Buying a business in Florida as a foreign buyer

What foreign buyers acquire

Service businesses with recurring revenue, franchises, hospitality, logistics, light manufacturing, and businesses that own their real estate. In South Florida the deal flow is deep, and it is also full of listings priced on numbers no accountant has seen. Nova Horizons helps you sort the two.

Due diligence is the whole game

Tax returns, bank statements and payroll records, not the seller's spreadsheet. Lease terms and assignment rights. Licences that transfer and licences that do not. Customer concentration. For an acquisition tied to a visa, the immigration attorney also needs to see that the business is real, operating, and capable of supporting more than the owner's household, so the diligence file serves two purposes.

Acquisition and the E-2 visa

Buying an existing business can qualify for E-2 when the investment is substantial for that type of business, the funds are irrevocably committed, and the buyer will direct and develop it. The eligibility judgment belongs to immigration counsel. What Nova Horizons does is make sure the business you are looking at is worth their time, and that the purchase is structured so the two processes do not trip over each other.

Business plus real estate

Many Florida businesses come with the building. Buying both changes the financing, the entity structure and the tax picture, and can strengthen the case that the investment is substantial. It also means two sets of diligence, which is where having one point of contact in Florida earns its keep.

Common questions

Does a foreign buyer need a licence to buy a business in Florida?

No licence is needed to own a business. Some businesses require professional or regulatory licences to operate, and some of those cannot be held by non-residents, so the licence question is part of diligence on every target.

How much does an E-2 business need to cost?

There is no fixed minimum in the law. The investment has to be substantial relative to the cost of that type of business and enough to make it succeed. Immigration attorneys generally look for a real operating business with a credible plan, not a specific dollar figure.

Can I buy a business in Florida and manage it from abroad?

As an investment, yes, with a local manager. As the basis for an E-2 visa, no: the visa requires the investor to direct and develop the business in the United States.