President Barack Obama signed legislation this week that would add Israel to the list of countries eligible for nonimmigrant investor visas in the United States.
The legislation, which was spearheaded by Rep. Howard Berman (D-Van Nuys), would grant Israelis E-2 investor visas, allowing them to live and work in the United States in order to be closer to their investments.
The legislation passed the House and the Senate in recent months by wide bipartisan margins. Seventy-nine countries are party to longstanding treaties with the U.S. that allow their citizens to apply for E-2 status. — jta