Treaty Trader (E-1) and Treaty Investor (E-2) visas are for citizens of countries with which the United States maintains treaties of commerce and navigation.  The applicant must be coming to the United States to engage in substantial trade, including trade in services or technology, in qualifying activities, principally between the United States and the treaty country (E-1), or to develop and direct the operations of an enterprise in which the applicant has invested a substantial amount of capital (E-2).

How to apply for an E-visa in Canada?

There are several steps to apply for a visa.

1. Gather all documentation pertaining to your E-visa application. Please carefully review the relevant tabs on the Related Treaty Trader Pages for a detailed listing of the required documents to send to evisacanada@state.gov.
2. Complete and submit the Online Visa Application (DS-160) along with your uploaded photo.
3. Print the bar-coded DS-160 confirmation page which must be submitted with your application.
4. Complete and submit Form DS-156E (not required for dependent family members).
5. Create a user profile; pay the visa application fee for yourself and any accompanying family members; and follow the step-by-step instructions provided at our information and appointment service provider’s website. We cannot accept your application until payment is verified.
6. Appear for your interview at the U.S. Consulate.  See list of prohibited items.
7. If issued, your passport, visa, and documents will be returned to you via Canada Post Courier service. There may be an additional visa issuance reciprocity fee, depending on your nationality. Processing time is normally 7-10 business days after the interview. However, processing time may vary and there is no guarantee that your visa will be ready within this time frame. We urge travelers to apply as early as possible and to not make firm travel plans before the passport with visa has been received.

How are E-visas processed in Canada?

E-visa applicants are responsible for ensuring that they apply under the appropriate visa classification and submit the required documentation that pertains to their applications. In Mission Canada, E-visa applications are sorted into two processing streams based on the time needed to review the required documentation.  For a comprehensive list of supporting documentation by application type, please consult the appropriate tab on the right.

• New Cases and Renewals – First-time applicants and those wishing to renew the registration status of their E-visa company must apply in Toronto and  electronically submit their application and supporting documents to the U.S. Consulate in Toronto via evisacanada@state.gov. See side bar for list of supporting documentation for new cases and renewals. Do not schedule an appointment at this point. The Consulate will inform the E-visa applicant or the company representative when the review is complete and will be provided with further instructions on how to schedule an appointment. Only applications in the queue for “New Cases and Renewals” will be considered for company registration or re-registration.
• Employees of Registered Companies and Dependents of Valid E-Visa Holders – Employees of currently registered E-visa companies and qualifying family members of current E-visa holders may schedule the next available appointment in Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver or Toronto. For employees renewing their visa with the same registered company, please reference the page on supporting documentation for employees of registered companies for information on potential interview waiver self-identification.  Company registration is valid for five years. If the company registration is expiring before the applicant’s interview date, they must follow the instructions for “New Cases and Renewals” above.

For more information about E-visas, please review our Frequently Asked Questions.