SelectUSA Investment Summit: What International Investors Should Know

SelectUSA is the US government’s main platform for connecting international investors with opportunities across American industries and states, and its annual Investment Summit is where most of that connecting actually happens — thousands of investors, companies, and economic-development officials in one place over a few days. This guide covers what the program actually does, what’s confirmed for the next edition, and — for Vizeyon’s audience specifically — where attending a summit like this fits with a standard US visa.

Key Facts

• What it is: a US Department of Commerce program linking international investors with US market resources and economic-development agencies
• 2026 Investment Summit: ran May 3-6, 2026 at Gaylord National Harbor, Maryland — concluded with more than $56 billion in announced investment commitments
• 2027 Investment Summit: confirmed for May 2-5, 2027, exhibit hall May 3-5, same venue
• Registration: fee-based, tiered by how early you register — check the official site for current pricing
• Visa to attend: typically the standard B1 business-visitor visa, the same category used for any short business trip
• Actually investing: a separate process from attending, and can call for a different visa category

What Is SelectUSA?

SelectUSA was launched in 2011, building on an earlier program called Invest in America that dates back to 2007. Run out of Washington, D.C. by agencies under the US Department of Commerce, it works with international investment specialists on one side and a network of US embassies and local economic-development partners on the other.

The program’s purpose is to help international investors and entrepreneurs with investment strategy, networking, and the legal and financial groundwork of putting capital into the US — along with sector-specific guidance on where the opportunities actually are.

The Investment Summit: 2026 in Review, 2027 Confirmed

What Happened at the 2026 Summit

The 2026 Investment Summit ran May 3-6, 2026 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, bringing together state representatives, sector specialists, and thousands of investors from around the world. The US Department of Commerce reported that the event catalyzed more than $56 billion in investment commitments and plans by the time it concluded.

2027 Dates and Venue

The next edition is now confirmed: the 2027 SelectUSA Investment Summit runs May 2-5, 2027, with the exhibit hall open May 3-5, at the same Gaylord National Harbor venue in Maryland. Registration and full programming details are typically published on the official SelectUSA site closer to the event, so it’s worth checking there directly rather than relying on figures from a prior year.

Spinoff Events and Regional Summits

Beyond the flagship Summit, SelectUSA runs a calendar of smaller regional and sector-specific events throughout the year — past editions have included dedicated days focused on technology, semiconductors, and specific US states and regions. The official Spinoff Events page is the place to check for the current calendar, since these are scheduled and announced separately from the main Summit.

Do You Need a Visa to Attend?

Attending vs. Investing: Two Different Things

For most Turkish attendees, simply traveling to the Summit to explore the market, attend sessions, and meet potential partners is a standard B1 business-visitor case — the same category that covers trade fairs, conferences, and business meetings generally. What that visa doesn’t cover is actually working in the US or running a US business day-to-day.

Actually structuring and funding an investment — setting up a US entity, moving capital, taking an active operating role — is a separate legal process, and depending on how it’s structured, it can call for a different visa category such as an investor-specific visa. That’s a distinct undertaking from attending the Summit itself, and worth planning for separately if it applies to you.

Registration and Costs

SelectUSA has historically priced Investment Summit registration in tiers — an early-bird rate for those who register well in advance, a standard rate, and a higher rate closer to the event — alongside a separate, lower-cost track aimed at early-stage international startups. Because pricing and eligibility details can change from one edition to the next, the official site is the reliable source to check once 2027 registration opens, rather than assuming a prior year’s fees still apply.

Get Support With Your Business Visa Application

If you’re planning to attend SelectUSA or another business event in the US, reach out to us for support with your visa application — from the DS-160 through interview preparation — and we’ll help manage the process end to end.