Thousands of families who come from many different nations throughout the world and who received their green cards and permanent residency status over the past year have been enjoying their first Thanksgiving celebration in America with their families.

Thanksgiving is a truly festive occasion in America and one of the most important celebrations and holidays of the year. It is a truly unique American experience and few immigrants forget their first Thanksgiving with their families. There is a lot more to Thanksgiving than the traditional turkey dinner although the importance of that meal is central to the event. America is a country where traditions play a very important role and Thanksgiving is a tradition going back to those very first settlers’ centuries ago.

The EB-5 visa which requires a $500,000 investment in a program approved by USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Service) has become increasingly popular as one of the most effective methods of obtaining permanent residence for the applicant, their spouse and all their children under 21.

Although USCIS have approved well over a hundred regional centers to offer the program, less than a handful have been operating for long enough and have the necessary track record to be statistically proven across the board on a number of important criteria.

However, it is not generally realized that this very popular regional center visa program is actually what is termed a pilot program and is due to be phased out in the fall of 2012. It can take up to a year of processing before receiving those all important green cards. Therefore those wishing to be in America before next year’s Thanksgiving may need to act sooner rather than later if they are planning to apply for permanent residency through the EB-5 regional center program.