WTF you need a visa for? Just stay in the US illegally as many aliens do and get in-state tuition too boot.
$500K investment is all it takes to buy your way here. Then you can sponsor and bring over all the employees you want and they get fast tracked to a 6 month green card process.
I think you are confused regarding different meanings of the word "trader". E-1 applies to people who facilitate international trade, i.e. import-export of goods and providing services. So, a (prop) trader of financial securities would not remotely qualify. http://www.workpermit.com/us/investor_e1_e2.htm Edit: On the other hand, if you are looking to establish a US branch of a foreign prop trading firm you may qualify if you convince the immigration authorities that prop firm is "providing services" to traders.
yea thats what i thought but then one of the places i read said the following under E-1: "Trade can be binding contracts that call for the future exchange of items."..which is the definition of futures is it not? here is the link I read that from: http://www.visaplace.com/usa-immigration/e1-trader-e2-investor-visa.php
Well, unless you have a very cunning immigration specialist representing you, the authorities would argue that you do not intend (and probably don't even have capacity in the margin account) to accept physical delivery of the commodity when you buy a future contract.