Manila filing guide
Applying for an E-2 visa in Manila
The submission process, document format and interview steps for applications filed through the U.S. Embassy Manila.
£99 one-time · No subscription
Your Manila E-2 visa application at a glance
- Submission
- Email Submission
- Document format
- Standard
- File limit
- None published
- Page limit
- 50 pages
- TCN policy
- Limited TCN processing
- Interview location
- U.S. Embassy Manila
Open the official application portal(opens the official site in a new tab)
Requirements reviewed September 2026 · Sources: U.S. Embassy Manila(opens the official site in a new tab) and U.S. Department of State(opens the official site in a new tab)
Process
How to apply for an E-2 visa in Manila
Read this as a sequence, not a menu. Each step depends on the one before it.
- 01
Complete the DS-160
Fill in the DS-160 nonimmigrant visa application online and keep the confirmation page. Every applicant needs their own, including dependants.
Consular Electronic Application Center(opens the official site in a new tab)
- 02
Create an account and pay the MRV fee
Set up an account on the visa appointment service and pay the machine-readable visa fee. This is where the registration is raised — you are not booking an interview yet.
Visa appointment service(opens the official site in a new tab)
- 03
Submit the supporting documents
Upload the complete evidence package electronically, following the instructions given after the fee is paid.
U.S. Embassy Manila will not open a case for review until the DS-160, the fee and the documents are all in. Nothing is scheduled before that.
- 04
Wait for the review, then the invitation
The E-Visa Unit reviews cases against 9 FAM 402.9 in the order received, and may ask for more documents. When the review is finished you are emailed an invitation to book the interview.
Current review times and instructions(opens the official site in a new tab)
- 05
Attend the interview
Book through the appointment service once invited, and present your case at U.S. Embassy Manila. Bring the printed DS-160 confirmation — its barcode must match the number on your appointment account.
Attend within 90 days of the invitation. Miss that window and the registration has to be submitted again from the beginning.
Documents
E-2 visa document requirements in Manila
Submit your application package via email to the consulate.
File requirements
- Format
- Single PDF
- Page limit
- 50 pages
- File size
- None published
Important Manila instructions
- Documents are organised into five tabs, A through E.
- The embassy may cancel the interview if the required documents are not provided two weeks before the appointment.
- Where supporting material is published online, a URL may be submitted in place of the document.
- Each applicant and each dependent needs a working email address not previously used in the appointment system.
Format
The Manila five-tab package
Manila takes the case in five tabs and reads it before it offers an interview. The page limit is a total for the whole package, which the post states explicitly because applicants read it as a per-file figure.
The 5 tabs
- Tab ABasic Documents
- Tab BNationality of the Enterprise
- Tab CTrade or Investment
- Tab DReal and Operating
- Tab EMarginality
What the format requires
- 50 pages for the entire package, not per file.
- Provide the documents two weeks before the appointment. The embassy may cancel the interview if they are late.
- Where supporting material is published online, a URL may be submitted in place of the document.
- Email the package to MNLNIVE@state.gov; scheduling instructions follow the review.
- Each applicant and each dependent needs an email address not previously used in the appointment system.
From Portunus
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Assembling to U.S. Embassy Manila's requirements is a formatting problem. Making the business case is the hard part — that is what we build.
- Business plan and five-year financials £99
- A FAM 402.9-aligned plan with projections, job-creation analysis and proportionality — the document the whole application rests on. Editable and regenerable as your plans change.
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- Everything in the plan, plus your full binder assembled to the Standard — ordered, page-numbered and ready to file.
One-time payment, no subscription. Portunus is document-preparation software, not a law firm, and nothing here is legal advice.
Third-country nationals
Applying for an E-2 visa in Manila as a third-country national
Manila processes a limited number of third-country national cases, and may ask you to justify filing here rather than in your country of citizenship or residence.
A third-country national is someone who applies at a U.S. post outside their country of citizenship — for example, a treaty-country citizen who lives and works elsewhere. Consular practice now expects applicants to file where they hold citizenship or permanent residence, so filing elsewhere is the exception rather than the norm. Compare every post by how readily it takes outside applicants.
We rate this post 1 out of 3 for third-country processing, meaning it takes a limited number, often with justification. That rating is our own reading of published guidance and applicant reports — it describes willingness to schedule an appointment, not your eligibility for approval, and it carries no official standing.
Policy at individual posts changes without much notice. Confirm the current position before you build a filing plan around it — U.S. Embassy Manila(opens the official site in a new tab).
Questions
E-2 visa in Manila: common questions
How do I submit my E-2 visa application to U.S. Embassy Manila?
U.S. Embassy Manila accepts the application package by email to MNLNIVE@state.gov. Send the complete PDF before your interview date, and keep the confirmation.
What document format does U.S. Embassy Manila require for E-2 visa applications?
U.S. Embassy Manila uses a defined structure rather than a free-form bundle: Tab A (Basic Documents), Tab B (Nationality of the Enterprise), Tab C (Trade or Investment), Tab D (Real and Operating), Tab E (Marginality). 50 pages for the entire package, not per file.
What is the page limit for E-2 visa applications at U.S. Embassy Manila?
The page limit is 50 pages. Check the requirements section on this page for the full list before you assemble.
Can third-country nationals apply for an E-2 visa at U.S. Embassy Manila?
Sometimes. U.S. Embassy Manila processes a limited number of third-country national cases, and may ask you to justify why you are filing here rather than in your country of citizenship or residence. Acceptance and appointment availability change, so confirm the current position with the post before you build a filing plan around it.
How long does an E-2 visa take at U.S. Embassy Manila?
We do not publish an estimate for U.S. Embassy Manila, because a number invented for a page like this would be worse than none. travel.state.gov publishes current visa appointment wait times by post, and that is the figure to check. Total time is appointment availability plus any administrative processing after the interview. Book flights and shipping only once the visa is in your passport.
What should I bring to my E-2 visa interview at U.S. Embassy Manila?
Bring your passport, the DS-160 confirmation page, the MRV fee receipt, your appointment confirmation, and the originals behind your evidence — financial statements, business registration, lease and purchase agreements. Bring a printed copy of the package you uploaded, so you can refer to it during the interview. Expect questions about how you found the business, where the money came from, and how you will run it.
Ready to prepare your Manila E-2 application?
Portunus builds the FAM 402.9-aligned business plan and five-year financials your case rests on, and can assemble the complete evidence binder formatted to the Standard — so what you submit matches what the post asks for.
Preparing an E-2 case for a client? See our tools for immigration attorneys. Portunus is document-preparation software, not a law firm, and provides no legal advice.