EB-5 Immigrant Investors
Under section 203(b)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C. § 1153(b)(5), 10,000 immigrant visas per year are available to qualified individuals seeking permanent resident status on the basis of their engagement in a new commercial enterprise.
Of the 10,000 investor visas (i.e., EB-5 visas) available annually, 5,000 are set aside for those who apply under a pilot program involving an CIS-designated “Regional Center.”
A "Regional Center:"
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Is an entity, organization or agency that has been approved as such by the Service;
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Focuses on a specific geographic area within the United States; and ,
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Seeks to promote economic growth through increased export sales, improved regional productivity, creation of new jobs, and increased domestic capital investment.
"Alien investors" must:
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Demonstrate that a "qualified investment" (see below) is being made in a new commercial enterprise located within an approved Regional Center; and,
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Show, using reasonable methodologies, that 10 or more jobs are actually created either directly or indirectly by the new commercial enterprise through revenues generated from increased exports, improved regional productivity, job creation, or increased domestic capital investment resulting from the pilot program.
Eligibility
Permanent resident status based on EB-5 eligibility is available to investors, either alone or coming with their spouse and unmarried children. Eligible aliens are those who have invested -- or are actively in the process of investing -- the required amount of capital into a new commercial enterprise that they have established. They must further demonstrate that this investment will benefit the United States economy and create the requisite number of full-time jobs for qualified persons within the United States.
In general, "eligible individuals" include those:
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Who establish a new commercial enterprise by:
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creating an original business;
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purchasing an existing business and simultaneously or subsequently restructuring or reorganizing the business such that a new commercial enterprise results; or
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expanding an existing business by 140 percent of the pre-investment number of jobs or net worth, or retaining all existing jobs in a troubled business that has lost 20 percent of its net worth over the past 12 to 24 months; and
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Who have invested -- or who are actively in the process of investing -- in a new commercial enterprise:
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at least $1,000,000, or
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at least $500,000 where the investment is being made in a "targeted employment area," which is an area that has experienced unemployment of at least 150 per cent of the national average rate or a rural area as designated by OMB; and
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Whose engagement in a new commercial enterprise will benefit the United States economy and:
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create full-time employment for not fewer than 10 qualified individuals; or
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maintain the number of existing employees at no less than the pre-investment level for a period of at least two years, where the capital investment is being made in a "troubled business," which is a business that has been in existence for at least two years and that has lost 20 percent of its net worth over the past 12 to 24 months.
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Things to Consider:
The various EB-5 Regional Center Investment Programs are designed to enable foreign investors to qualify for permanent residence in the United States (i.e. a “green card”) by investing $500,000 in a Regional Center. In addition to the investment itself, each regional center has some form of ‘application’ or ‘participation’ fee. The USCIS also charges application fees for the green card application. These fees are separate from our attorney fees.
In nearly all cases, we work with the Regional Center and a private management company set up an investment entity as a limited partnership or limited liability companies. The investment entity either acquires an ownership interest in some type of asset (such as real estate) or the entity makes low interest loans to government or private borrowers.
Prior to investing, any prospective foreign investor should review the prospectus with detailed information about the investment. It is always advisable to have this information carefully reviewed by specialists in business law and accounting.
The various Regional Centers Investment Programs have widely different philosophies. Some focus on maximizing the return on the investment. Some focus on ensuring a return of the investor’s $500,000 investment. Some focus on ensuring an exit strategy as soon as possible.
The EB-5 regulations are highly complex and constantly changing. Please contact ILG for an evaluation of your eligibility.