E-2 Case Study: Used Car Parts Business Owner Approved at Consular Interview

Fast facts

• Matter type: E-2
• Client profile: Business owner reselling used and salvage auto parts
• Industry: Automotive resale
• Country of birth: Portugal
• Location: Applying through consular processing from abroad
• Core obstacle: A standard used car parts resale business had to meet every E-2 requirement, including substantial investment and a non-marginal projection.
• Strategy focus: Leveraged inventory receipts, a track record running a similar business abroad, an operational U.S. partner business, clean tax records, and an internal business plan to demonstrate the investment and structure the visa requires.
• E-2 requirements satisfied:
  • Substantial investment in the U.S. enterprise
  • Qualified to run the business
  • Operational or on the brink of operations
  • Clean source of funds
  • Non-marginal business
• Lead attorney: Lahaina Araneta McBeth
• RFE: None.
• Filed date: November 13, 2025
• Approved date: April 9, 2026

Who was the client?

The client, a Portuguese national who runs a used car parts business, wanted to expand their business into the American market. Because Portugal is included on the State Department’s list of treaty countries, they could apply for an E-2 visa via consular processing.

What challenges did this E-2 case have?

• Their business sells ordinary used car parts. An E-2 doesn’t require a high-value or specialized product line. The petition simply has to show that the investment and structure still meet every E-2 requirement.
• E-2 requires a substantial investment at risk. Because the visa turns on money committed to the U.S. enterprise, the client needed documented spending that Lahaina could present to the consulate.
• E-2 requires a non-marginal business. While the client's product was modest, the petition still had to project real job creation and revenue, so Lahaina prepared a business plan to address that requirement.

Inside Lahaina Araneta McBeth’s E-2 strategy

For this case, Lahaina worked through the five E-2 requirements and matched each to the documents the client already had.

Documented a substantial investment through inventory

To fulfill this requirement, Lahaina’s client provided collected receipts for the client's car parts inventory. This represented a large, physical investment in the enterprise, because money tied up in tangible goods can be documented and presented in an E-2 petition.

Used the client's track record to show they could run the business

In addition to proof of funds, Lahaina also encouraged her client to submit evidence that they already ran a similar car parts business in Europe. By doing so, the applicant showed they were qualified to run an enterprise, and met one of USCIS’s requirements.

Leaned on an operational U.S. partner business

For this particular E-2 case, the client partnered with a U.S. business partner who already operated a used car parts business. Because USCIS requires E-2 applicants to prove their enterprise will be operational or on the brink of operations, having existing clients, website traffic, and a business license helped prove that requirement.

Documented a clean source of funds

In the E-2 petition, Lahaina and her client included tax returns from the client's existing business abroad. This supported the clean source of funds requirement, because tax records show the consulate that the money entering the enterprise was lawfully earned.

Prepared a business plan for the non-marginal requirement

The client’s E-2 application also included a business plan that focused on projected job creation and revenue. Unlike a traditional business plan, this one was tailored to present the enterprise in a form a consular officer can review quickly, and showed its operations supported more than one person.

Key evidence that supported this case

Outcome

The E-2 petition was filed on November 13, 2025, and approved on the spot at the consular interview on April 9, 2026. With no further evidence requested, this case’s timeline fell within the normal consular processing range for Portugal (other consulates do interview much sooner).

Why this result mattered

The client described U.S. expansion as a lifelong goal, and the approval opened access to a much larger market. The approval gave the client the ability to operate and expand the business in the United States. They no longer faced a capped market for auto parts in Europe.

Related FAQs

Does the type of business matter for an E-2 visa?

E-2 turns on business structure and investment, not on how impressive the industry sounds. Lahaina has handled E-2 cases across many fields, and this used car parts business qualified by meeting the same requirements as any other.

Why was inventory an advantage in this E-2 case?

A substantial investment is easier to document when money is tied up in physical goods. The client's car parts inventory gave Lahaina clear receipts to show real spending, which a consulting or food business often cannot match.

How did the attorney show the business was operational?

E-2 requires a business that is running or close to it. Lahaina relied on a U.S. partner business that was already open, with clients, website traffic, a license, insurance, and promotional activity to document.

How long did the E-2 process take, and why?

E-2 timelines depend largely on consular scheduling, which the firm cannot control. This case took about five months from filing to interview and the client was approved at the interview.

About Lahaina Araneta McBeth, Manifest immigration attorney

Lahaina Araneta McBeth is licensed in California and focuses on treaty investor and extraordinary ability cases. She came to immigration law through her own background in a family of immigrants and her interest in community work. Lahaina builds each petition to make approval as straightforward as possible for the reviewing officer.