July 23rd, 2010 |
 The family who had been looking for the best way to achieve permanent residency in America, decided to use all the facilities of WhichEB5 to thoroughly research all the various proven EB-5 programs. They wished to look in-depth across a range of programs in particular the likelihood of the necessary jobs being created in time to ensure the removal of conditions at I-829 stage. We identified for the family that although some centers seemed to indicate their affiliation with State Government this was giving a misleading impression in relation to the guarantee or otherwise of the actual return of the investment. We had a long video consult as a first step then met with them for a detailed face to face follow-up.
|
| |
Tags: America, eb-5, guarantee, I-829, investment, jamaican, misleading, permanent residence, state government, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
July 22nd, 2010 |
 In seguito a un viaggio negli Stati Uniti, i componenti di una famiglia italiana sono venuti a conoscenza del visto EB-5 e, una volta rientrati in patria, hanno effettuato ulteriori ricerche online in materia, trovando il nostro sito Web. Dopo avergli illustrato i programmi di vari centri regionali, hanno fatto domanda per ottenere il visto e la richiesta è stata accettata. Siamo ancora in contatto con questa famiglia e, a beneficio dei nuovi investitori, abbiamo verificato l’esistenza di eventuali problematiche. – An Italian family became aware of the EB-5 visa following a visit to the States and finding our website after searching the internet for more details on their return home. We fully covered the implications of the various regional center options with them after which they successfully applied. We have continued to keep in touch and checked out issues with them for the benefit of new investors.
|
| |
Tags: America, eb-5, italian, regional center
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
June 23rd, 2010 |
Having assisted over 150 families throughout the world, successfully obtain their EB-5 visas and permanent residency in many different areas of the USA we have developed a clear understanding of the support many families require once they are living in the USA.
Of course all families have different requirements and there are a few who are perfectly happy going their own way and do not require our services again once they have moved. However, the majority appreciate a service where they can instantly obtain answers to questions that inevitably arise when moving to another country.
Questions that we have been asked in the past cover a massive range of issues and have included:
- Where can I find an experienced and confidential international tax specialist?
- How does the education and college system work?
- What do I need to know about driving in The USA and the driving test?
- What important issues do I need to know about after I have been in America for twenty one months?
- What are the positives and negatives of living in different parts of the USA?
- Where can I obtain good health insurance from a reputable company?
For some families, particularly a high number from China, these questions assume even more importance as in a high number of cases the Mother and children relocate and permanently reside in the USA while the Father continues to work and reside in China operating his business interests perhaps travelling to the USA a number of times a year. In this scenario it is very reassuring for the Mother to have someone they feel confident in to assist them and the Father to know someone trusted can be there to help his family when he is thousands of miles away.
We are concerned that many immigration consultants and attorneys do not provide this service feeling their role is completed once their fee has been paid and you have obtained your I-526 petition and conditional EB-5 visa. In reality, for many families, this is not the end of the process but actually the start of another different process, adjusting to the challenges thrown up by the American way of life. From the feedback we have received a friendly voice at the end of the phone that has vast experience of dealing with many other families is an important and much appreciated service.
|
| |
Tags: America, attorney, china, eb-5, I-526, immigration consultants, permanent residence, USA, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
May 17th, 2010 |
 Is the EB5 investor visa your best option? For the past five years we have been working with families from many countries looking for a visa that provides them with the opportunity for permanent residence. Multiple families we have worked with have invested $500,000 in a regional center program and opted for the EB-5 immigrant investor visa. The feedback from these families, who have settled in many different areas of the States, proved invaluable in our book Green Card via the Red Carpet.
We were recently asked by a leading immigration publication to give our views on the EB-5 program, specifically taking into account the needs of the immigrant investor whose first language may not be English. As first generation immigrants ourselves we have seen our families grow up in America and remain concerned that some of the information provided on the EB-5 programs by attorneys, consultants, and regional centers, may cause problems for families, after they have moved to America.
One of the problems is the amount of information that is now available on the EB-5 programs. Although there seems to be a mass of helpful information available on the program research we have carried out shows some of it may be a cause of concern for the unwary family particularly if they have not carried out research into the background of the adviser. For example, how many families have they actually (successfully) worked with on the EB5? How many regional centers have they successfully processed investors through? Can they put you in touch with a number of families they have worked with? Have they actually visited a significant number of proven regional centers? Have they been barred by a regulatory board and/or commission from practicing in certain areas?
Given our own experiences, we cannot emphasise enough how important these points are, and with reference to visiting the regional centers, we mean spending several days at the center looking behind the scenes to see what is actually going on. We believe the importance of visiting and investigating regional center programs is critical to provide detailed information to families considering the various regional center programs and in undertaking research for our follow up book we are carrying out further in-depth visits as well as talking to our successful clients who have invested in various regional center programs.
Simply attending the regional center official tour, interviewing a particular regional center head, or videoing a regional center can only provide a limited perspective on the nuts and bolts of a particular program. We know from experience that the important considerations for a family considering investing $500,000 in an EB5 visa are:
Will we obtain the visa? Will we keep the visa? Will we get our $500,000 investment back? From our experience in working with many families and many centers we are aware that there are centers that have fulfilled these requirements, we are also aware that there are other centers being recommended where there have been cases of litigation, some ongoing, and families have potentially lost all their $500,000.
We feel strongly that all too often families considering the EB-5 visa are not being given all the information necessary to know what they are signing up for. Yes, it is great to know that there is a visa available that enables you and your family to live permanently in the USA and after five years become citizens if you want but from your viewpoint it is important that the visa delivers what you want therefore you need to know which programs have a successful track record and which should or may cause concern.
More information can be found on WhichEB5.com or Green Card via the Red Carpet
|
| |
Tags: America, attorney, citizens, consultants, eb-5, eb5, Green Card via the Red Carpet, immigrant investor, permanent residence, regional center, USA, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
March 27th, 2010 |
|
There was an interesting article in one of the immigration magazines containing research from a psychologist as to why a significant number of immigrants return back to their original home country after less than a year – and do extroverts or introverts tend to adjust better?
From the large number of troubleshooting briefs we have carried out over the past ten years we have identified two particular types of people who seem more vulnerable to adjusting, when inevitably some things don’t always work out the way they planned, after they arrive in the USA.
The problems can so often be traced back to a lack of due diligence at the very start of their planning process and the two types of people most affected are in many ways at opposite ends of the personality spectrum.
Those who, without realizing it, become dependent on advice from the people who have a sales related interest in them moving – they end up with all the positives and are not prepared for any of the negatives.
At the other end of this spectrum are the independent minded who often have been very successful in their own country and feel they do not need any professional advice.
In writing the book on the EB-5 visa, ‘Green Card via the Red Carpet’ research was carried out on where things can go wrong for EB-5 applicants. If you are currently considering relocating to America on the EB-5 visa this book is a worthwhile read as part of your preparation.
|
| |
Tags: America, eb-5, Green Card via the Red Carpet, immigrants, USA, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
March 8th, 2010 |
 Should you compare EB5 investor visa projects with the help of a lawyer? The situation is understandable; you are looking into the various regional center options for your choice of EB-5 program and are spending days, weeks maybe months (it may seem like a lifetime) searching the internet in an attempt to find information on the relative advantages, or just as importantly disadvantages, of the ever growing number of regional centers.
A number of the most experienced immigration lawyers do not provide guidance on choice of regional centers. Instead they focus on the legal aspects of the EB-5 visa. Indeed there have been a number of seminars where leading EB-5 immigration attorney’s have stressed that Immigration Lawyers should not be providing advice on your choice of regional center – their focus should be on the actual legal immigration process.
So you continue to search for useful information; such as how many successful applicants have each center processed, however, how helpful is that statistic? For example, if a program has a high number of non-English speaking applicants what are the implications that are not readily apparent from the bare statistics?
When a web site quotes comparative statistics how up to date and accurate are those statistics and indeed how meaningful? The US economy is still undergoing massive changes and regional center programs that were popular a couple of years ago, at a time of significantly higher returns, may require other considerations in the light of a more conservative attitude.
Another factor that is not readily apparent from the web is how are programs actually performing once fully subscribed? Have buildings been constructed, jobs been created, what issues have come to the surface and have investors had their monies returned?
If you are looking into regional center options for your choice of EB5 regional center independent, impartial information can be found on Which EB-5, contact Andrew Bartlett or Stephen Parnell to find out what they discovered on their visits to these regional center programs.
Andrew Bartlett and Stephen Parnell are authors of Green Card via the Red Carpet available on Amazon
|
| |
Tags: amazon, America, andrew bartlett, eb-5, Green Card via the Red Carpet, immigration attorney, immigration lawyers, regional center, stephen parnell, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
January 19th, 2010 |
 Retire in the USA using the EB5 Visa - Live in the Sunshine States or anywhere else Increasing numbers of overseas visitors love to spend part of the year in the ‘sunny all year round’ states of Florida, California and Arizona. However, those wanting to retire and relocate permanently to the U.S. have often found it difficult or near impossible due to no specific visa that allows retirees to live in America year round, even if they are wealthy and self supporting.
There has been talk for years of a silver visa but nothing ever materialized. Unless retirees have a close American relative, or buy a business, permanent retirement to America has always been simply a dream. Not so any longer, as more potential retiree’s consider the EB-5 visa regional centre pilot program as the answer to living permanently in the USA. This visa category has been a blessing to retirees wishing to permanently retire to the States as it does not require them to directly operate a business.
In return for a $500,000 investment in an approved regional center program many people can achieve their lifelong dreams of permanent residence in the USA. If you would like full details of exactly how this visa category can work for you visit Which EB5 for complete EB-5 visa details.
|
| |
Tags: America, arizona, california, eb-5, florida, pilot program, regional center, retire, silver visa, USA, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
January 18th, 2010 |
 Is it fair to compare the E2 to the EB5 visa? Why are an increasing number of E2 visa holders looking at the EB5 option?
For many, living in the USA has been made possible by using the E2 visa program. However, for those E2 visa holders who have resided in America for a number of years there has been a degree of anxiety as well as expense at renewal time. Indeed, it is increasingly clear that renewal of this visa cannot be taken for granted however long you have lived in The States. New E2 applicants are also finding a variable waiting period, possibility of rejection, and the need to inject an increasingly higher level of funding to find a qualifying business.
There are particular concerns if you wish to retire, have children approaching their 21st birthday, or if you want to remain permanently in The USA.
Another potential downside is the E-2 has ‘non-immigrant’ status, which has serious implications that few point out.
There are thousands of E2 visa holders living in the US but sooner or later they are going to have to confront their status and plan for the long term, for if they sell their business or it ceases trading their visa may not be renewed. Also, children at 21 will need their own visas or be forced to leave the US. Such a lack of security may not suit everyone looking to reside in the US.
What makes the EB-5 Visa program different from the E-2 visa?
Participation in the EB-5 Immigrant Investor program provides permanent resident status (green card). Permanent residency has the major advantage of not requiring renewal or re-application. In contrast, the E-2 visa allows for non-immigrant status only. When the qualifying business/investment ends, so does the non-immigrant status that has been granted to the E-2 visa holder who may have to leave the United States unless another visa category is granted.
U.S. non-immigrant visas, such as E-1, E-2 and H category visas may never result in permanent residency, have time limits, and require additional filings with USCIS or Department of State.
Contact us for more information on how the EB5 can be a viable alternative to the E2 using the form on the right 
|
| |
Tags: America, E2, eb-5, eb5, green card, immigrant investor, non-immigrant, retire, status, USA, uscis, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
January 11th, 2010 |
 Putting together a personal EB5 timetable is good advice Each investor and his or her family have ideas about what they would like their own personal timeline to look like. You should have some idea of a target date or estimated date when you would like to be living in America. Formulating your personal timeline can be difficult and this is where the guidance of an experienced EB5 immigration attorney will prove invaluable. He or she will help you match your goals and needs with the reality of the process and capabilities of processing within the constraints set by outside factors; namely the regional center you choose to invest in and the USCIS.
No discussion of time lines for EB-5 investing is complete without at least introducing the basic timeline for investing from the regional center perspective. USCIS’s procedures and processing times determine most of the timeline in this process; however, you should not underestimate the impact of the regional center and its time lines and procedures on your personal goals.
The timeline for investing from start to finish will vary. In fact, the proposed timeline for a center and their track record for abiding by it may be one of those considerations that you and your immigration consultant weigh when choosing the right regional center for your investment. For further information on time lines for various regional centers contact Which EB-5
|
| |
Tags: America, eb-5, eb5, immigration attorney, immigration consultant, processing time, regional center, uscis, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
December 28th, 2009 |
|
A recent article in the Economist magazine (December 19th 2009) looked at this question in some depth and made some interesting points; including the observation that one of the greatest strengths of America is that people want to live there. A recent immigrant was quoted as saying “America is a land that offers the chance to be whatever you want to be, it is a place where nearly any immigrant can find a niche. In America you can say what you think.”
The article points out that as America is so big and diverse that immigrants have an incredible array of choices. The proportion of Americans who are foreign born is 13% and nearly all Americans are descended from people who came from somewhere else in the past couple of centuries. No matter where an immigrant comes from he can find a cluster of his ethnic kin somewhere in America.
America has 50 states with 50 sets of laws. In America people with unusual hobbies are generally left alone.
Alejandro Mayorkas of the United States Citizenship and Immigration service is quoted as saying “People come to America either because they yearn for freedom or because they are fleeing something – be it a war or a culture that irks them “.
For more information on immigrating to America on the EB-5 investment visa contact info@whicheb5.com
|
| |
Tags: America, eb-5, emigrate, immigrant, investment visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
|
