United States

Three ways to build a career or business in the United States.

They solve different problems. One is a green card for professionals whose work has national importance, one moves you within your own company, and one is for treaty nationals investing in a business they will run. The right one depends on your passport, your company and your record, not on which sounds best.

Downtown Chicago’s business district seen from the river
US routes

The routes we coordinate.

Three routes, each for a different kind of applicant. Each page sets out the legal tests, evidence, process, family rules and limits, with official sources.

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EB-2 National Interest Waiver

How the EB-2 national interest waiver works: the two tests, the three Dhanasar prongs, self-petitioning, the I-140, priority dates and what UAE-based applicants need.

Explore EB-2 NIW
A senior executive leading a meeting with colleagues in an office

L-1A Intracompany Transfer

The L-1A for executives and managers moving to a related US company: qualifying relationships, the one-year rule, new-office petitions, family, and how it differs from EB-1C.

Explore L-1A
A small business owner standing at the entrance of her café holding an open sign

E-2 Treaty Investor

The E-2 investor visa explained for Gulf residents: treaty nationality (Pakistan qualifies, UAE does not), substantial investment, at-risk funds, non-marginality and family.

Explore E-2 Investor

How to tell which route fits

Start with what you are bringing. If it is your professional record — research, expertise, work others rely on — and you want permanent residence without an employer, the EB-2 national interest waiver is the route to examine. If it is a company you already run, and you want to lead a US arm of it, the L-1A is usually the most direct. If it is capital, and you want to run your own US business, E-2 may fit — but only if your nationality is on the treaty list.

Nationality decides more than people expect. E-2 is closed to Emirati, Saudi, Qatari, Kuwaiti and Indian nationals, because their countries have no E-2 treaty with the US; it is open to Pakistani, Bahraini, Omani, Jordanian and Egyptian nationals among others. EB-2 waiting times depend on your country of birth. The L-1A has no nationality test, although nationality can still affect visa issuance and how long the visa is valid.

Visiting the US for meetings, conferences or tourism is a different thing again. That is the B-1/B-2 visitor visa, which does not allow you to work in the US or run a business there. It sits with our visit visa services.

Side by side

The three routes compared.

What it is

EB-2 NIW
Immigrant petition (green card)
L-1A
Temporary work visa
E-2
Temporary investor visa

Who files

EB-2 NIW
You (self-petition)
L-1A
Your US company
E-2
You — at a US consulate, or with USCIS if already in the US

Needs a US employer

EB-2 NIW
No
L-1A
Yes — a company related to your employer abroad
E-2
No — your own business

Nationality limit

EB-2 NIW
No nationality test (wait depends on country of birth; issuance restrictions can apply)
L-1A
No nationality test (issuance restrictions can apply)
E-2
Treaty nationals only

Investment

EB-2 NIW
Not required
L-1A
No fixed amount; must support the US role
E-2
Substantial and at risk; no fixed minimum

Spouse can work

EB-2 NIW
Yes, once a green card is granted
L-1A
Yes (L-2)
E-2
Yes (E-2 spouse)

Path to a green card

EB-2 NIW
It is one
L-1A
Not automatic; EB-1C is a separate petition
E-2
Not by itself

Summary only. Each route has detailed requirements, set out on its own page with official sources.

Where UAE residents apply

The US State Department asks nonimmigrant visa applicants to book interviews in their country of nationality or residence, and schedules immigrant visa interviews in the country of residence. For a UAE resident, that would ordinarily mean Abu Dhabi or Dubai.

When we last checked (16 October 2026), the US Mission to the UAE’s own pages disagreed: its main visa page says routine visa processing is not available in the UAE, while a notice dated 8 August 2026 says limited visa processing is available. Nonimmigrant applicants are told to book in their country of nationality or residence; immigrant visa (green card) interviews follow the State Department’s separate rules. This changes at short notice, so confirm on the Mission’s visa page before anything is planned around a UAE interview.

Coordination, not legal representation

Vizabolt is not a US law firm and does not give US legal advice or represent anyone before USCIS or the State Department. These are argued legal cases, and we recommend a US-licensed immigration attorney for the legal work.

Our part is everything around it: an honest first read of whether a route fits, evidence planning, document collection from the UAE side, and keeping the case moving with your attorney. Scope and fee are agreed in writing before work begins.

Read next

USA B-1/B-2 visitor visa

Short business trips and tourism — not work, not immigration.

Residency options

Portugal, Spain, Germany, Malta and Brazil.

How Vizabolt works

What happens from first enquiry to an active case.

Not sure which route fits?

Tell us about your passport, your work and your plans. We will tell you which route is worth exploring, and which is not.

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