Following arrests in 2009 the Canadian Government have now sent letters to more than 6000 people informing them that their citizenship or permanent residence is being revoked due to fraud.

These cases are tied to three immigration consultants who allegedly supplied false documents to the clients to support their applications for permanent residency.

The Canadian government has taken action against citizenship fraud for some time now. The “Cracking Down on Crooked Consultants Act”, imposes tough penalties for immigration consultants convicted of fraud, including fines and/or prison.

According to Canadian Citizenship and Immigration rules, to maintain permanent resident status a person must reside in Canada for at least two years within a five-year period.

Although we have not seen anything of this magnitude in the U.S. EB-5 Visa program, it does bring to mind a question we are often asked regarding the length of time you, as a U.S. permanent resident, need to stay in the USA versus the amount of time you spend out of the country.

As a visitor to the U.S. you will typically be asked by the Customs and Border Patrol agent (CBP) when you arrive “How long are you planning to stay”? This question is reversed once you are a permanent resident into “How long have you been away”?

If you, as a potential EB-5 Visa client, need to ask the following question:

“How long do I need to stay in the USA each year?” we can set-up a free consultation for you with an experienced EB-5 attorney to discuss your plans. This way you can make sure that you follow all the rules of US Permanent residence and perhaps most importantly, you are fully aware of all the rules before taking the first steps towards your own U.S. Citizenship.

Fraud, of any kind, can only ruin lives and damage theses important immigration programs from a public perception point-of-view. All EB-5 stakeholders we work with are doing everything within their power to increase awareness of the EB-5 program from a positive viewpoint. We certainly do not want to hear of any news that might bring the program into disrepute. We would ask that if you, as a potential EB5 applicant, have any questions, that you seek answers from an established, experienced source BEFORE taking any action that could harm your chances of a successful EB5 application and/or damage the program in any way.

If you would like to get an expert opinion (or a second opinion) on any aspects of the EB-5 Visa program, please contact us at Which EB5 via Email or by telephone at +1-561-771-1330. You can also use the Live Chat service on our Which EB5 website or Blog.
+Stephen Parnell