{3:48 minutes to read} In the wake of of the War of 1812, the United Kingdom and the United States signed 2 treaties, in 1815:
— Treaty Investor Treaty
— Treaty Trader Treaty
Essentially, what that did was give individuals with U.K. citizenship the opportunity to procure visas under the categories of E-1, which is a treaty trader, or E-2, which is a treaty investor. What does this mean?
— U.K. nationals can get 5 years to run a business in the U.S. with unlimited renewals based on trade or investment, as long as the business is active and jobs are created and/or maintained.
These were the first investment and trade treaties signed by the U.S. with any country, and so SMA decided to celebrate the bicentennial by presenting in London on these visas, in conjunction with U.K. Immigration firm Nabas International Lawyers, on October 26.
Our job at SMA is to assist U.K. nationals and U.K. companies interested in procuring these visas, as well as any others they might need. We work with the London office of Nabas International Lawyers, which assists clients locally in gathering documents and submitting the petitions directly at the U.S. embassy in London. The process is very quick and can be adjudicated within a month. We can consult and supervise cases for our U.K. clients from the U.S., gather documents, sign documents, and physically submit petitions through the London office. As a perfect complement to what SMA does, Nabas handles all U.K. immigration needs of our U.S. clients who want to get visas to do the same in the U.K.
Steve Maggi presenting at Nabas International Lawyers event in London, October 2015.American Businesses Setting Up in Great Britain
On the “other side of the pond,” my colleagues, Nabas International Lawyers, help Americans as well as nationals from around the world procure visas to set up and run businesses in the U.K. By reviewing an American’s present situation and ancestry along with the longer term goals of the business, they can determine an appropriate course of action.
For a U.S. business, setting up in the U.K. may appear daunting. With a single tax scheme for most businesses at approximately 20%, a single regulatory level of government, and access to the rest of the European Union, the attraction can grow interest. The U.K. is also one of the easiest places in the world to set up and manage a business; in many cases, incorporation can take place in less than 24 hours.
Nabas International can assist in managing director/partner agreements, employee contracts, client/supplier agreements, commercial conveyance (real estate), trademark registration, and legal opinions.
Happy Bicentennial to the U.S./U.K. on their treaties and the incredible amount of business and trade that has flowed since the ink on the treaties dried 200 years ago! May the success of these treaties for both American and British business people continue for another 200 years.
If you have any questions about U.S. immigration, please contact Steve Maggi at smaggi@smalawyers.com. If you have any U.K. immigration questions, please contact Herman Santiago at hsantiago@nabaslegal.com.