American Projects Compete for EB-5Investors
As companies and entrepreneurs in the U.S. have discovered EB-5 investments, Regional Center projects have sprung up throughout the U.S., and they cover just about every type of enterprise, from hotels to retail developments to high tech ventures. In fact, many American businesses now routinely travel to other countries looking for potential EB5 investors. In 2011, $1.2 billion in capital investment flowed into the U.S. through the EB-5 program.
Where EB-5 Investors Come From
EB-5 immigrants come from all over the world, but currently the largest percentage of them comes from the People's Republic of China. In order, the top ten countries from which EB-5 applicants come are China, South Korea, Great Britain / Northern Ireland, Taiwan, India, Iran, Mexico, Canada, Russia, and South Africa. Every year up to 10,000 people come to the U.S. under the EB-5 program.
Immigration Process Is Still Complex
The EB-5 program may strike some people as an easy way to get a green card, but the process is as complex as any other type of immigration. EB-5 immigrants must, for example, show that the money they plan to invest in the U.S. was obtained legally, and they must complete all the usual applications and meet the deadlines required to immigrate legally to the U.S.
Consultants Help EB-5 Applicants Through Immigration Process
Because the EB-5 program requires specific documentation as well as the usual immigration paperwork, and because EB-5 immigrants must specify how their money will be invested and how it will produce jobs for Americans, EB-5 consultants have set up businesses to help these investors navigate the complex process of EB-5 immigration, and they are proving to be very helpful and popular.
