Congressmen Doggett, Cohen, Bacon and Gooden Introduce Measure to Improve Bilateral Trade relations with the Czech Republic

WASHINGTON – Congressmen Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Steve Cohen (TN-9), Don Bacon (NE-2) and Lance Gooden (TX-5) today introduced a measure to include the Czech Republic on the list of foreign states whose nationals are eligible for admission into the U.S. with E-1 visas if U.S. nationals are treated similarly by the Government of the Czech Republic.

Trade between the Czech Republic and the U.S. has been flourishing over the past two decades, with substantial investments in both nations leading to significant growth opportunities in sectors such as defense, IT, nanotechnology, biotechnology and AI. The bilateral trade turnover reached 12.5 billion USD in 2023, and Czech companies have invested about 7 billion USD across the U.S. in the last four years. 

Given this increase in economic ties, there have been frequent business and trade missions from the Czech Republic to the U.S. However, the Czech Republic is currently classified under the E-2 visa category, posing challenges for many businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises engaged in U.S. business activities.   

Introducing the E-1 visa for the Czech Republic would align it with many other European countries, providing Czech companies with the opportunity to conduct business and invest in the U.S. more effectively in the long term.   

Senators Peter Welch of Vermont and Pete Ricketts of Nebraska introduced a companion bill in the Senate.