January 17th, 2012 |
 For an increasing number of EB5 immigrant investors their analysis of the critical differences between EB5 Visa programs has meant the difference between the success they dreamt about when they first made their application several years ago and a really devastating experience. Many of these early pioneers have adjusted to life in the USA after permanently relocating their family, they have had conditions removed from the green card and have seen the return of their full $500,000 capital in a specific time frame.
However, a minority of EB5 investors who may have failed to carry out adequate due-diligence, or took poor advice and chose speculative, flawed or higher risk programs, failed to keep their green card or lost some or all of their $500,000 when their chosen EB5 project hit a problem, as a number have.
2012 is likely to see an increase in both these two very different scenarios, an ever-increasing number of families who five years ago obtained their EB5 visas and will now receive their $500,000 returned, and the unfortunate minority who fail to consolidate their visa status with the result that they could face deportation and the loss of some or all of their $500,000.
Worryingly, the largest group are those that have invested over the years, have had the conditions removed, and would like, but are unable to obtain, the return of their $500,000.
Too little attention has been paid to this increasing issue where a clearly defined and specific exit strategy was not laid out when these families committed to EB5 programs several years ago and for a mixture of reasons, including the economic performance of the USA, there is little likelihood for the foreseeable future they will see the return of their capital.
It is important, when comparing between a more speculative and risky EB5 visa program versus a more proven well thought program, to obtain independent impartial advice from specialists who have actually visited and reviewed regional center programs.
For more information on how to obtain independent EB5 visa advice contact Chase Brodsky at Which EB5 via email chase@whicheb5.com or by telephone +1-561-771-1330
+Stephen Parnell 
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Tags: EB5 visa, exit strategy, investors, USA
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
June 22nd, 2011 |
 It may seem unbelievable but just a few years ago, with only six regional centers approved by USCIS, it was possible for prospective EB-5 investors to personally visit each one, over the course of two or three days, before making a decision as to which program to go with.
Of course finding all the information they needed from a planned tour around a center was always difficult, particularly with some of the centers inevitably focusing on making a sale, but at least in those days it was physically possible to do.
However, with over 130 Regional Centers now approved by USCIS, it would seem extremely unlikely that any potential applicant would be able to visit a significant number of the options, particularly if the applicant is based overseas.
Our team are about to visit some more of the Regional Centers. It takes several days to look not just at the projects they are offering, but also at the areas around these projects. We feel this is necessary to obtain a detailed overview of the programs.
On a number of occasions these visits have been valuable in identifying issues that would not otherwise be apparent but which could have an impact on a particular program that you might choose.
If you are considering the EB-5 visa and would like independent perspectives of the different Regional Centers programs contact us for further information.
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Tags: eb-5, investors, uscis, visiting eb-5 regional centers
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
May 5th, 2011 |
 For those of you searching the internet for information on the EB5 visa it is easy to believe that everything to do with this visa is good news and there are no negative points to consider.
This may be because Regional Centers and their agents tend to provide only the positive side of the story, after all they want people to invest in their program.
Additionally the USA is a nation of sales and marketing with many things given a positive spin.
While it is certainly correct that to date the vast majority of EB5 visa investors have been successful in obtaining the visa, and a high percentage have had their visa conditions removed, few to date have received their investment back.
Depending upon the regional center program chosen there may be good or bad reasons for this.
A very small minority of immigrant investors have been the victims of fraud from agents, had visa refusals through particular regional center programs or received back less than they paid in.
If you are considering applying for the EB-5 visa and would like to receive balanced independent information without the sales pitch then contact the partners at Which EB5
If you would like to read more impartial information on the EB5 visa this book will be of interest.
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Tags: eb-5, EB5 visa, immigrant investor, investors, regional center, USA, visa, Which EB5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
March 16th, 2011 |
 Over the past few years we have spent a lot of time visiting EB-5 regional center programs. We have discovered during those visits that what you see on the surface are not always the most important issues that you need to be aware of when choosing between the various regional center programs.
By way of explaining this it’s worth examining some of the issues that are not always considered:-
Some regional center programs operate leisure resorts, these range from ski resorts to resorts near theme parks. A visit to this type of program will generally focus on the strengths of such a program, for example there is an established stream of customers using the facilities. However, the big question really is will the EB-5 project generate enough additional business to make the project successful? In trying to answer this question it may be a good idea to looking beyond the actual facilities and focus on the surrounding area, this has sometimes provided some worrying issues that potential EB-5 investors need to be aware of.
A number of regional center programs operate property based equity programs. Given the enormous drop in commercial and domestic property values throughout much of the USA, the current market value of the property being offered as equity may be very important. We have come across a number of cases where the value being placed on the property being offered is far in excess of similar properties that have recently been sold.
There are other programs we have visited where the tours have at first site been somewhat boring with little wow factor to capture the imagination. However, looking below the surface we have identified well run, proven programs that have delivered on their objectives and have attracted several hundred clients.
If you would like for information on our regional center visits please contact Chase Brodsky on +1-559-EB5-INFO or info@whicheb5.com and we will arrange to set up a telephone briefing with you.
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Tags: eb-5, equity, investors, leisure resorts, property, regional center, ski resorts, succesful, theme parks, USA, visits
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
March 10th, 2011 |
 Every potential B-5 investor and their family have their own requirements as to exactly when they wish to obtain their green cards and legally enter the USA. You will have your own idea of a target date.
You may need to sell your home and or business before beginning the process or you may wish to leave at a particular time that is best for your children’s education, everyone has their own priorities.
The actual application process, once you have decided on a regional center program, is really set by USCIS (The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service). Depending on USCIS workload applications have taken as little as three months and as long as nine months. You may also have to take into account the time for Consular processing which will vary depending on which country you live in.
A factor which can make a big difference to the time it takes can be the particular program you chose to invest in. To understand why this it is so critical we will take a look at examples of what can happen.
It will be seen from these examples that 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 visa. Choosing the most appropriate regional center program and attorney is extremely important.
In tomorrow’s blog we will look at two examples of mistakes made by EB-5 visa applicants.
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Tags: application, consular processing, eb-5, education, green card, investors, legally, regional center, USA, uscis, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
February 28th, 2011 |
 There are a number of benefits in obtaining an EB-5 visa, these include –
- Legal permanent residents admitted through the EB-5 Investor visa enjoy many of the benefits of United States Citizens. Permanent residency requires no renewal or re-application. Other U.S. non-immigrant visas, such as E-2 and H1, often never result in permanent residency, have time limits, and require additional filing with USCIS the Department of State and can require travel to the US consulate in your home country every few years. Furthermore, U.S. immigration laws could change and prevent future approval when visa renewal becomes due.
- The United States is considered by many a safe haven for their family. Any member of the family granted a Green Card can come into the U.S. at any time and stay as long as they wish (subject to certain conditions regarding length of time when they leave the USA).
- EB-5 investors have constant easy access to the United States for personal and business purposes.
- Permanent residents can travel to the U.S. without the need of a visa. (they will need their green card) EB5 Investors may live, retire work, or own their own business anywhere in the United States.
- The U.S. has internationally recognized colleges and universities for both basic education and graduate study. These do vary enormously so it is worth seeking professional advice on this point. As a resident the EB 5 investor can benefit from lower tuition costs, particularly in your state of residence.
- The cost of living in the U.S. is often considered lower than other industrial nations. Consumer goods, services, and housing can be considerably less expensive than comparable goods and services in many other countries.
- Students may work in the U.S. while they attend college and thus help to offset tuition costs. They may also continue to work after graduation.
- The U.S. provides many financial, social and education entitlements: public schools, education and, after a period of contribution, medical and social security benefits.
- The investor has the ability to bring other family members to the U.S. and obtain U.S. citizenship – after 5 years.
More details on the EB-5 visa and green card are available from EB-5 Visa Experts where, If you are considering the EB5 visa, you can get a free evaluation of your case by a leading immigration attorney.
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Tags: benefits, citizens, citizenship, eb-5, green card, investors, permanent residency, students, united states, uscis, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
January 21st, 2011 |
For many EB-5 immigrant investors the EB 5 visa has been a great success. They have permanently relocated their family to the USA on the visa, have had conditions removed and have seen the return of their full $500,000 investment in a specific time frame.
However, a small minority of EB-5 investors have either failed to carry out adequate due diligence or have taken poor advice and chose speculative, flawed or higher risk programs with the sad results that they failed to keep their visa or lost some or all of their $500,000 investment when a program hit a problem.
It is important when making a decision between a more speculative and risky EB-5 program against a more proven well thought program to obtain independent impartial advice from specialists who have actually visited and reviewed regional center programs.
For more information simply register for complete EB5 visa program information.
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Tags: conditions removed, eb-5, failed, great success, immigrant investor, independent advice, investors, programs, projects, regional center, USA, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
January 19th, 2011 |
Many of the investors who are considering the EB-5 visa as their route to permanent residency in the USA are very clear on their priorities when selecting an appropriate regional center program.
From our experience with over 200 clients who have used our free services to select the most appropriate program to match their requirements they want:-
- A regional center with a 100% success level at obtaining the visa (I-526 stage)
- They require a regional center with a 100% success record at creating the necessary 10 jobs per investor.
- They require a regional center that has attracted several hundred investors from many countries throughout the world.
- They would prefer a regional center with a 100% success rate at what is called I-829 stage, the removal of conditions after two years.
- They preferably want a regional center program that has been operating long enough to repay its first investors back their full $500,000 investment.
Many potential EB-5 immigrant investors are also very clear what they do not want from an EB-5 regional center program – it’s a center that is high on sales information but is in reality potentially highly speculative and could lead the immigrant investor to have a high risk of losing some or all of their $500,000 investment as well as risk deportation.
For free information on the various EB-5 programs contact us via email at info@whicheb5.com or simply register for full details of EB5 visa programs.
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Tags: eb-5, eb5, free service, high risk, I-526, I-829, immigrant investor, investors, permanent residence, USA, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
January 18th, 2011 |
For several years we have been monitoring developments with the EB-5 visa and have noticed with concern an increasing trend on seminars being advertised in the USA to business people highlighting the EB5 program as good way to attract capital for new projects. There appears to be an ever increasing number of businessmen seeking to raise foreign investor capital for their projects which are unable to raise capital from more conventional methods. Many EB-5 investors are concerned about obtaining their EB-5 visa by the safest method, keeping it, and then seeing the return of their $500,000 investment. They do not want to be investing in a high risk, speculative investment that could see them lose their visa as well as some or all of their $500,000 investment.
Not all EB-5 regional center programs are equally safe, some are well proven have had many investors from different countries throughout the world and have a 100% rate of success whereas others are speculative unproven programs where the risk falls totally on the investor if anything goes wrong.
Unfortunately a number of the seminars being promoted are likely to encourage the creation of potentially unsuitable and highly risky EB-5 regional center programs which pose considerable danger for the EB-5 immigrant investor.
If you are considering the EB-5 investor visa and would like more information on which programs have a 100% success record contact us via email at info@whicheb5.com or simply register for all the information you need on the EB-5 visa program.
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Tags: 100% success, eb-5, eb5, high risk, immigrant investor, investor visa, investors, regional center, risky, safe, seminars, speculative, USA, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
January 17th, 2011 |
As the longest established consultancy specializing exclusively in the eb5 program we are proud of our 100% success rate with clients from seventy five countries around the world who have sought our advice and invested in the regional center program.
Unlike other EB5 consultants we do not undertake paid work for regional centers as we feel this would cause a conflict of interest, we only work with clients seeking to achieve permanent residency status in the USA.
Over the past few years the investment requirements of EB-5 investors appears to have changed with many seeking to concentrate on programs with a 100% success rate, a specific exit strategy and the potential for return of their investment within a specific time frame.
Over 200 clients from all parts of the world have made use of our free consultancy services and/or read the only published book written from a client perspective on the subject of the EB-5 visa program “Green Card via The Red Carpet”. For further information contact us via email at info@whicheb5.com or simply register for all the information you need on the EB-5 visa program.
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Tags: consultancy, consultants, eb-5, eb5, exit strategy, Green Card via the Red Carpet, investors, program, regional center, success, USA, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
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