November 28th, 2011 |
 As we approach the end of the year it is normal for people all across the world to be busy with typical holiday time preparations and as such we normally see a marked downturn in new client contact. However, this year, in contrast to previous years, we are seeing continued strong demand for advice and guidance on all aspects of a potential move to the USA using the EB-5 Visa program.
A variety of factors are apparently at play here:
- Continued trouble, both financial and political, around the world
- A recent rally by the US Dollar that may continue, at least for a while, in light of the Euro debacle – This is seen by many as a sign that a move to the USA should be considered now and not later when the cost of exchanging local currency into $500,000 could potentially increase
- Recent figures from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) that the number of applications for the EB-5 Visa continues to climb, with the thought, that at some point in the near future, we might reach the annual maximum of 10,000 Visas
- Continued focus on the EB-5 program by Alejandro Mayorkas – Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. Director Mayorkas is devoting considerable effort into streamlining the EB-5 program and he continues to make progress in that direction leading to increased awareness of the benefits this program offers potential immigrants
These are just some of the reasons we continue to see a very bright future for the EB-5 program. However, recently you may have noticed, in our blog postings that we continue to warn of the dangers of NOT obtaining experienced advice when considering the EB5 as your path to a new life in the USA. I would like to reinforce that warning again today. We continue to see new so-called experts enter the arena offering advice on the EB-5 program. All I can say is please ask anyone you may be considering as an EB5 consultant or advisor:
- How many clients they consult with each month
- How many successful I-526 petitions do they have
- Do they have any successful I-829 petitions
- How many Regional Centers have they successfully guided clients through
- How long have they been advising on the EB-5 program
- Which experts do they use to provide legal, investment, accounting and currency exchange advice to their clients
If you cannot get satisfactory answers to those questions please call +1-561-771-1330 or email info@WhichEB5.com for advice – We look forward to adding you to our long list of clients
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Tags: advice, advisor, Alejandro Mayorkas, consultant, eb-5, EB-5 Visa, eb5, I-526, I-829, immigrants, investment, legal, regional center, USA, uscis, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
May 19th, 2011 |
 If you are considering the EB-5 visa as the best route for obtaining permanent residence in the USA, this is one of the questions you may well be considering.
The answer will depend upon the regional center project you select.
This is an area where you need to be very careful. There is little point in focusing on a regional center program which claims a high rate of return if the program fails to secure your $500,000 at the end of the investment period and/or does not comply with I-829 requirements, (removal of conditions) with the result that your family end up being deported.
Your EB-5 visa choice requires a careful balancing act, and you may feel the priority should be maintaining visa status (i.e. I-829 approval) and obtaining the return of your $500,000 in a reasonable period of time, rather than being put at risk by promises of a significant monthly return which may never happen.
You should also be aware that monthly returns may not be guaranteed. As an example, if you select a property based EB5 program and due to market conditions the property proves difficult to rent out for instance, you will probably not receive rental income.
If you would like more information on the performance of the various regional center programs and their relative strengths and weaknesses please contact Which EB5
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Tags: eb-5, eb5, I-829, immigrant investor, investment, regional center, rental income, risk, USA, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
May 3rd, 2011 |
 We recently received a question from a gentleman who had been looking at the EB5 visa for some time. He felt it was the most appropriate visa to relocate him, his wife and children to the USA and provide them with permanent residence.
The question was straightforward – I have been told by my Attorney that Center X will guarantee the return of my funds as well as a 4% annual rate of return, is this right?
We have been advising people considering the EB5 visa for many years, have 100% success with over 200 applications and talk to an average of 20 people a day about the EB-5 but this question really worried us.
You may ask why, I will explain the reasons.
Regional Centers are not allowed to guarantee the return of the funds. USCIS require the investment to be at risk. Guaranteeing the return would contravene USCIS requirements and lead to eventual refusal.
No one can guarantee a 4% return per year on investment without adding some severe conditions to the claim; this is subject to market forces and circumstances.
This information was given by an Attorney. Potential immigrant investors have to trust someone and usually it is their Attorney. Yet the information given by the attorney is completely wrong!
It really is important to check, check and check again when looking at information on the EB5 Visa as we point out in our book Green Card via the Red Carpet
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Tags: attorney, eb-5, EB5 visa, guaranteed, immigrant investor, investment, permanent residence, regional center, USA, uscis
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
February 24th, 2011 |
The EB-5 visa is and should be primarily a visa that grants a family permanent residence in the USA. The visa requires an investment of $500,000 in one of a number of regional center programs that have been approved by The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS).
Thousands of immigrants throughout the world have used this visa and now live happily in the United States. This visa has now been operating long enough for the early investors, on certain specific programs, to have had their investment returned in full.
However, despite the excellent record of the best proven centers some other programs continue to cause concern. It is important to remember when looking for a regional center program that you are trusting your family’s immigration safety as well as your investment of $500,000. Please remember that facts are much more important than glossy brochures and sales promises.
If certain programs have higher risks, are poorly thought through with poor exit strategies and are unlikely to create the required ten jobs, you may be vulnerable to both losing some or all of your money as well as deportation from the USA .
What can happen when you don’t ask the right questions – DEPORTATION?
For impartial information on the status and record of the various regional center programs contact Which EB5
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Tags: deportation, eb-5, Immigration, impartial information, investment, permanent residence, regional center, USA, uscis, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
February 14th, 2011 |
As part of our ongoing research we have identified significant potential problems with a number of EB-5 regional center programs. We remain concerned that some families focus only on the legal implications of the EB-5 visa and seek minimal advice about the positives and negatives of the various regional centers or ask the wrong questions on the investment implications.
Even when looking at the investment side all too often clients start by asking which particular regional center program gives the highest return on their investment. This is not only the WRONG QUESTION TO ASK from a visa perspective, it can also be extremely dangerous.
With so many regional centers offering the EB5 visa program, over 130 at the latest count, it is inevitable issues would arise sooner or later particularly with some investors from counties where English is not their first language. Frequently these families are reliant on local sales agents representing one or two programs and it is possible that a significant number of investors do not realize the weaknesses of the program they are offered.
A center that has, according to a recent report, run into problems sold extensively in Asia. The legal advice these families obtained focused mainly on obtaining the visa but the majority of investors failed to obtain separate independent advice on any other options and the investment implications of the center in question.
The problem now is not only do they stand to lose at least some of their investment by making the wrong decision on their program of choice but also their right to stay in the USA if the project fails and the jobs are not created.
As part of our process we monitor programs closely to identify issues which is, as you can imagine, a full time occupation – being aware of what is happening on the ground is very important and impossible to do if you are several thousand miles away relying on a local sales agent or an attorney focused specifically on just the legal immigration question as opposed to the investment visa.
There are some excellent programs available and the EB5 visa is for many both the fastest and only option for permanent residency but obtaining impartial advice is very important. For more information contact Which EB5.
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Tags: Asia, dangerous, eb-5, eb5, independent advice, investment, problem, regional center, research, sales agents, USA, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
February 8th, 2011 |
The vast majority of EB-5 visa holders have experienced no problems with the visa and have been successful with their applications, the removal of the conditions (I-829) and a number have invested long enough for their $500,000 to be returned in full.
However there has been a small minority who experienced problems such as refusals at I-526 or I-829 stage, or the loss of all or part of their investment.
There are a number of applicants who fell at the first hurdle failing to obtain their I-526 approval. Problems can occur if a regional center program requires a certain number of investors to reach a critical mass and fully fund its program. Unfortunately there are programs presently being marketed to investors that may be susceptible and therefore will not provide the requirements for successful I-526 applications.
Concern has been expressed regarding programs which simply see affluent foreigners as an easy source to fund risky and poorly thought through schemes which cannot raise capital in other ways. Particular problems can occur if the potential EB-5 investors do not understand English and rely totally on overseas agents who may fail to identify the weaknesses of a particular EB-5 regional center project.
A very small number of EB-5 visa holders experienced issues at the I-829 stage (removal of conditions). Clearly this is a significant problem for the visa holders who have been living in the USA for two years by this time. In one particular case the regional center involved switched the investors funds to a program that USCIS determined did not comply with the original requirements of the program.
An extremely small number of investors lost their funds due to alleged fraud when funds were not submitted to a regional center or attorneys escrow account but to a third party (currently under investigation). If the necessary advice had been obtained beforehand, the victims of this scenario could have been warned about the past track record of the individual they were working with. Checks on bankruptcy history and the New York stock exchange commission can identify important background information.
For details on the track record of regional center programs contact Which EB5
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Tags: attorney, eb-5, fraud, I-526, I-829, investigation, investment, new york stock exchange, regional center, USA, uscis, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
October 20th, 2010 |
 Increasing numbers of overseas visitors would love to relocate to the sunny all year round states of Florida, California and Arizona. However, although they may qualify for a six month visa – for those wanting to retire and relocate permanently, there is no specific visa that allows overseas retirees to live year round in the USA, even if they are wealthy and self supporting.
Although there has been ongoing talk for years of a silver visa, nothing has ever materialized and indeed nothing looks likely to. Therefore, unless these retirees have a close American relative, permanent retirement to the States has seemed a never to be fulfilled dream.
The EB-5 visa regional center pilot program has been a blessing to many retirees wishing to permanently retire to the States. In return for a $500,000 investment in an approved program (that may be in the region of a five or six year commitment) many have achieved their lifelong dreams.
Contact us for information on retiring to the USA using the EB-5 investor visa.
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Tags: arizona, california, eb-5, florida, investment, investor, retire, silver visa, USA, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
October 11th, 2010 |
This question is often asked by those pursuing the EB-5 route to permanent residency in the USA; however, it is a question that has potential dangers attached to it.
For example let’s say a regional center offers a particularly high investment return – consider the following point:
You are applying for a visa that happens to be an investment visa. If that investment fails, or jobs are not created, when you apply for your removal of conditions after twenty one month’s not only do you risk losing your money but you and your family could lose their green cards and face removal proceedings from the USA.
Therefore, in solely focusing on the highest investment return you may have jeopardized your original purpose of obtaining the EB-5 visa which is to gain entry and remain permanently in the USA.
Most cautious individuals usually focus on the likelihood of their application being granted – then conditions being removed after two years and the return of their $500,000. The rate of return is seen as a possible bonus, not a key factor.
For information on which regional center programs currently match the above criteria contact us to arrange a consultation with a Senior Partner.
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Tags: eb-5, eb5, green card, investment, permanent residence, regional center, USA, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
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.
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Tags: America, eb-5, guarantee, I-829, investment, jamaican, misleading, permanent residence, state government, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
May 28th, 2010 |
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As the EB-5 program has now been operating for several years there are a numbers of families who have experienced the entire cycle. They originally obtained their I-526’s, and their green cards, had conditions removed via the I-829, have lived in the US long enough to apply for citizenship, and have had a return on their original $500,000 investment or are due to in the next few months.
Their experience on the return on their investments are particularly interesting for those considering the EB-5 option as some investing in particular regional centers received back less than they originally invested; others are likely to receive back at least the $500.000 they initially invested possibly more.
It is also interesting to analyze the experience of the many regional centers that have been approved by the USCIS to offer regional center EB-5 programs; there are significant differences when using different criteria to measure results, all of which are important for potential EB5 investors to understand.
If you are seeking feedback of either immigrant’s experience of the EB-5 or the experience of the various regional centers it would be worth contacting Which EB5 who have carried out extensive research in these areas and received feedback from families who have been through the entire EB-5 process.
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Tags: eb-5, eb5, eb5 investors, green card, I-526, I-829, information, investment, investors, regional center, uscis, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
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