Obtaining a Green Card Through Investment Becoming Increasingly Popular

Up to 10,000 EB5 visas may be granted each year. While other popular visa categories, like H1B and H2B regularly reach their limits, EB5 has never hit the 10,000 visa limit. However, because the popularity of these visas has soared as developers seek foreign cash to make up for tight U.S. credit markets, some speculate that the limit could be reached in 2013 or 2014.

Where Do EB5 Investors Come From?

At Exclusive Visas, we work with people from all over the world who want to obtain their Green Card through investment. Chinese investor immigration makes up around 65% of EB5 visas granted over the past six years. South Korea and the UK also have many potential EB5 immigrants. EB5 investment is also becoming more popular in the Caribbean and Latin America.

Could Chinese EB5 Immigration Hit a Per-Country Cap This Year?

If the number of EB5 applications in 2013 exceeds 10,000, a per-country limit could be placed on China, because caps kick in automatically when the overall limit is reached for a single immigration category. Some EB5 experts think this will happen in 2013, while others don't expect this to happen until 2014 at the earliest. As of early 2013, however, Chinese EB5 immigrants are not yet facing a per-country cap.

How Has the Program Grown Since Its Beginning?

Investor immigration under EB5 has been available since 1990. Since that time, the program has yielded nearly $7 billion in investment in the U.S., and has created nearly 50,000 jobs. The popularity of EB5 didn't really take off until after the 2008 economic downturn. While in 2002 there were under 100 EB5 visas granted, there were over 3,600 granted in 2012.

What Should Potential EB5 Investors Know?

At Executive Visas, we help EB5 applicants through every step of the immigration process. Currently, EB5 petitions take around eight months to process, and the subsequent applications for Green Cards take six to eight months to process. EB5 immigrants generally prefer to work with specialist EB5 consultants to ensure that all steps are completed properly and on time, maximizing their chances of success obtaining an EB5 visa.

The EB5 Regional Center May Be Structured in More than One Way

If you're interested in obtaining a Green Card under the EB5 program, you may invest $1 million in your own business that is required to create at least 10 full-time jobs for U.S. workers. However, you also have the option of investing $500,000 in a Regional Center, an established project in an economically distressed area that is expected to provide at least 10 full-time jobs.

The Typical EB5 Regional Center

When developers establish a Regional Center, they can count direct and indirect employment toward the 10 job requirement. They may also have individual projects within a Regional Center pre-approved by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Regional Center certification simplifies the process of finding investors and makes it easier for investors to find the right Regional Center.

When an Existing Regional Center Sponsors a Project

Sometimes, an existing Regional Center will sponsor a project to attract people who want to pursue EB5 immigration. This eliminates the time and cost of developing a new Regional Center, and developers can still pursue pre-approval of their new project by USCIS. Another advantage of this approach is that existing Regional Centers may already have a marketing plan and be ready to develop quickly once investment capital is in place.

Pooled Investment and the EB5 Program

Some EB5 projects pool investment from individual EB5 immigration petitions, and they may choose this approach to avoid the expense of obtaining Regional Center certification. With this scenario, EB5 petitions can be filed as soon as investors are identified. The main disadvantage to pooled investment programs is that 10 full-time jobs must be created for each EB5 investor, and pre-approval by USCIS is not available.

Sound Complicated? Help Is Available

At Executive Visas, we're committed to assisting EB5 investors in finding the best possible investment of their capital in the US economy. The EB5 process is complex, and many investors choose to work with EB5 consultants like those at Executive Visas to ensure that all procedures are followed, all deadlines are met, and the best possible investment is made by the person seeking an EB5 Green Card.