US Visa for Chilean Citizens 2026: H-1B1, E-2 Investor & ESTA Guide

··Alejandro Daniel Jose·Tourist Visa·5 min read
US Visa for Chilean Citizens 2026: H-1B1, E-2 Investor & ESTA Guide

Chilean citizens have one of the most favorable U.S. immigration profiles in Latin America. Chile is one of the few Latin American countries whose nationals have access to the E-1 Treaty Trader and E-2 Treaty Investor visas, and Chilean professionals have access to a specific work visa — the H-1B1 — which functions like a simplified H-1B without the lottery. Chile is not in the Visa Waiver Program, so Chileans still need a visa for most purposes, but the combination of treaty benefits makes Chile one of the best-positioned Latin American nationalities for U.S. immigration.

H-1B1: Chile’s Exclusive Professional Work Visa

The H-1B1 visa is a specialty work visa available exclusively to citizens of Chile and Singapore under their respective Free Trade Agreements with the United States. The H-1B1 functions similarly to the H-1B but with critical advantages

: no annual lottery, no cap registration required, and applications can be filed directly at a U.S. consulate without going through USCIS in many cases. The annual cap is 1,400 visas for Chileans and 5,400 for Singaporeans — and this cap is almost never exhausted, meaning Chilean professionals can obtain work visas year-round with high reliability.

H-1B1 requirements mirror the H-1B: the applicant must work in a specialty occupation (requiring at least a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a specific field), have a U.S. employer sponsor, and receive a Labor Condition Application (LCA) from the Department of Labor. The H-1B1 is valid for 18 months initially and is renewable in 18-month increments with no statutory maximum — though H-1B1 holders cannot file I-485 for adjustment of status while in H-1B1 status (they must leave for consular processing), a notable difference from H-1B. Chilean tech professionals, engineers, accountants, and architects are common H-1B1 beneficiaries.

E-1 Treaty Trader and E-2 Treaty Investor

Chile’s Free Trade Agreement with the United States (implemented 2004) established both E-1 Treaty Trader and E-2 Treaty Investor eligibility for Chilean nationals — a dual benefit not available to many Latin American countries.

E-1 Treaty Trader allows Chilean nationals who are conducting substantial trade between Chile and the United States to live and work in the U.S. “Trade” includes goods, services, banking, insurance, transportation, tourism, and technology transfers. The trade must be “substantial” — more than 50% of total international trade must be between Chile and the U.S. E-1 is particularly useful for Chilean exporters, trading companies, and executives managing Chile-U.S. commercial relationships.

E-2 Treaty Investor allows Chileans to invest in and operate a U.S. business. Typical E-2 investments from Chilean nationals range from $80,000 to $400,000 in sectors like technology, food service, retail, consulting, and logistics. E-2 spouses receive unrestricted work authorization. Status is renewable every 5 years indefinitely. Chilean entrepreneurs with dollar-denominated savings or assets find the E-2 accessible given Chile’s relatively stable economy compared to other Latin American nations.

B-1/B-2 Visitor Visa for Chileans

Chilean nationals who are not using the H-1B1, E-1, or E-2 categories need a B-1/B-2 visitor visa for tourism or business visits. The MRV fee is $185. Applications are submitted at the U.S. Embassy in Santiago.

Interview wait times typically range from 20-80 days — among the shorter wait times in Latin America, reflecting Chile’s strong bilateral relationship with the U.S. Chilean B-2 applicants generally have relatively good approval rates compared to other Latin American nationalities, as Chile’s economic stability provides clearer evidence of non-immigrant intent: stable employment, property ownership, and family ties in Chile.

Green Card for Chilean Citizens

Chilean nationals have no employment-based green card backlogs. EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 priority dates are current for Chileans — no Visa Bulletin wait.

A Chilean engineer approved for EB-2 can typically receive a green card in 2-3 years. Chilean H-1B1 holders pursuing green cards must note an important limitation: H-1B1 status does not allow concurrent I-485 filing — Chileans must use consular processing for the immigrant visa. This means they need to either change to H-1B status (requires USCIS petition and lottery registration, though H-1B1 holders with approved I-140 may be cap-exempt) or depart for their immigrant visa interview.

The DV Lottery is available to Chilean citizens — Chile typically qualifies as an underrepresented country. DV registration is free and opens each October through the State Department.

TN Visa: Not Available to Chileans

The TN visa (Treaty NAFTA/USMCA) is available only to Canadian and Mexican nationals

— not Chilean nationals, despite Chile having its own FTA with the U.S. Chilean professionals instead use the H-1B1, which provides similar benefits without the lottery but with the consular processing limitation for green cards described above.

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