A treaty investor agreement (E2 Visa) has been signed  between the United States and Israel and became effective as of May 1, 2019.  Pursuant to the treaty, Israeli citizens will be able to apply for an E2 visa at the U.S. Embassy Branch Office Tel Aviv.

Israeli citizens may now, with a personal investment of as little as $80,000 USD (depending on the nature of the business), live and work with their family in the United States as non-immigrants and be a part of the American Dream.

Here is how it can work:

1. Create a new business (start up) or invest in an existing business using your personal funds of around $80,000 USD or more. The actual size of the investment may vary depending on the nature of your business and generally reflects the Real Market Value of a business that will provide for more than your own personal income, i.e. will employ additional US workers or subcontractors.
    
2. Personal funds can come from any legal source, such as savings, gifts or loans from friends and family, or any other legal source that is not secured against the business. 
    
3. Apply for Change of Status to E-2 or apply for an E-2 visa in your home country. Processing times are about eight (8) to ten (10) weeks. Premium Processing is available from USCIS for Change of Status at an additional cost, which will lead to an approval in as little as 15 days.
    
4. E-2 status will last for up to two (2) years - and may be renewed for as along as you develop, control, and grow your business at the discretion of US immigration. ​

"Immigration Law is a mystery and a master of obfuscation, and the lawyers who can figure it out are worth their weight in gold."  - Karen Kraushaar, INS Spokesperson, Washington Post, April 2001

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify that violation of federal controlled substance law, including for marijuana, remains a conditional bar to establishing good moral character (GMC) for naturalization even where that conduct would not be an offense under state law.

Since 1996, a number of states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws to decriminalize the cultivation, possession, distribution, and use of both medical and non-medical (recreational) marijuana in their respective jurisdictions. However, federal law classifies marijuana as a “Schedule I” controlled substance whose manufacture, cultivation, possession, or distribution may lead to criminal1 and immigration consequences. This guidance, contained in Volume 12 of the Policy Manual, is controlling and supersedes any prior guidance on the topic.

Policy Highlights

 Clarifies that violation of federal controlled substance law, including for marijuana, established by a conviction or admission, is generally a bar to establishing GMC for naturalization even where the conduct would not be a violation of state law.

 An applicant who is involved in certain marijuana related activities may lack GMC if found to have violated federal law, even if such activity is not unlawful under applicable state or foreign laws.

Citation Volume 12: Citizenship and Naturalization, Part F, Good Moral Character, Chapter 5, Conditional Bars for Acts in Statutory Period [12 USCIS-PM F.5]