Key Takeaways
- Geographic market expansion funded based on existing location/market revenue
- SBA expansion loans unavailable to E-3 holders
- New city, new state, or new channel expansion all fundable use cases
- Bankable evaluates your existing revenue as evidence of expansion viability
- 48-hour decisions up to $5M for market expansion
Expanding to a new market — a new city, a new state, a new customer segment, or a new distribution channel — is how businesses compound their success. You've proven your model in the first market. Now you need capital to replicate it elsewhere. SBA expansion loans are the traditional funding mechanism — and they're unavailable to E-3 holders.
Bankable funds market expansion against your existing market's proven revenue. If your first restaurant location generates $100K/month, that performance is the evidence that a second city location can generate similar revenue. We advance against proven performance, not projected performance in the new market.
The E-3 Funding Barrier
The SBA's 100% citizen/national ownership rule disqualifies every E-3 holder from government-backed loans — regardless of how long you've been in the US, how profitable your business is, or how strong your credit score is. Banks that primarily originate SBA loans have no viable product to offer you. That's not a reflection of your business quality; it's a policy gap that Bankable was built to bridge.
Revenue-based funding through Bankable requires no green card, no citizenship, and no SBA involvement. What matters: your business generates consistent revenue, has been operating for at least 6 months, and has a US business bank account. That's the core of what we evaluate. Check your Bankability Score to see your options in minutes.
Challenges in This Sector
- SBA expansion programs unavailable to E-3 holders
- New market entry requires upfront investment: location scouting, legal, build-out, staff, marketing
- Revenue ramp-up in a new market takes 3–12 months depending on industry
- Managing operations across multiple markets requires organizational investment
- New market relationships (suppliers, distributors, partners) require time to develop
- Legal and regulatory compliance varies by state — requires investment for each new market
Funding Solutions for E-3 Holders
- Expansion Working Capital: Fund new market entry costs against existing market revenue.
- Build-Out Capital: New location establishment based on existing location's performance.
- Staff Investment: Hire local management and operations staff in the new market.
- Marketing Capital: New market customer acquisition campaigns.
- Infrastructure: Systems and operational infrastructure for multi-market management.
Multi-Market E-3 Business Strategy
E-3 holders expanding to multiple markets often use each successful market as collateral for the next expansion — a compounding growth model where early markets fund later markets. This is exactly how Bankable's revenue-based model works: as your combined revenue grows, your Bankability Score improves and funding capacity increases.
Popular expansion pathways for Australian E-3 businesses: LA to San Francisco, New York to Boston or Chicago, Austin to Dallas or Houston. These moves leverage geographic network effects and the existing Australian expat communities in each city as early adopters.
Capital Products Available
Revenue-Based Funding
Up to $5M based on your monthly revenue. No green card, no SBA. 48-hour decisions.
Apply Now →Equipment Financing
Asset-backed funding for equipment — available to non-citizen business owners.
Check Eligibility →Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Multi-state business operations are not restricted by E-3 visa status.
We evaluate your existing market's 6-month revenue as evidence that your model works. New market projections are secondary to proven existing performance.
Up to $5M. Expansion capital is typically 2–3x your existing monthly revenue.
Yes. New customer segment or geographic expansion for online businesses is a valid use case.
Revenue-based repayments flex with actual revenue. If the new market ramps slowly, combined revenue-based payments reduce proportionally.
Bankable funds US-based business operations. International expansion is outside our current funding scope.
Most states don't require a new entity — you can register your existing LLC to do business in new states (foreign qualification). Consult a business attorney.
Yes. New channel expansion is a valid market expansion use case.
48-hour decisions. Funds in 3–5 business days.
LA, San Francisco, New York, Austin, Chicago, Seattle, and Miami are the most common Australian expat business markets.