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December 12th, 2011 |
 During a recent first contact with a potential EB-5 Visa client the following questions were asked. I thought it would help if I shared these questions with you in case some of them had crossed your mind.
Here are the questions:
What number can I call to get more details about this program over the phone?
You can call Which EB5 Visa experts at +1-561-771-1330 Press “0” for a live operator
Can you tell me which states are operating this program?
Approximately 26 States have Regional Centers at this time. The highest concentrations are: CA 16 – FL 8 – NY 6
What is the smallest investment required?
$500,000
Is it less in some other states?
No, the smallest is the same regardless of State.
How long is it before I get my green card?
At this time (timing does vary so please check with us for up to the minute updates) you should allow about 12 months for the entire process.
How much return would I get yearly, either divided or interest on my capital investment of $500,000?
That will depend entirely on your choice of Regional Center project.
Which state has better returns?
It is not State specific but rather project specific.
Is program under federal government supervision?
Yes. The USCIS approve each Regional Center and they have the ability to withdraw or cancel a centers designation.
Is it totally safe?
No. The rules of the EB-5 Regional Center program require your funds to be “at-risk”. Your choice of Regional Center project will dictate the amount of risk.
What is the visa quota for this program yearly?
A total of 10,000 with a set-aside of 3,000 explicitly for the regional center pilot program.
Is it county specific like other visas?
No restrictions as to country.
We hope you find this useful? If you have any questions about the EB-5 Visa program please do not hesitate to put your question(s) to the EB5 Visa Experts at Which EB5 by email or by calling +1-561-771-1330
+Stephen Parnell
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Tags: at risk, EB-5 Visa, eb5 experts, green card, pilot program, questions, regional center, uscis
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
June 20th, 2011 |
 As regular readers of this blog will know there are numerous questions that should be considered by those of you making plans to use the EB-5 visa for permanent residence in the USA.
However, there are a number of questions we find that are rarely asked or even considered but which could have (depending on the answer) a significant impact on potential problems at a later stage of the EB-5 process.
Here are just a couple of the many questions that should be considered when reviewing Regional Centers programs:-
- Is the program filling with a significant number people of different nationalities, or is it mainly filled with non-English speaking applicants from just one or two countries? In certain circumstances, the answer to this question could expose a potential issue that may pose a problem during the life of the project.
- Am I able to speak in my own language to investors who have already subscribed in one of your programs?
There are also numerous questions you might wish to ask an EB-5 visa consultant when seeking information about the various regional Center options:-
- Have you ever undertaken paid work for a Regional Center advising them on any issues such as setting up sales and marketing strategies etc?
- Have any of your staff ever been barred by organizations such as the New York Stock Exchange or FINRA?
For more points to consider read Green Card via The Red Carpet and contact Which EB5 for further information.
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Tags: eb-5, eb-5 consultant, Green Card via the Red Carpet, questions, regional center, USA, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
February 17th, 2011 |
In an attempt to find out which is the most appropriate regional center program, some families attempt to carry out a due diligence search themselves to obtain the statistics they feel are necessary to answer their questions.
The problem with statistics is they can present data in a dangerously misleading way. As an example let’s look at an often asked question –
Which are the EB-5 regional centers with the highest number of approvals?
OK, the statistics which presently come from information provided by the regional centers may give you the approval figures, but they will not give you all the conclusions to draw from this question.
For example the statistics do not tell you -
- If the approvals were for a regional center that now operates a different type of program. Some centers regularly offer different programs of variable quality.
- They will not tell you if the United States Citizenship and Immigration service (USCIS) has changed its perspective on the program for that center.
- The statistics will not tell you the likelihood or otherwise of applicants getting their capital investment back from a center. Many EB-5 visa applicants need to have both their visa approved and also to see the return of their $500,000 in a reasonable period of time.
- Statistics will not tell you the very important implications if most of the applicants are from a particular country, particularly China. It is very important you are made aware of the potential dangers of this.
- Why a center with one of the highest number of approval figures also has had a number of I-829 refusals, it is critical you are made aware of the extremely important implications of this.
Choosing an EB-5 regional center program requires experienced and impartial advice, you cannot simply rely on the statistics given by the regional centers or some of the consultants and attorneys who in reality are actually working with a particular regional center.
For more information contact Which EB5
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Tags: attorneys, china, consultants, due diligence, eb-5, questions, regional center, statistics, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
February 9th, 2011 |
EB-5 visa question that clients raise frequently include-
What are the track records of the various regional centers?
- Is the EB-5 program safe?Which regional centers have the quickest processing times?
- Which regional centers have actually returned investors funds?
- What are key dangers to be aware of?
- What are there hidden costs?
- Where have problems occurred?
- What has gone wrong?
- What are the implications of programs that are slow?
- What is the feedback from previous clients regarding their experiences?
- What information was found on visiting centers that does not appear anywhere else?
- Which centers have a good track record?
- What are the implications of the program ending in September 2012?
- What is the likely impact of the world economic situation on different programs?
For more questions and ALL THE IMPORTANT ANSWERS contact Which EB5
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Tags: answers, eb-5, questions, regional center, September 2012, 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 » |
October 21st, 2010 |
There are a number of questions many EB5 visa applicants ask when trying to identify a shortlist of potential EB-5 regional centers.
Even the simplest question can raise further issues when examined by a knowledgeable and experienced expert. For example is center a) good choice, as it has sold all of its slots so far?
Again at first sight this seems a reasonable point, however it does raise several other questions all of which need proper consideration –
- Where did the investors come from?
- Are they all from one country?
- If so did they buy through agents based in that country?
- If so what are the implications?
- Why do EB-5 investors from one country have a very different set of priorities to those of another country?
- Did the investors understand English?
- Did the project attract non-EB5 investors from the USA?
- What are the positive and negative implications of this?
- How many other regional centers provided an alternative at that time?
These questions illustrate why a simple question and answer is not enough to base your conclusions on. If you would like to discuss these points with one of our Partners please contact us.
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Tags: eb-5, questions, regional center, USA, 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 » |
November 18th, 2009 |
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You are constantly cautioned by us on the need to ask detailed questions when considering the viability of a particular EB-5 regional center program, one that hopefully will meet your specific requirements.
The need for asking these questions becomes even more important when you consider just some of the issues we have found when visiting regional centers – Such as:-
• Does the Regional Center exit strategy depend on selling equity in a disadvantaged area? Some of the Centers we visited have implications like this that are not obvious.
• What we found in areas surrounding regional centers that can have a major impact.
• What the implications of the ownership of the regional center can mean to you.
• What happens if a center is not fully subscribed in a timely manner?
You can request a call with our partners to discuss these implication via email to info@whicheb5.com
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Tags: eb-5, exit stratergy, questions, regional center, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
October 27th, 2009 |
How to Choose an EB-5 consultant
Choosing a consultant to guide you through the different EB5 regional centers programs can be an important first stage for potential EB-5 immigrant investors. Key points you need to consider include:
• Are the consultants truly independent, or are they associated with a particular regional center, acting more as an agent of that center rather than providing impartial and independent advice?
• Do they charge you a fee?
• Have the Consultants actually visited the proven centers? By visiting we mean an in-depth look and review of the center, not just attending a conducted tour and arranging a photo opportunity.
• Are the Consultants doubling up as the Immigration Attorneys who are advising you?
If so there may be a conflict of interest and an ethical dimension which has been the subject of much discussion at the recent (American Immigration Lawyers Association) AILA conference in California. At this Conference leading specialist EB-5 immigration Attorneys advised that while Attorneys working with clients on the EB5 visa should obviously provide advice on immigration law, they should not necessarily be giving advice on the relative positive and negative aspects of the regional center programs.
• How many actual EB-5 immigrants have they advised, what is their success and failure rate?
• Which centers have they recommended? One or several?
• What is the range of information they provide?
It is all very well knowing who the directors of the regional centers are , what the track record of the regional centers is, and how many EB-5 visa applicants they have attracted, but all these facts miss far more important points that are critical in the current economic times.
• What is the difference between equity and loan based programs?
• What is their knowledge on economic and job creation methodology?
• Do they have links to the leading independent EB-5 immigration attorneys, economists, international chartered accountants and business attorneys?
Please feel free to email your questions or concerns on selecting an EB-5 consultant to: info@whicheeb5.com
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Tags: agent, AILA, American Immigration Lawyers Association, applicants, conflict of interest, consultant, eb-5, eb5, ethical, fee, immigrant investor, immigration attorney, immigration law, impartial, independent, job creation methodology, questions, regional center, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
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