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For many clients, Türkiye is not the final stop — it can be part of a longer international plan. This page explains the main U.S. visitor, study, work, treaty-investor, family, and permanent-residency categories our clients ask about most, with realistic timelines and clear distinctions between temporary visas and Green Card routes.
Temporary visas, permanent visas — and very different strategies.
U.S. immigration broadly separates temporary, nonimmigrant visas from immigrant categories that lead directly to permanent residence. The right route depends on whether your goal is to visit, study, work, invest, run a business, join family, or obtain a Green Card.
Two broad paths: temporary nonimmigrant visas and permanent immigrant / Green Card routes.
Türkiye’s treaty status: Turkish citizens may qualify for E-1 and E-2 categories, subject to the applicable treaty-citizenship rules.
E-2 investment: there is no fixed statutory minimum; practical applications are often structured around the real cost of the business.
Important 3-year rule: investment-acquired treaty citizenship can trigger a continuous domicile requirement before E-1/E-2 eligibility.
EB-5: the 2026 thresholds are $800,000 in a Targeted Employment Area or $1.05 million standard.
Capped categories: H-1B and the Diversity Visa program operate with annual numerical limits or randomized selection.
Family: several temporary categories allow spouses and dependent children to accompany the principal applicant.
Not every path is investment-based: O-1, EB-1A, NIW, H-1B, and L-1 depend on professional, employer, business, or evidentiary qualifications.
Turkish citizenship by investment does not create instant E-2 eligibility.
Under a U.S. law change effective in December 2022, a person who acquires treaty-country citizenship through financial investment — including Türkiye’s Citizenship by Investment route — must generally have been continuously domiciled in that treaty country for at least three years before applying for E-1 or E-2 on that nationality.
Complete Turkish citizenship through the qualifying investment route.
Turkish citizenship itself is estimated at roughly 6–8 months.
Maintain the required continuous domicile in Türkiye for at least 3 years before E-1/E-2 eligibility on that investment-acquired citizenship.
Then structure and file the E-1 or E-2 strategy if the other eligibility requirements are satisfied.
B-1/B-2 Visitor Visas
B-1 is generally used for qualifying short business visits such as meetings, conferences, or negotiations. B-2 is for tourism, visiting family, and similar temporary purposes. Many applicants receive a combined B-1/B-2 visa.
These visas do not authorize employment or full-time study in the United States, and that admission length is determined at the border, commonly up to six months per visit.
Turkish passport holders generally need a visa for this purpose because Türkiye does not participate in the current U.S. Visa Waiver Program.
F-1 and J-1: study and exchange routes.
Academic Study
For full-time study at qualifying U.S. colleges, universities, and language programs, with school acceptance and sufficient financial evidence.
OPT After Graduation
Optional Practical Training can provide up to 12 months in the graduate’s field, with longer total eligibility for qualifying STEM graduates.
Research, Internships & Exchange
J-1 covers a wider range of approved exchange programs, including research, internships, traineeships, university programs, and au pair categories.
H-1B, L-1, O-1, P and TN.
These categories depend on very different profiles — employer sponsorship, multinational business structure, extraordinary ability, a specific performance or athletic role, or nationality under a special agreement.
Specialty Occupation
For qualifying professional roles that normally require a specific degree. Employer sponsorship is required and the category is subject to an annual cap and lottery.
Intracompany Transfer
For qualifying employees, managers, executives, or specialized-knowledge staff moving within an international company group to a U.S. entity.
Extraordinary Ability
For applicants with sustained national or international acclaim in fields such as business, science, education, arts, or athletics, supported by substantial evidence.
Athletes & Entertainers
For internationally recognized athletes, entertainers, and members of performing groups coming to the U.S. for qualifying events or performances.
USMCA Professionals
TN is limited to eligible Canadian and Mexican professionals and is not relevant to most Sara Saltanat clients.
No Single “Best” Work Visa
Employer, profession, evidence, nationality, company structure, and long-term goals determine which work route is realistic.
E-1 and E-2 — where Turkish citizenship can become strategically important.
These categories are based on treaty nationality. Türkiye is an eligible treaty country, while also emphasizing the separate 3-year domicile rule for treaty citizenship obtained through financial investment.
Invest in and direct a real U.S. business.
E-2 is a temporary, renewable category for nationals of qualifying treaty countries who make a substantial investment in a real operating U.S. business and actively direct it.
It states there is no fixed statutory minimum investment, while noting that many practical cases involve investments around $100,000 to $300,000 or more depending on the business.
E-2 can be renewed as long as the qualifying business remains active, but it does not itself directly create a Green Card.
Built around substantial treaty-country trade.
E-1 is described as a close relative of E-2, but focused on substantial trade — such as goods, services, or technology — between the United States and the treaty country.
More than half of the qualifying trade should be between the two treaty countries, making this category particularly relevant to certain import/export and cross-border business models.
For entrepreneurs already running an international trading business, E-1 can be more natural than creating a new standalone U.S. operating company.
K visas and family immigration categories.
Fiancé(e) Visa
For the foreign fiancé(e) of a U.S. citizen, with the intention to marry in the United States within the required period after entry.
Spouse Visa
A nonimmigrant spouse category that is less commonly used today because immigrant visa processing has improved.
Immediate Relatives
Spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents of U.S. citizens are described as immediate relatives without an annual numerical cap.
EB-1 through EB-5: direct permanent-residency categories.
Priority Workers
Includes extraordinary ability, outstanding professors or researchers, and certain multinational executives and managers.
Advanced Degree / Exceptional Ability
Normally employer-sponsored, with National Interest Waiver as an important self-petition exception for qualifying applicants.
Skilled & Professional Workers
For qualifying skilled workers, professionals, and certain other workers, generally requiring employer sponsorship and labor certification.
Special Immigrants
A narrower group of special statutory classifications, including certain religious workers and other specifically defined categories.
Immigrant Investor
A direct investment route to permanent residence, with substantial capital and job-creation requirements.
A direct investment route to a Green Card.
EB-5 requires an “at risk” investment that is genuinely exposed to business risk and must create at least 10 full-time U.S. jobs.
Unlike E-2, EB-5 is not limited to treaty-country nationals and is a direct permanent-residency route.
DV: the annual Green Card lottery.
The Diversity Visa program is an annual random-selection immigrant visa program for nationals of countries with historically lower U.S. immigration rates.
It also stresses that official registration itself is free and warns applicants to be cautious of third parties charging simply to “register” a DV entry.
U.S. visa categories at a glance.
| Category | Type | Leads Directly to Green Card? | Employer / Sponsor Needed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| B-1 / B-2 | Temporary — visit | No | No |
| F-1 / J-1 | Temporary — study / exchange | No, directly | School / program |
| H-1B | Temporary — work | Can later transition through another category | Yes, employer |
| L-1 | Temporary — work | Can transition via EB-1C in qualifying cases | Yes, qualifying company relationship |
| O-1 | Temporary — work | Can later transition through another category | Employer or agent |
| E-1 / E-2 | Temporary — treaty trader / investor | No, directly | No traditional employer sponsor; business/trade structure required |
| EB-1 / EB-2 / EB-3 | Permanent — Green Card | Yes | Usually yes, with important self-petition exceptions |
| EB-5 | Permanent — Green Card | Yes | No traditional employer sponsor |
| DV Lottery | Permanent — Green Card | Yes, if selected and eligible | No |
| K / Family | Varies by category | Can lead to permanent residence | Family petitioner |
Why Türkiye can still be the right first step — with a realistic timeline.
Categories such as H-1B, O-1, EB-1A and NIW depend on the applicant’s existing employer relationships, qualifications, achievements, or professional profile. Investment alone does not create eligibility.
E-1 and E-2 are different because treaty nationality itself matters. But where Turkish citizenship was acquired through financial investment, the three-year domicile rule prevents a fast “buy passport, immediately apply E-2” strategy.
For clients who genuinely want a multi-year chapter in Türkiye anyway, this can be a potentially useful sequence: Turkish citizenship first, a real period of life and domicile in Türkiye, and then an E-1/E-2 strategy if all requirements are met.
Sara’s role is described as helping clients understand and structure the overall strategy, while a U.S. immigration law firm handles the formal U.S. legal filing and USCIS / consular process.
U.S. visa categories: common questions.
What is the fastest way for a Turkish citizen to move to the U.S.?
It depends on the person’s profile. Applicants who already hold treaty-country nationality or qualify for direct professional routes differ from investment-based Turkish citizens who must first satisfy the three-year domicile rule before using that nationality for E-1/E-2.
Do I need to already be a Turkish citizen to apply for E-2 as a Turkish national?
Yes. E-1/E-2 treaty eligibility is based on nationality at the time of application, so Turkish citizenship must be completed first before applying on that nationality.
What is the difference between E-2 and EB-5?
E-2 is a temporary treaty-investor category with no fixed statutory minimum and no direct Green Card outcome. EB-5 is a permanent-residency investment category with the larger statutory thresholds and job-creation requirements described above.
Can E-2 eventually lead to a Green Card?
Not directly. E-2 has no built-in path to permanent residence, although an E-2 holder may later qualify independently through another immigrant category.
What is a National Interest Waiver?
NIW is an EB-2 exception that can allow qualifying applicants to self-petition without a specific employer or labor certification by showing that their proposed work has substantial U.S. national-interest value.
How competitive is H-1B?
H-1B is highly competitive because it is subject to an annual numerical cap and randomized selection, so a qualified applicant with a willing employer is not guaranteed selection.
I already run a business outside the U.S. Which visa may fit?
E-1, E-2, and L-1 may be relevant depending on nationality, trade patterns, ownership, company structure, and the nature of the planned U.S. operation.
What happens to my spouse and children on these visas?
Several major categories allow spouses and unmarried dependent children to accompany the principal applicant, subject to the rules of the specific visa classification.
Is the Diversity Visa Lottery a realistic strategy?
It can be worth considering where eligible, but not as a predictable primary strategy because selection is random and the global applicant pool is large.
Who handles the formal U.S. legal filing?
Sara provides overall strategic guidance and coordination, while a partner U.S. immigration law firm handles the formal immigration filing and legal representation.
Do I need a lawyer for an E-2 application?
Legal representation is not always formally mandatory, but E-2 cases involve detailed business planning, source-of-funds documentation, and evidentiary requirements, so experienced guidance is commonly used.
What is the realistic timeline from Turkish citizenship by investment to E-2 eligibility?
Turkish citizenship itself is estimated at roughly 6–8 months, followed by at least three years of continuous domicile in Türkiye before E-1/E-2 eligibility where treaty citizenship was acquired through financial investment and the rule applies.
Let’s map your path from Türkiye to the United States.
Whether your goal is a Turkish passport, a future E-1 or E-2 strategy, a U.S. business, a work visa, or ultimately permanent residence, start with a clear understanding of which route fits your profile and what the realistic timeline actually looks like.
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