E-2 Case Study: UK Investor Purchases a Florida Property Management Business Using an E-2 Escrow Closing

A UK citizen wanted to move to the United States through the E-2 route by purchasing an existing operating business. He identified a property management company in Florida. Importantly, the client did not have prior property management experience—and this fact did not prevent him from pursuing an E-2 strategy tied to a real business purchase.

Client Profile

A UK citizen wanted to move to the United States through the E-2 route by purchasing an existing operating business. He identified a property management company in Florida.

Importantly, the client did not have prior property management experience—and this fact did not prevent him from pursuing an E-2 strategy tied to a real business purchase.

The Business

The acquisition was structured as an asset purchase for approximately $150,000. Rather than buying shares, the client purchased the core assets of the business—primarily existing contracts, client lists, and goodwill—to reduce the risk of inheriting unknown liabilities that can come with a stock purchase.

Financially, the business was described as producing net income in the $50,000–$55,000/year range, which is a common multiple for small service businesses in E-2 scenarios (roughly a 1:3 ratio between earnings and purchase price).

The Challenge

One of the biggest real-world risks in an E-2 business purchase is the “worst case” scenario: the investor buys the business but then cannot obtain the visa and is left owning a U.S. operation they can’t personally run.

In many deals, investors carry that risk alone because sellers usually want to close and get paid regardless of the visa outcome.

The Strategy

What made this case stand out is that the seller agreed to a visa-contingent closing—meaning the sale was structured so the buyer’s funds would not be released to the seller unless the E-2 visa was approved.

To make that work, the parties used an escrow agreement tied to the E-2 filing and interview timeline:

• Before filing / interviewing: the buyer deposited the full purchase amount (~$150,000) into escrow.
• If the visa was issued: the escrow released the funds to the seller and the transaction closed.
• If the visa was refused: the buyer received the funds back (less limited transaction/legal fees).

In this structure, the escrow holder was the closing attorney handling the asset sale, which simplified coordination between the business transaction and the visa process.

The Result

This approach substantially reduced the client’s downside: he could move forward with a real business purchase while remaining protected if the E-2 decision did not go his way.

The escrow arrangement may delay final closing by about 2–3 months, but in the right market—and with a motivated seller—it can be an achievable term to negotiate.

Why This Case Matters

This case shows two things that many UK investors don’t realize at the start:

1. You do not need prior experience in the exact industry to pursue an E-2 plan tied to a legitimate acquisition.
2. With the right seller and a clean contract, you may be able to build in meaningful protection through an escrow structure that links payment to visa issuance. And protects you in the unlikely event of a denial.

Looking Forward

After an E-2 is issued and the business is transferred, the focus shifts from the transaction to operations: maintaining the client relationships, honoring service obligations, and documenting active management—so the business remains stable for future visa renewals.