March 11th, 2011 |
 In a follow-up to yesterday’s blog Why does the time taken to obtain an EB-5 visa vary so much? today we look at two examples:
Last year a number of EB-5 applicants invested in a program that had been the subject of much contention including legal action. The investors were introduced to the program through an agent and may not have been informed about all the potential problems surrounding this program.
Following their investment USCIS took a look at the regional center and subsequently closed it down. This process took many months, time lost for the EB-5 applicants who had to start the process all over again.
Selecting a program using an inexperienced or unproven attorney as your guide
Over the past few years many immigration attorneys have offered their services for processing the EB-5 visa. However, very few have had the experience of processing several hundred visas, regular visits to the regional center programs or are acknowledged by other attorneys as leaders in the specialist field of the EB-5 visa.
The problem is if the wrong or insufficient information is presented with an application USCIS might issue a RFE (request for further evidence) which will certainly cause a delay in the processing of your petition.
The choice of both the regional center, as well as the immigration attorney can make a big difference to the time it takes you to obtain your EB5 visa. Choosing the most appropriate regional center program and attorney is extremely important.
For information on the strength and weaknesses of different regional center programs and how to choose an experienced EB5 immigration attorney to represent you contact Which EB5 for independent advice.
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Tags: eb-5, eb5, experianced, immigration attorney, regional center, RFE, uscis, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
March 9th, 2011 |
Choosing an EB-5 Immigration Attorney to guide you through the EB-5 visa process can be a lot more complex and sometimes even dangerous than it may first appear.
From our research and experience working in the EB-5 field over many years we have come to realize that some of the most experienced and respected attorneys are hard to identify simply because they do not need to advertise themselves as they receive so much referral business through previous clients.
We have also discovered that some attorneys who heavily market themselves are receiving fees from the regional center programs which may, in some circumstances, be of concern if they claim to be providing you with impartial and independent advice.
Some who state they can advise you may not have ever visited a number of regional center programs or have prepared very few I-526 petitions. Fees can also vary enormously and the whole question of ethics by attorneys working on the EB5 visa has become a much debated point at a number of attorney conferences we have attended.
For more information on EB-5 attorneys contact Chase Brodsky on +1-559-EB5-INFO or info@whicheb5.com
More details on choosing an appropriate EB5 attorney can be found in Green Card via the Red Carpet
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Tags: eb-5, eb5, Green Card via the Red Carpet, I-526, immigration attorney, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
January 20th, 2011 |
The program is due to end in September 2012 unless it is extended or made permanent before that date.
Applications are currently taking between approximately nine months to a year depending upon which Regional center Program is selected, which immigration attorney is selected and which country you are applying from.
Given the current political scenario in the USA with a Democratic President, A Democratic Senate and a Republican House of Representatives and the fact that the next Presidential election is in 2012 it is unclear at this stage if the program will be renewed.
For those looking to obtain permanent US residency through the EB-5 program and wishing to select a well proven program, rather than one or other of the more speculative and unproven programs which are being highlighted, it may be appropriate to start carrying out due diligence sooner rather than later, particularly as some of the most proven programs have filled up very quickly in the past few months.
For more information contact us via email at info@whicheb5.com or sign-up for complete EB-5 visa information.
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Tags: eb-5, immigrant investor, immigration attorney, information, permanent residence, regional center, September 2012, USA, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
January 10th, 2011 |
The increasingly popular EB-5 visa can provide permanent residence in the USA for the applicant, their spouse and their unmarried children under 21. The favored EB-5 visa option is the Regional Center Pilot Program which requires a minimum investment of $500,000 through a Center approved by the US Government.
In a series of blogs this coming week we will answer some more of the questions frequently asked by those who are considering relocating to the USA in the next year. (The visa is what is termed a pilot program and is currently due to end in 2012).
Why is processing time with the USCIS taking so long?
Processing time from the moment the investment is made depends on four key stages, of which two are dependent on USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Service).
- The track record and/or experience of the EB-5 immigration attorney selected; their track record can vary considerably.
- The regional center program selected. Some programs have a greater risk of being served a Request for Further Evidence (RFE) which can add considerably to the processing time, whereas others have fewer issues for USCIS to question.
- The processing time once the application reaches USCIS. This is currently in the region of 6 months (December 2010) but has been as low as 2 months. Staff availability and training at the USCIS service center processing applications are factors in the current longer processing time.
- The other important factor affecting processing time is where you are residing once the I-526 is approved. For those already in the USA, (probably on a non permanent visa) the applicant usually files for an adjustment of status however, if you are residing overseas and will need to seek an interview at the US Consulate in your country processing times can vary.
More questions concerning the EB-5 visa tomorrow.
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Tags: adjustment of status, eb-5, I-526, immigration attorney, investor visa, permanent residence, pilot program, processing times, questions, request for further evidence, US Consulate, USA, uscis, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
December 14th, 2010 |
 Finding information on the EB-5 visa is relatively easy with so many regional centers and their agents regularly issuing articles and press releases on the current investment visa programs. Additionally, an ever increasing number of immigration attorneys are issuing information identifying their suitability to prepare your EB-5 visa application. However, all too often the information from these sources is simply a sales method designed to get clients to commit to a particular program rather than taking an in-depth look at the large amount of regional center programs and the real track record beneath their sales presentations.
Which EB5 are unusual in this respect as they only work with clients looking to emigrate to the US on the EB-5 visa. Unlike some other so called visa experts they do not represent business enterprises looking to raise capital as a USCIS EB-5 Regional Center. This is what truly sets Which EB5 apart from other EB5 consultants.
The impartiality of Which EB 5 maybe the reason we have a 100% track record with our clients who come from over seventy-five (75) countries around the world. [See some of their stories here]
In addition, a number of Government Agencies, including the Executive Office of the President of the USA, have sought information from the extensive Which EB5 website. The Which EB 5 website includes content from the only published book written from an immigrants perspective on the EB-5 visa – Green Card via the Red Carpet.
Consultations with the authors of Green Card via the Red Carpet, who are also the Managing Partners of Which EB-5, can be arranged via email at: info@WhichEB5.com
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Tags: consultants, eb-5, Green Card via the Red Carpet, immigration attorney, information, President of the USA, regional center, uscis, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
October 27th, 2010 |
 If you are planning to apply for the EB-5 visa and require approval in time for your children to start school/college in the USA at the start of the school or college year you need to act now.
After conferring with a number of the leading specialist EB5 immigration attorneys we have calculated that the current average times for USCIS approvals is about 5 months, add consular interviews, running at an additional 3 to 4 months, and you have a total of approximately 9 months.
Some regional center programs, can for specific reasons, (lack of RFE – requests for further evidence) be faster than others.
If timing is important to you as you want your children to start school, or you have children turning 21 in the next year, please contact us urgently for further information at info@whicheb5.com
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Tags: children, eb5, immigration attorney, RFE, school, timetable, USA, uscis, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
October 7th, 2010 |
Last week I (Andrew Bartlett) was invited onto a panel of experts that was providing information on the EB-5 visa at a number of European venues. The panel also included people who had successfully applied for the EB-5 regional center visa a few years ago and offered the opportunity for the audience to ask a wide range of questions on the various regional center programs.
Over the next week I will cover some of the questions we were asked by the audience, including:-
- Is the regional center program safe?
- Will my investment be safe in a regional center program?
- How much are attorney fees for the EB-5 visa application process, how to find a reasonably priced and experienced immigration attorney?
- What are the positives and negatives of equity and loan based programs?
- Why do some regional centers emphasize the importance of their job creation program?
- How do I find the most appropriate EB-5 regional center to match my requirements?
- Which are the regional center programs with the best track records?
- Has anyone received their $500,000 in full from the program?
- What is the hidden significance of programs that attract a very high proportion of non English speaking Asian investors?
- Will the EB-5 program continue after 2012?
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Tags: 2012, andrew bartlett, application process, asian, attorney fees, eb-5, eb5, experts, immigration attorney, job creation, questions, regional center, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
September 17th, 2010 |
Over the past few days we have been looking into the question asked by many potential EB-5 immigrant investor visa applicants “Is the EB5 visa safe”? We have looked at lessons to be learnt from the vast majority who have not experienced any problems using the EB-5 visa route to permanent residence in the USA, as well as points to be aware of from the experience of the unfortunate few who have suffered problems.
If you are considering the EB-5 visa there are points you can follow to safeguard the process. Number one would be “Begin by seeking independent, impartial and experienced advice” at the start of the process.
Work with a company who has been in business for at least three years, have successfully advised over 150 EB-5 visa holders, have worked with different regional centers not just one or two, have visited the proven regional center programs, have worked with people of different nationalities, have access to a number of leading EB-5 immigration attorneys.
Find out if any of the company’s directors have any negative history such as investigations by the New York Stock Exchange. Are they viewed as experts in the EB-5 immigration field? And above all please do not believe all you read and all you are told by the regional centers without taking independent third party advice.
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Tags: eb-5, immigrant investor, immigration attorney, NYSE, permanent residence, regional center, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
June 7th, 2010 |
 All over the world there are people who want to live in the USA but despite their qualifications find that they are unable to obtain business sponsorship, labor certification or a suitable offer of employment.
As specialist EB5 Immigration Attorney Anthony Olson recently explained, labor certification is dependent on the sponsoring employer not finding a qualified, willing, able, and available worker in the local job market. In the current market there are many well-qualified people out there looking for jobs thus labor certification is not looking very promising as a vehicle to permanent residence. This could well be one of the reasons for the growing popularity of the US EB-5 investor visa green card.
Which EB5 research all EB-5 investment visa options and our impartial advice has helped many families obtain Green cards and permanent residence in the USA. For more details of how the EB5 program can help you read the Guide to the EB5 immigrant investor visa program.
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Tags: eb-5, eb5, green card, immigration attorney, investor visa, relocate, USA
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
April 30th, 2010 |
 USCIS are doing a great job for EB-5 Stakeholders I read a quote from an immigration attorney today that I thought worth commenting here on our blog; here is the quote:
“This administration has made it increasingly difficult to obtain visas because of bureaucratic incompetence and potential business immigrants are now choosing to avoid the United States altogether, because the obstacles at times are insurmountable”.
From personal experience, including a visit to the California Service Center of the USCIS where all EB-5 visa applications are adjudicated, I can tell you that the USA is attracting more EB-5 visa attention from abroad than ever before and that we are enjoying regular processing time for an immigrant investor petition, an I-526, of 90-100 days. If that is “bureaucratic incompetence” then I can’t wait for things to improve!
Really folks, the CSC are doing a very good job of keeping-up with processing times and offer us EB-5 stakeholders a generally good service. Rather than trying to knock the service levels we enjoy, yes, I said enjoy, shouldn’t we all be working together to make sure petitions are complete and fit all required criteria? This way we can build our relationship with the civil servants that process the EB-5 applications and foster a professional relationship rather than making excuses.
Just my humble opinion.
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Tags: eb-5, I-526, immigration attorney, investment visa, USA, uscis
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
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