September 5th, 2011 |
 A special message from Stephen Parnell – Joint Founder of Which EB5
September 5th 2011 is the 20th anniversary of my arrival here in the USA. The latter years of this period have been very good to me, in stark contrast to those early years when I made every mistake a new immigrant can make.
Some of you reading this blog have perhaps heard some of my own experiences as a first generation immigrant during our long telephone consultations. Some of you already know that a large part of my motivation in this business is to help you avoid the mistakes a new arrival to the USA can so easily make.
For those of you yet to spend time with me on the phone or in-person, discussing your immigration goals, I want to let you know that I have experienced a lot of the same feelings and fears you have about making the USA your home.
Arriving in a new country, particularly with young children (mine were 10 and 12 back in 1991), can be a very tough challenge.
Although I did not have the advantage of being able to utilize the most predictable path to permanent residence (the EB-5 visa), I have made it through all the trials and tribulations any immigrant could be expected to encounter. It is armed with that personal experience that I urge you to not miss out on the predictability the EB-5 program can offer you and your family. Call me or email me and I will be only too happy to arrange a free one-on-one consultation with you.
Remember, the EB-5 Visa Pilot Program is due to end on September 30th 2012 unless we are able to secure an extension or permanent program by that time. If you want to make sure you can take advantage of the current program you may need to file your application by the end of January 2012.
As a first generation immigrant to The USA, and now a proud American Citizen, it would be my pleasure to assist you in any way I can. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Stephen Parnell
info@WhichEB5.com
Telephone: +1.561.771.1330
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Tags: Immigration, stephen parnell, USA, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
May 9th, 2011 |
When you are searching for information on the EB5 visa you may come across a few companies that offer due diligence services.
These services can provide a range of information that may include details of the names of the people behind the Regional Center and their previous business experience. Often these services fail to provide information that may be a critical consideration to you such as:-
What is the track record of a Regional Center on returning my money if my application is rejected by USCIS?
Do the regional center operators really understand all the issues faced by immigrants?
 Are the regional center operators solely a money making machine for their company or do they really have empathy for the applicants going through their program and the immigration process?
Is much of the regional center’s business done with China? who are the agents they use and why is this so important?
It can be very important for you to have correct, truthful answers to these and other questions, if you would like answers to these points please contact the partners at Which EB5 Visa
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Tags: agents, china, eb5, Immigration, regional center, stephen parnell, visa, Which EB5 Visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
July 29th, 2010 |
 The gentleman and his wife had relocated to the USA from Pakistan nine years ago. Initially he came over as a student on an F1 visa and after graduation worked for a major financial sector company in New York. After working for six years on an H1-B visa, he faced a problem with the uncertainty and waiting time required for labor certification cases and adjustment of status. All this despite both his desire to remain in his job and his employers willingness to help him, could have meant he would have to leave his home in the USA and return to Pakistan. After a meeting with Stephen Parnell in New York, and discussions with an experienced EB-5 attorney, he looked at the EB-5 regional center pilot program in more detail and specified project track record, speed of obtaining the green card and investment with a company that offered a specific exit strategy as important criteria for him. He decided to invest $500,000 in a limited partnership project in an approved and proven regional center program for the development of a project in California. Approval took a little less than three months and the applicant received his green card a month later.
Read more EB-5 Success Stories here
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Tags: adjustment of status, attorney, california, eb5, F1 visa, green card, H-1B, labor certification, New York, Pakistan, pilot program, regional center, stephen parnell, USA
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
May 19th, 2010 |
 What is the EB5 Regional Center Track Record? One of the first questions that immigrants want answered is – What is the regional center’s track record for getting EB-5 visas approved?
Although this is an extremely important question to have answered, this is also a question that needs qualification, and is only a place to start. The inquiry should certainly never end here, and no decision should be based only on the percentage or number of successful EB5 visas approved through a given center and particularly any specific program from that center. In addition to this figure, some other important questions to consider include (but certainly not limited to):
- How “old” is the regional center?
- When was the center approved?
- Has the regional center been reviewed by the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO)?
- Is the regional center affiliated with a government agency or entity?) Does the Center claim to be operated by the government? Some do but when they are not.
- How many years’ experience does the principal manager of the regional center have in working with EB-5 centers?
- How many years’ experience does the principal manager have working in job creation and developing new jobs?
- How many I-526 petitions (Immigrant Petition for Alien Entrepreneur) have been filed for the regional center? – Of those, how many were approved? How many were denied?
- How many I-829 petitions (Petition by Entrepreneur to Remove Conditions) have been filed for the regional center? – Of those, how many were approved? How many were denied?
- Are fees being charged to you as an investor for information and materials?
- Will the Regional Center in question escrow invested funds?
- What happens to escrowed funds if the I-526 is rejected? Are they refunded?
- What is the project and how will investment funds be used?
- What type and frequency of project status reporting can I expect?
- What is their actual track record of returning investors $500,000 funds, actual as opposed to exit strategy, hype etc?
This list alone constitutes a lot of questions and answers; and that is not nearly the end of the inquiries that need to be made to ensure the safety of your investment and reliability of your application being approved. Even if you were able to get full and genuine answers to all of these questions (and realistically that is very hard and in some cases a near impossibility for a private investor), just having the answers will not tell you how to evaluate them. Every answer that is collected needs to be put into perspective not only for that particular center, but in perspective in comparison against other prospective regional centers as well. For most of the questions that need asking there is no one right or wrong answer—only an answer that needs further consideration and evaluation. This is what an impartial adviser will do—first get the answers that elude you, and then secondly sit down with you, discuss the implications of each one, and help you decide its bearing on your investment and your regional center selection.
The track record of the regional centers that you are considering will be the first thing that your adviser will discuss with you. That is because the track record alone will “weed out” a lot of the centers that are either simply too risky, or not right for you. From there, your adviser will walk you through a number of other evaluations, and address many more concerns to ensure the viability of the center, its projects, and their fitness for your needs.
More detailed information on the EB-5 immigration investor visa can be found in Green Card via the Red carpet – a comprehensive guide to US immigration options by Andrew Bartlett and Stephen Parnell
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Tags: andrew bartlett, eb-5, eb5, Green Card via the Red Carpet, I-526, I-829, immigrants, impartial adviser, investment, investor visa, regional center, stephen parnell, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
March 8th, 2010 |
 Should you compare EB5 investor visa projects with the help of a lawyer? The situation is understandable; you are looking into the various regional center options for your choice of EB-5 program and are spending days, weeks maybe months (it may seem like a lifetime) searching the internet in an attempt to find information on the relative advantages, or just as importantly disadvantages, of the ever growing number of regional centers.
A number of the most experienced immigration lawyers do not provide guidance on choice of regional centers. Instead they focus on the legal aspects of the EB-5 visa. Indeed there have been a number of seminars where leading EB-5 immigration attorney’s have stressed that Immigration Lawyers should not be providing advice on your choice of regional center – their focus should be on the actual legal immigration process.
So you continue to search for useful information; such as how many successful applicants have each center processed, however, how helpful is that statistic? For example, if a program has a high number of non-English speaking applicants what are the implications that are not readily apparent from the bare statistics?
When a web site quotes comparative statistics how up to date and accurate are those statistics and indeed how meaningful? The US economy is still undergoing massive changes and regional center programs that were popular a couple of years ago, at a time of significantly higher returns, may require other considerations in the light of a more conservative attitude.
Another factor that is not readily apparent from the web is how are programs actually performing once fully subscribed? Have buildings been constructed, jobs been created, what issues have come to the surface and have investors had their monies returned?
If you are looking into regional center options for your choice of EB5 regional center independent, impartial information can be found on Which EB-5, contact Andrew Bartlett or Stephen Parnell to find out what they discovered on their visits to these regional center programs.
Andrew Bartlett and Stephen Parnell are authors of Green Card via the Red Carpet available on Amazon
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Tags: amazon, America, andrew bartlett, eb-5, Green Card via the Red Carpet, immigration attorney, immigration lawyers, regional center, stephen parnell, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
March 1st, 2010 |
 It is interesting to look beyond the headlines used to promote regional center programs.
Here are some example headlines we found and the reasons you need to explore deeper to expose ALL the details before you choose a regional center for your EB-5 visa.
1. “The only Designated Regional Center in the U.S. controlled and supervised by State Government.”
The Regional Center investments that operate under the banner of a state can sometimes confuse prospective investors in terms of the implications of this status. For example, has the “State Government” any responsibility for repayment of the investment? Some investors assume such designation may offer a safety net. Another question might be: What role does the state government play in the exit strategy regarding the then value of the investment?
Some regional centers, at different times, have made this claim. One program that operated under a State banner is reportedly the subject of litigation. This could raise raises questions as to how far the “state” supervised the program.
2. “A 100% success record for EB-5 Visa approval and faster approval times.”
Many centers have a 100% successful track record, at least at I-526 stage. As regards faster approval times; centers generally get approvals within the USCIS average time lines however, for specific reasons relating to “Requests for Further Evidence” RFEs, and the nature of some programs, some centers have had longer approval times.
3. “In 2009, a total of 4,218 wealthy investors from outside the U.S. successfully applied for and received an EB-5 visa. But many are left asking what has accounted for the recent interest the program has been receiving”?
Firstly a few points regarding these figures which may seem a little pedantic but are important for reasons that can be explained.
The figure quoted includes the spouse and children of the investors; it does not mean there were actually 4218 individual investments in regional centers. - Many investors have a spouse and at least one child so the number of actual investors is nearer a third of the total number of visas. Secondly, the figure for 2009 contains a substantial number who invested in 2008; delays in processing carried these over into 2009.
The main change to be aware of in the figures for 2009 is actually the nationality of investors, with a greater proportion of Chinese investors in particular. China has seen a significant sales focus by a number of regional centers and their agents based in China. This has meant certain programs have mainly Chinese investors whose particular motivation and awareness may have implications.
4. “The regional center returned my investment in three years.”
Three years is generally unrealistic given current review times. That is unless the client is selling out at the moment their I-829 petition is approved. This could be extremely dangerous
Andrew Bartlett and Stephen Parnell are authors of Green Card via the Red Carpet. You can read excerpts of the book at our book website and/or contact the authors via Which EB5.
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Tags: andrew bartlett, china, Chinese investors, eb-5, exit strategy, Green Card via the Red Carpet, I-526, I-829, investors, litigation, regional center, request for further evidence, RFE, state government, stephen parnell, uscis, value of the investment, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
January 13th, 2010 |
 Escape the bad weather Today’s blog is coming to you from London’s freezing cold Gatwick airport as I try to return to the USA after having to postpone last week’s return due to flight cancellations caused by the snow.
It’s been a busy time over the past few weeks; I have been discussing the various regional center programs with many families in Europe who are planning immigration to the USA and are considering the EB5 visa as a preferred option. For many the reason is that the program offers permanent residence for the applicant as well as their spouse and children under 21.
It is interesting that many of those I speak to raise similar issues of concern regarding the EB-5 program, such as; what is the success rate of the various programs? Has anyone got their $500,000 back? What have I found behind the scenes when I have visited various regional centers? Which programs seem to have suffered delays?
I know Stephen Parnell, who carries out consultations with our clients worldwide, is also asked similar questions. One of the most important questions a family can ask to enable them to make an informed choice of program is very rarely asked. The question is fundamental to maintaining permanent residence after 2 years and can be an indicator to the return of your $500,000 investment.
Future EB5 blogs will focus on this question.
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Tags: eb-5, eb5, investor green card, regional center, stephen parnell, USA
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
October 19th, 2009 |
If you are considering the EB-5 visa as your pathway to permanent residence in the USA, you will want to obtain the latest accurate EB-5 news including:
- Updates on the EB5 program including the status of a program extension
- Results of I-526 applications to different regional centers
- Feedback and complaints from previous EB-5 investors – did they get their investment back?
- News on processing times for different regional centers
- News on EB5 centers from local news sources – this is often tough to track down
- News off EB-5 visa related fraud
Free subscription for regular news updates on the EB-5 visa can be obtained on Twitter at twitter.com/WhichEB5 – The latest Google search of our extensive data base of information with hundreds of articles and further information can be found at this link.
The EB-5 Investor Green Card regional center visa program is an excellent way to quickly become a permanent resident of the United States. Which EB5 researches regional centers; you make the same investment plus get all the independent advice of Which EB-5 at no cost to you.
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Tags: database, eb-5, EB-5 news, eb5, Google, green card, I-526, information, investors, permanent residence, regional center, stephen parnell, twitter, USA, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
July 29th, 2009 |
Our senior partner Stephen Parnell was recently interviewed regarding the EB-5 visa program. We now have available a limited number of CD’s containing the complete interview (45 minutes) for our clients and interested parties. The interview covered many useful topic including:
 Relocation to the United States; is it viable for me? How regional centers actually work. How long is the process for obtaining my Green Card? What are the qualifications for an EB-5 visa applicant? Are their any viable alternatives to the EB-5 visa program? What fees does an EB-5 investor pay? Why are Which EB5 different; why should we use you as opposed to an immigration attorney? How do I select which EB-5 regional center to invest in? What are the risks? What’s the one thing I need to be sure of before choosing an EB5 investment visa program? What information do I need from a regional center? Are their different types of regional centers? Exactly what is an EB5? Do the government of the USA support this program?
Update: Since the recording of this interview (only a few weeks ago) the EB-5 visa program has added additional regional center choices. The need for independent information in the choice of investment program is now stronger than ever. In this interview Stephen Parnell shares his experience and world views that should be useful for anyone considering an EB-5 investment as their route to permanent residence in America.
There are two ways to get your copy of this interview: If you are already registered with us you can request a copy via email to info@WhichEB5.com : If you are not already registered with us you can request a copy of the interview and receive information on your regional center options by completing this short form now.
 Here is a sample from the interview: Green Card via the Red Carpet – Green Card via the Red Carpet – Audio interview of Stephen Parnell
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Tags: eb-5, green card, immigration attorney, investment visa, permanent residence, regional center, stephen parnell, united states, USA, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
July 15th, 2009 |
We have been looking at the reasons why the EB5 visa has been of interest to particular groups of immigrants and today we look at a case study taken from one of our previous 100+ investors – this relates to a citizen of Pakistan who wished to change his visa from the H-1B to the EB-5 to live permanently in the USA.
The gentleman had relocated to the USA eight years ago, initially as a student on an F1 visa. After graduation he worked for a major finance company in New York. After working for a few years on the H1B visa, and wishing to file for permanent residency in the United States, he faced a lengthy waiting period required for the labor certification during the first stage of the employment-based permanent residency application. This situation had been further complicated by the distressed economy. He and his wife were also fast approaching the end of the six years allowed under their H-1B visas. An inability to renew their H-1B’s, despite both their desire to remain in their respective jobs and the willingness of their respective company’s to help, could have necessitated their departure from the USA.
After meeting Stephen Parnell during a Which EB5 discovery day in New York city, he looked at the EB-5 regional center pilot program in more detail. A successful project track record, quick processing time and an investment with a project that offered a specific exit strategy were some of the important criteria that he considered in reaching his decision. Once he had completed his diligence on the projects that met his criteria, he decided to invest the requisite $500,000 in a limited partnership project in an approved and proven regional center program for the development of an infrastructure project in California. The funds are loaned to a development agency to fund the redevelopment and renovation of a redundant government facility for commercial use. The entire process took a little over four months from beginning to end, with the I-526 approval taking three months, and the green card arriving little over a month later.
If you are currently on an H-1B visa and need to look for an alternative route to permanent residence click here now.
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Tags: california, citizen, eb-5, eb5, employment based, F1 visa, green card, H-1B, I-526, investors, labor certification, New York City, Pakistan, quick processing time, regional center, stephen parnell, USA, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
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