There are thousands of profitable business opportunities in the United States.  If you are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, you may start with item #5, below.

Move to USA/Move within USA: Select a commercial lease/rental location.

1) Visit http://maps.google.com/, enter an address, then select streetview.  For example, the address of the building where my office is 9116 Center Street, Manassas, Virginia.  Streetview allows you to read banners and signs advertising commercial spaces.  There are at least five buildings with signs advertising commercial rental/leases on Center Street alone.  You can then use google local to see business competition in the area you are researching.

Move to USA/Move within USA: Choose your business industry.

2)  Choose an industry that matches your personality, and that you can picture yourself working in 20 years from now.

Move to USA/Move within USA: Choose your business niche.

3) Consider the industry that interests you before deciding whether to open a new business, francise an existing business.  There are also options for buying an existing business.

Move to USA/Move within USA: Do not commit to anything.

4) The U.S. Small Business Administration provides that if you select to open a franchise: ”Do not sign any contract or make any payment until you have the opportunity to investigate the franchiser’s offering thoroughly…the FTC’s Franchise Rule requires the franchiser to provide you with a disclosure document containing important information about the franchise system. Study the disclosure document. Take time to speak with current and former franchisees about their experiences. As investing in a franchise can entail a significant commitment, you should have an attorney review the disclosure document and franchise contract and have an accountant review the company’s financial disclosures.”

Move to USA/Move within USA: Choose your business/immigration attorney before you make important commitments.

5) If you are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, you should see the list below to see if you may qualify to live and work in the U.S. based on a business investment.  Even if your country is not listed in the chart below, to qualify as an Immigrant Investor, a foreign citizen mayinvest between U.S. $500,000 and $1,000,000, depending on the unemployment rate in the geographical area, in a commercial enterprise in the United States which creates at least 10 new full-time jobs for U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or other lawful immigrants, not including the investor and his or her family.

Depending on what country you are from, there might not be a set minimum dollar figure for the investment, but there are often informal amounts, which you should discuss with an immigration attorney.  I provide free consultations through my website at www.usavisastrategy.com.  It is also to consider whether you have any U.S. citizen relatives that may qualify you to live/work in the United States.

Footnotes can be accessed through U.S. State Department website at http://travel.state.gov/visa/fees/fees_3726.html

Report This Post