August 25th, 2011 |
 If you are considering the EB-5 visa as an appropriate method to obtain permanent residency in the USA for you and your family you have probably undertaken some research to find out as much as possible about the process.
As you may have found out, the visa can require you to invest $500,000 in what is termed a regional center. To date there are, in theory, over 150 of these centers which have been authorized by The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) to offer programs that may qualify for the EB-5 visa.
You may have made some enquiries and asked a number of questions such as:
What are the number of applications and the success rate of these centers at the initial approval stage (I-526) and the removal of conditions stage (I-829)?
You may also want to know how firm the exit strategy is, i.e. the return of your $500,000.
There are numerous other questions that need to be asked and the answers carefully evaluated to make certain you are getting a completely truthful response rather than an answer designed to get you to buy-in to a particular project. These questions include the reality or otherwise of the centers targeted employment area (TEA) status.
However, assuming you are using an experienced EB-5 consultant with a 100% track record to provide you with this information, one question it is imperative to ask is *have you actually visited, on a regular basis, the centers you are commenting on?
It is also important to define what a visit is; it should not just involve being entertained by the Regional Center salespeople. It should involve looking at the program in depth and visiting the surrounding areas to obtain an overall impression of the program.
Over several years we have uncovered many issues from the visits we have regularly made to EB-5 Regional Centers. Some of these discoveries have been negative, others positive, but they have all been important issues that those considering the EB-5 program should be aware of.
Choosing an EB-5 visa regional center program requires experienced and impartial advice, you cannot simply rely on the information given by the regional centers or some of the consultants and attorneys who, in reality, are actually working with a particular regional center.
If you would like more information on your options and a free consultation on the strengths and weaknesses of EB-5 programs contact Which EB-5
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Tags: consultants, eb-5, EB-5 Visa, exit stratergy, I-526, I-829, impartial, importnant questions, regional center, TEA, uscis, visa
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August 9th, 2011 |
 Each week we receive a number of announcements about the EB-5 visa, most of these coming from the 150 plus regional centers telling us about their latest program.
Having spent several years looking at different programs and spending a great deal of time visiting various regional centers we are always cautious when we hear of the latest “not to be missed” program, as many give us some cause for concern.
There are a small number of regional centers which are either well proven, or have a clearly laid out strategy to deliver the necessary requirements to achieve and maintain the EB-5 visa.
We recently received information from a well established regional center that is relatively unusual in having a 100% success rate at both the I-526 and I-829 stage and a clear specific exit strategy. The programs from this center have previously sold out over a very short period of time. The latest program involves a loan to a leading energy related company and is likely to again sell out in a very short period of time. Contact Which EB-5 for more details.
The EB-5 visa requires a $500,000 investment in a United States Citizenship and Immigration center (USCIS) approved Regional Center Program. The track record of these programs varies considerably and investment terms can be as little as four years. It is vital you obtain independent information from experienced advisers prior to making a decision on Regional Center programs.
If you would like more information on these visa options and a free consultation contact Chase Brodsky at Which EB5
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Tags: advisers, eb-5, eb-5 visa options, exit stratergy, I-526, I-829, Latest EB5 Visa News, regional center, uscis, visa, Which EB-5
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August 3rd, 2011 |
With just over a year remaining before the EB-5 visa (regional Center pilot program) is due to come to an end and no one, as yet, clear whether or not it will be either extended or made permanent, we have seen a significant increase in the number of inquiries from those either seeking a better, more secure alternative to their current immigrant status or those seeking to move permanently to the USA with their family.
We have just finalized our updated research on the current availability of Regional Center programs.
Unfortunately we have found a significant number where there is some cause for concern and we have raised these points in a number of blogs. If you would like us to go through these issues in detail with you please contact us, we make no charges to you for our services and there are no time limitations on how long we talk through the issues with you.
We remain concerned about the sales claims made by agents for a number of regional centers, particularly when given to non English speakers in China and Korea. The difficulty is that problems are most likely to occur at the I-829 stage (removal of conditions) or the return of the capital stage (exit strategy). If issues do occur, where will the agents then be who made the potentially misleading statements?
For those of you looking to relocate permanently to the USA on the EB-5 regional centers program now may be the time to act.
Please contact us on ++1-561-771-1330 to arrange a free detailed briefing.
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Tags: agents, blogs, china, eb5, exit stratergy, family, I-829, Korea, misleading, pilot program, regional center, return of capital, USA, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
July 29th, 2011 |
Despite the fact that there are over 150 Regional Centers which have been approved by The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), a very small number of these Centers actually offer well proven programs (as has been explained in a number of previous blogs).
We often find that clients, who have been looking to determine which the most appropriate program is for them, become frustrated as the specific program they decide to invest in sells out quicker than was expected and they fail to obtain a place.
Programs fall into a number of categories and those that have been well thought through and / or have an excellent track record, can sell out in a relatively short time, sometimes a matter of just a few weeks.
It may be important to distinguish the reasons for a program subscribing so quickly and it’s useful in considering this to look at a couple of examples.
Let’s say a Regional Center focuses almost exclusively on the Chinese market (the largest by far) and has a strong network of Chinese Agents. Let us also say they pay an extremely high commission to these Chinese agents. In such circumstances the program is likely to fill relatively quickly, however, it is important to ascertain if the investors fully understood the positives and negatives of the program or did the Agents give a very one sided view? If so you may want to obtain a detailed independent analysis before considering such a program.
Let’s now look at another Regional Center that has established an excellent track record for its previous programs. The Center may have a 100% track record of I-526 and I-829 applications; it may be a particularly attractive concept with an excellent clear exit strategy. The excellent reputation and performance of such a program will mean it will generally sell out very quickly.
For more information on well proven centers due to release limited programs contact Chase Brodsky at Which EB5
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Tags: chinese, eb-5, exit stratergy, I-526, I-829, independent, regional center, track record, uscis
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
July 5th, 2011 |
For the next few weeks we are visiting a number of Regional Centers, situated all over the USA. We have carried out such visits over a number of years and found them very useful in identifying important issues which otherwise would not be apparent.
Just how important, can be illustrated by a few of the issues we uncovered from previous visits:-
One regional center program offering a property based program raised questions in our minds regarding their job estimates. (The EB-5 visa requires each investment of $500,000 to create ten jobs). During the course of a two day visit it became apparent that the program was based around what could be termed a restricted community. The likelihood of the program creating enough jobs within the required period seemed contentious. Shortly after the visit we came across this program being marketed at an overseas exhibition for wealthy investors. It was no surprise none of the programs negative points were identified.
Another regional center raised questions in our minds about the ambiguity of its exit strategy. The difficulty and travel time reaching the center confirmed our fears that the program could prove to be a difficult sell due to its particular location.
On one particular visit the Regional Center staff would not meet us on site; instead they wanted a meeting several hundred miles away. It was evident from further investigation that although being actively marketed, the program was several months from being ready to actually be activated.
Visits to Regional Centers have disclosed many other issues some positive, some negative but all unlikely to have been identified and then examined without spending some time at the center concerned.
Visits need to be much more than just an official tour, some hospitality and then the usual group and handshake photographs.
For feedback on visits to particular centers contact Which EB5 for a free briefing.
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Tags: eb-5, exit stratergy, free briefing, regional center
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
June 8th, 2011 |
 Simply because a Regional Center has been in operation for many years and has signed up many investors does not make it automatically a better choice than other options.
Let’s say, as an example, a Regional Center was established in 2005. Six years later one may assume that the center should not only have had had many I-526 successes but should also have had a significant number of I-829 successes. Indeed, for those centers with a fixed term some investors should have seen the return of their $500,000 capital. However, past performance is not necessarily a guarantee of ongoing success.
Some of the longer established centers now face a very different economic position from when they were first set up when they faced only limited competition.
The crash of the US property and credit markets has made for a devastating impact on certain sectors such as commercial, leisure and retail property.
As a result, some of the longer established regional centers have not activated their exit strategy perhaps due to falling property values, whereas other Regional Centers with fixed term programs may have made full repayments.
Some of the better more recent Regional Center programs designed with the 2005 property downturn in mind may be of interest.
For further information on the better performing established regional center programs, as compared to some promising newer Regional Centers, contact the independent EB5 experts at Which EB5 for a free consultation.
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Tags: eb-5, exit stratergy, I-526, I-829, regional center, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
April 27th, 2011 |
If you are searching the web for information on the EB-5 visa you have probably found many regional center websites that claims to offer the best program.
Unfortunately obtaining impartial information from the company selling you the product can be very difficult and therefore you tend to only hear the advantages and sadly discover the disadvantages after you have made a commitment.
An example of this problem can be seen in the EB-5 regional center program where Regional Centers often focus on their apparent advantages, but make little or no mention of some extremely important issues. One of these issues relates to what is termed a “Targeted Employment Area” or TEA.
Targeted Employment Area is defined by law as “a rural area or an area that has experienced high unemployment of at least 150 percent of the national average. Definition from USCIS
One of the requirements of the EB-5 visa is that the program requires the creation (or in certain cases preservation) of ten jobs per investor. These jobs have to be in a specific area and this can be where the problem starts.
Some Regional Centers have sought to redefine A TEA for a particular program. Others have highlighted the strength of their TEA but not mentioned the adverse impact this strength could have in terms of the exit strategy (return of the immigrant investors $500,000).
If you are considering the EB-5 visa it is important that we cover the importance of TEAs with you, please contact us for a telephone or video conference on ++1-561-771-1330
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Tags: eb-5, exit stratergy, regional center, targeted employment area, TEA, uscis, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
January 25th, 2011 |
Investment in an EB-5 regional center pilot program is generally $500,000 (although there are a few centers that require one million dollars), but many potential investors also want to know what additional costs to expect from the EB-5 visa application.
EB-5 visa investors also need to budget for regional center administration costs which vary considerably from center to center; currently the range is $25,000 at the lower end to above $60,000 at the higher end. Additionally some regional centers charge an upfront deposit for a copy of their prospectus.
Attorney fees also vary significantly and some applicants have found themselves billed for unexpected additional costs.
Some of the programs offer interest payments and other payments on the investment – however, there are a number of implications that you need to be aware of.
Then there is the $500,000 question HAS ANYONE HAD THEIR MONEY BACK AND IF SO HOW MUCH? The programs have exit strategies, fine, but in the current economic climate the question of the likely return of their investment is on many peoples’ minds.
Some of the original investors in certain programs have gone through the process and had their investment back, but there are points behind this that you should be aware of before investing in the EB5. We can cover with you – for more information contact Which EB5
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Tags: attorney fees, eb-5, eb5, exit stratergy, investor visa, pilot program, regional center, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
January 5th, 2011 |
Part 6 of our series – Open Letter from Experienced EB-5 Visa Attorney
Just a reminder:
My name is Anthony Olson, and I am a lawyer who operates an immigration law practice with offices in Sarasota and Fort Myers, Florida. The following information includes my analysis of certain aspects of the Regional Center program that you should consider in seeking to optimize your chances of success in the United States immigration process. Also included is a discussion detailing the process of applying for permanent residence in the U.S. through the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Pilot Program.
Please understand that any information contained herein do not constitute legal advice, nor investment advice, nor a due diligence report of any kind, and that your receipt of this information does not by itself create an attorney-client relationship.
 EB-5 Visa Exit Strategy (or) I Want My Money Back
An important aspect of investing in a regional center program is that the investor should have a well-defined exit strategy. However, the exit strategy cannot run afoul of the legal requirement under the EB-5 program that the investment be placed at risk without a guarantee; i.e., that there be no disguised redemption option to cash out before the conditions have been removed from the investor’s conditional permanent residence; and that the investment not be a loan disguised as an investment. The investor generally wants the fastest and easiest possible exit from the investment. However, one must bear in mind that USCIS’s policy requires that the investment be in place at least until the investor has removed the conditions from his conditional permanent residence. It is a legal requirement that the funds be placed at risk of partial or complete loss, just as any real business investment would be.
Tomorrow we conclude our series – An Open Letter from an Experienced EB-5 Visa Attorney
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Tags: attorney, eb-5, EB-5 Visa, exit stratergy, uscis
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October 12th, 2010 |
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Having spent several years researching, visiting and analyzing the ever increasing EB-5 qualifying regional center programs, we have developed a very clear idea of the good programs that have worked, the bad ones that have failed and the plain ugly ones where sales material fails to match reality.
An independent review of the EB-5 is very important to many potential applicants and it is of concern that so many reviews are not impartial or accurate.
Reviews from the various centers not surprisingly focus on the positive aspects but are very often silent on negative issues such as a transparent and open exit strategy i.e. how will you get your $500,000 back.
Other reviews, such as some from Attorneys, that may at first sight seem to be unbiased, can have very limited value when one discovers the reviewer has often not visited the programs they are providing information and guidance on. This can be a dangerous omission.
We have also monitored reviews on certain expat blog sites, where actual well meaning EB-5 applicants provide guidance on the center programs they have invested in. The problem that becomes apparent is, in choosing a center they carried out inadequate due diligence and are sadly facing potential difficulties when seeking the return of their investment in the future.
It is important that reviews provide the latest information, for example one regional center recently had its first I-829 refusals whereas another has recently filed for its initial I-829 approvals, it is important to be updated on this and other information.
For information on which regional center programs currently match this criteria contact us to arrange a consultation with a Senior Partner
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Tags: approvals, attorney, blog sites, eb-5, exit stratergy, I-829, independent, refusals, regional center, reviews
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
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