadian passport with no Grenadian step. The treaty is only useful to nationals of countries without one: India, China, Nigeria, Vietnam, Russia and many others, including people currently living in Canada as permanent residents or on work permits.

How much must I invest in a US business for an E-2 visa?

There is no fixed minimum. The investment must be substantial relative to the cost of establishing the business, irrevocably committed, at risk, and enough to make the enterprise more than marginal. In practice, well-documented businesses in the US$150,000 to US$300,000 range are commonly approved, while smaller ones need a higher proportion invested. This is separate from the US$235,000 Grenada contribution.

Does an E-2 visa lead to a US green card?

Not by itself. The E-2 is a non-immigrant visa, renewable in grants of up to five years for as long as the business operates, and it requires intent to leave when it ends. Permanent residence needs a separate route, such as EB-5, an employer-sponsored petition or family sponsorship. Some E-2 holders later transition, but the visa carries no such promise.

Is Grenada affected by US Proclamation 10998 or the 2026 immigrant-visa freeze?

Grenada was not named in Proclamation 10998, which restricted Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica nationals from US immigrant, B-1/B-2, F, M and J visas from 1 January 2026. The 21 January 2026 freeze on immigrant-visa processing for 75 countries does include Grenada, but the E-2 is a non-immigrant visa and is unaffected. B-1/B-2 visitor visas are also unaffected.

This guide is part of our Grenada citizenship by investment overview.

Official sources and references

1. US Department of State: E-2 treaty investor visa
2. US Department of State: treaty countries for E visas
3. Investment Migration Agency Grenada
4. The White House: presidential actions (Proclamation 10998)