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February 3rd, 2012 |
 This may at first seem a strange question, but when you look at the basics of what different groups want from the EB5 visa process, the implications of the question become more apparent.
Let’s examine what different organizations want from the EB5 visa process.
- The US government devised the program to create jobs in areas of higher unemployment in the USA. Each EB5 visa investment of $500,000 is intended to create at least ten jobs for US workers.
- The EB5 regional center may have different priorities depending upon its set up.
Generally regional centers, or the projects they are offering, need your capital to fund a particular project; however, the mechanics behind the operating philosophies of these centers can vary enormously. Some centers have been in operation from the start of the EB5 program and have a measurable track record. Some with many years experience across a range of business sectors.
Other centers have been approved much more recently by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), and some of these were formed specifically because the funding for a particular project could not be raised through any of the traditional financing sources.
- You, the EB5 visa investor generally want the quickest safest route to achieve US permanent resident status for your immediate family and the return of your $500,000 capital in a specified period of time.
It cannot always be assumed that the requirements of the three groups i.e. The Government, The Regional Center and Yourself the EB5 applicant will necessarily converge, as can be seen from the following three examples.
The government’s key focus is job creation and there are certainly a number of EB5 programs that have an excellent track record in creating jobs. However, job creation in itself does not necessarily create a financially viable project and there are a number of examples of regional center projects that have created many jobs over several years that have yet to repay any investor funding.
The regional centers key focus is generally to raise funding to carry out a specific project, however, the range and quality of these projects can vary enormously. Some have already raised significant funding from one or more sources where, with others, EB5 investors may be the only source of funding.
The view the key players behind regional centers have of the immigrant investor can be very important. For some the EB5 applicant is simply a source of funding for a business proposal, whereas some regional centers also attach considerable importance to the needs and difficulties of the immigrant family and have a particular integrity tied into the whole process.
For more information on the philosophy, success and failure behind different EB5 regional centers contact the EB5 specialists at Which EB5 by email: info@whicheb5.com or by telephone at +1-561-771-1330
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Tags: eb5 investor, eb5 regional center, EB5 visa, immigrant investor, Immigration, permanent resident, US Government, Which EB5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
January 23rd, 2012 |
 “I’m buying a green card”
Speaking with a potential EB5 visa client recently he made the statement above and followed it up with “I’m prepared to pay $500,000 for a green card”
It still amazes me, maybe it shouldn’t, that in certain countries around the world potential EB5 visa applicants believe that the EB5 visa process is about them buying a green card.
The gentleman I was talking to, the one who made the statements above, was convinced that, whatever his choice of EB5 program, he would never see his $500,000 again.
Let’s spell out the facts: The EB5 program is NOT a “Green Backs for Green Card” program no matter what certain anti-immigration movements would have you believe.
With careful guidance, adequate due-diligence and by making a decision based upon facts, you can and should expect to get your $500,000 back in a definitive time. In addition, you certainly should expect to not only get conditional green card but to have the conditions removed after about two years; meaning you get to keep your green card and are not forced to leave the USA because the regional center project you chose did not create the required number of jobs.
Let’s be clear here; with so many regional center projects fighting to get their hands on your $500,000 you need to be careful. You need to rely on some expertise from outside sources including established, independent EB5 consultants, and an experienced EB5 attorney BUT, you also need to keep a clear head yourself and take responsibility for the final decision about who you are going to trust with your $500,000. Not all EB5 projects are created equal, not all EB5 projects will make sense to you. Expect to go through some level of confusion as you look at project documents.
The EB5 pilot program is a job creation program for the USA. The US government would not have invested so much time and effort recently into making this program a success if it were simply a cash for green cards program. No one can guarantee you anything about the EB5 visa program (guarantees are specifically forbidden in the EB5 program) but I can assure you that the USA government, the ethical EB5 regional center operators and we at Which EB5 all want you to get and keep your green card AND get your $500,000 back within a reasonable time frame.
I am a first generation immigrant to the USA myself; I understand so many of the thoughts and motivations that go through your head once you have made a decision to make the USA your home. I made mistakes, I trusted advice from fellow countrymen (I can explain why that can be a very dangerous thing to do) and I have been through the USCIS immigration process; I can help you and will be glad to talk about things you should be paying attention to as you prepare for and make the move to the USA.
+Stephen Parnell 
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Tags: attorney, due diligence, eb5, EB5 visa, green card, green cards, Immigration, pilot program, regional center, US Government
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
October 31st, 2011 |
 In the midst of the recent economic problems in the US, some people may wonder why they should still invest in the country. After being brought down by the folly of an over deregulated financial system, the country is slowly raising itself back up.
As the US government is trying to jumpstart the economy again, they’ve started offering incentives to investors. One incentive is the EB-5 Regional Center investment visa. This program offers permanent residency (green cards) to an investor, including spouses and children below 21, willing to provide $500,000 to a government-designated Regional Center program.
Regional Centers approach immigrant investors with offers of different projects that need financing to convince them that a certain offer is the best. But you might ask yourself as you scour through business proposals: why would I want to invest in the United States of America?
1) It is still the land of opportunity.
Ever since its start, America has been touted as the Land of Milk and Honey. Generations have traveled to the country to seek their fortune. Even now, there are people striking it rich in America, it is the birthplace of some of the biggest companies of our time: Google, Facebook, and Apple, all of which were started with a simple idea. These companies probably couldn’t have succeeded so well and so fast anywhere else in the world.
2) The economy will bounce back.
The foundation of the US economy is solid. It is, after all, the biggest superpower in the world. Because of its vital part in the intricate web of financial systems all over the world, it is still in everyone’s best interest for it to succeed.
3) The USA is still the center of the world.
From this land comes the rest of the world’s culture, filtered through Hollywood movies, Billboard Top 100s, and many brands that rise to fame all over the globe. This influence and power over the rest of the world is reason enough to believe that it is the best country to invest in.
4) If you can make it there, you’ll make it anywhere.
This line from the classic Frank Sinatra tune is true. The US can be a tough place for an immigrant, and a tougher place for an investor. Given the country’s attitude towards healthy competition and capitalism, you’re sure to learn a lot, but once you’ve mastered and survived this economy, the rest is easy.
5) The economy is ripe.
Now, more than ever, is the perfect time to invest in the USA. With the recent shakedown in the financial market, there are more opportunities than ever for investors. Both the government and the banks want to stimulate economic growth with lots of incentives and bonuses for investors. It is also the perfect time to get your pick of the best workforce, as most of them are searching for a better option. It is also the perfect time to place an investment in America, because the country needs to create jobs. In return it is offering an opportunity for you to gain permanent residence and even citizenship in this great country.
Before you start the process of securing an EB-5 Visa Green Card for you and your family, you have to understand that you’re not just investing your money; you’re investing your family in a new country. And, despite recent problems, you have to believe that it is still a great country, still the land of the free and the home of the brave.
The principals of Which EB5 are themselves first-generation immigrants; they would welcome the opportunity to help you become permanent residents too by using the EB-5 Visa program. For further information simply request it here.
(This is a guest blog post on Which EB5 blog)
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Tags: eb-5, EB-5 Visa, green card, immigrant investor, investment visa, regional center, US Government, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
May 26th, 2009 |
Most discussion around the EB-5 focuses on the amount of money you need to invest in order to qualify for the visa; what a lot of people do not realize, and what a lot of regional centers aren’t as quick to share, is that the total cost of your visa is not just a flat $500,000 or $1 million. The total cost will be higher when all is said and done.
In addition to the requisite amount of your investment as determined by the USCIS and the project you are investing in, there will be an additional set of fees charged by the regional center. This varies between each center, and is set by the administrators; these fees are in no way regulated by the U.S. government, and are entirely separate from your investment. As a bare minimum, you are probably looking at something more in line with $540,000 just to get started on the process and investing. This figure is arrived at by taking the minimum amount of $500,000 required by USCIS, and adding in the average basic fee of $40,000 that the regional center will charge in administrative and other fees.
Many of these fees are real reflections of costs of business and investment, and are justifiable. They may be used for a variety of applications, including administrative fees and legal fees accumulated by the regional center in the course of processing and overseeing the project. It is not that it is shady business for a regional center to charge a set of additional fees, and in fact this is the norm; the trouble comes when investors are not prepared for them, because they have only been given the bare basics of investment requirements.
The other problem that often arises is that investors are not told specifically what is and is not covered by the fees that are disclosed to them. For instance, the legal fees charged are the fees incurred by the regional center for legal services—they are completely separate from the legal fees that you will incur for your own representation. It is also not uncommon for an investor to be lead to believe or assume that the fees they are charged will cover all of their expenses with USCIS for application and petition fees, but this also is something separate that you need to be prepared for.
A true determination of the potential cost of doing business with a given regional center really only comes through a thorough analysis of the center’s costs and charges. You need to know exactly what is and is not included in any fee structures, but then you also need to go beyond that published list and ask the questions the centers are hoping you would not think about (at least not until it is too late and they’ve already got you on the hook for $500,000 to$1 million!). Most of these, like project evaluation itself, are not questions that you would know to ask unless you have had extensive dealings with a number of regional centers, policies, and projects. Potentially, any small variation from the “normal” application (which is usually to say, very basic and “by-the-book”, if such a thing exists) is grounds for additional charges and processing fees from the center. There are myriad potential charges that should be discussed well ahead of any commitments or payments.
Both the published and the hidden costs and fees of a regional center need to be determined before you can make a real, informed choice of a regional center investment project. Only when you know the real cost potentials will you know the real cost of doing business with the centers you are considering. And only when you know all the costs of all the centers on your list do you have a real basis for comparison between centers and projects. This is an overwhelming amount of information for one person to pursue and flesh out, but with the help of an experienced immigration consultant the information will be much more quickly forthcoming and provided in a way that makes comparisons easier, giving you the confidence to make a good decision.
Next we’ll look at potential problems and red flags associated with an EB-5 investment visa. In the meantime, if we can answer any of your questions please contact Stephen Parnell or Andrew Bartlett at Which EB5
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Tags: andrew bartlett, costs and fees, eb-5, regional center, stephen parnell, US Government, uscis, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
April 2nd, 2009 |
It is very important to look behind the claims made when considering the most appropriate regional center for your requirements.
A recent claim on behalf of a specific regional centre stated that it was the “only project regulated and controlled by a government department” and that it’s I-526 applications were granted in thirty days.
We received several questions on this point from readers who had assumed that the program in question was under the control of the US government, not so.
Currently, although classification as a regional center requires approval by the United States Citizenship and Immigration service, none are directly opertated by the US government.
Interestingly, certain regional centers have offered programs with loans to Federal government programs – not this one though which has an exit strategy dependent on the private sector leisure and real estate markets and is not directly operated by US government.
If you would find it helpful to discuss the reality behind claims please contact us at Which EB5
Andrew Bartlett
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Tags: I-526, regional center, US Government, uscis, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
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