January 27th, 2012 |
Earlier today we posted a video blog regarding the fact that in the first quarter of the fiscal year 2012 the USCIS issued more than 2300 EB5 visas. Many of our readers have asked us to give statistics for EB-5 visa usage in earlier years.
Below you will see an official USCIS slide from the recent EB5 stakeholders conference call that details the EB-5 visa usage ffrom 2005 though first quarter 2012.
If you would like to discuss how these figures might impact your EB=5 visa application please contact us immediately for a free briefing.
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Tags: eb-5, eb5, EB5 visa, free briefing, USA, video
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
January 24th, 2012 |
 A couple of weeks ago we heard from a particular family who were looking at the EB5 visa as their best method of obtaining permanent residency in the USA. They had a number of questions to ask and during the course of our conversation it became clear they had learnt about a particular EB5 visa program through friends in their home country.
The regional center in question had strong contacts with this particular country but was a new and unproven center with no record of visa approvals. Unproven centers maybe a concern given there is often little statistical information to factor into due diligence considerations.
As first generation immigrants we can understand why sometimes potential immigrants place emphasis on working with people who come from their home country, perhaps on the basis that they have experience of the journey they are planning to take. However, looking at the regional center project this family was considering it became clear that they had not been given all the information necessary to make a judgment.
Apart from having no track record the regional center had other critical issues.
• The project in question may or may not have been a viable business proposition, from an immigration perspective it needed to satisfy certain standards including creating approved jobs. Failure to do so could lead to eventual deportation from the USA.
• The project had an ambiguous exit strategy. This raised questions such as when or indeed if they were likely to see the return of the $500,000 they would need to invest to make their EB5 visa application.
• It is also interesting to compare current processing times between various regional centers. We are aware of one long-established regional center that currently is having applications approved in six weeks where a number of new small and un-established centers are still waiting for their I-526 applications to be approved over a year later!
It could take several years before an EB5 visa holder realizes that they have made a bad decision in their choice of a regional center project.
Assuming an applicant does get approval for the visa it could be at least two years before they become aware of a problem and later find they have not been approved for the all-important I-829 (removal of conditions) petition. (This is required after two years and approval is dependent on the funds being invested in accordance with the original application and the creation of ten jobs as laid out under USCIS requirements)
In some cases it could be even longer, maybe five years, maybe ten years or longer before investors realize they may not see the return of some or all of their $500,000 investment. Bottom line, it is critical to get independent and impartial EB5 visa information when considering this visa.
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Tags: due diligence, eb5, EB5 visa, exit strategy, I-526, I-829, immigrant, immigrants, impartial information, permanent residency, regional center, removal of conditions, track record, USA, uscis, WhichEB5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
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 » |
January 13th, 2012 |
 Recently I heard a very sad story of a client, not a client of Which EB5 I have to say, who was rejected at the consular processing stage of their EB5 visa application.
Keep in mind that rejection at this stage typically means that your $500,000 is locked-up in your chosen regional center project for at least four years and you will soon see why experienced advice is necessary to avoid this issue.
The consular processing of your EB5 visa application comes after your I-526 is approved by the USCIS and before the US State Department actually issue your EB5 visa. This step is required if you are outside the USA when your petition is filed rather than adjustment of status if you are in the USA on an existing visa.
Many clients ask me questions about the consular interview process as they are, quite naturally, concerned about this “interview process”.
The clients of Which EB5 are fully briefed on what to expect at the consular interview by both myself and expert EB5 attorney Anthony Olson. It is important that when you head into the consular interview that you understand both the purpose and likely content of the questions you will be asked.
I tell my clients that in fact as long as they tell the truth, do not verbally or physically abuse the consulate officer they actually have nothing to worry about.
The story of the client that was rejected at the consular interview, the one I refer to above, (just a reminder that this was NOT a client of Which EB5) was apparently rejected for becoming verbally abusive. Now I don’t know the full details of what happened but you can be sure that this verbal abuse must have been quite extreme for the officer to finally deny the application.
The best general advice I can give to anyone facing the consular interview process is to tell the truth, keep calm and be very well prepared.
Clients of Which EB5 can get all the help they need to attend the consular interview with absolutely no concerns by having a free briefing session with expert EB5 consultants and attorneys.
To request all the EB5 visa information you need contact Which EB5 by email info@whicheb5.com or telephone +1-561-771-1330
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Tags: attorney, consular processing, EB5 Attorney, eb5 consultants, EB5 visa, regional center, USA
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
January 11th, 2012 |
 Could the EB5 visa investment requirement of $500,000 be increased?
Ongoing uncertainty in many countries throughout the world has resulted in increased interest in immigration to the USA.
All over the globe political concerns including the uncertainty in Korea after the death of Kim Jong II, environmental concerns such as natural disasters in Japan and economic concerns such as the problems in the Euro zone make the USA seem an ideal oasis of calm by comparison.
The fact that recent USA labor figures show unemployment finally starting to decline emphasize that the US is beginning to put its problems behind it. The USA has many advantages including its transparent political system and world leading education system which have made it the preferred choice for so many families seeking to improve their family’s quality of life.
For many, the preferred route to achieve this has been the EB5 visa, it is one of the few readily available options that allows an entire family (applicant, spouse and unmarried children under 21) to get permanent residence in the USA in a relatively quick time.
Currently the EB5 visa requires an investment of $500,000 in what the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) terms a “Regional Center”. However, there has been commentary by certain leading political figures that the $500,000 investment, which has not been altered for over ten years, could be increased in September 2012. If you are considering the EB5 immigrant investor visa as the best method to achieve permanent residency in The USA, you may be interested in a significant point made by Senator Grassley of Iowa, who is the ranking member of the Senate Committee on The Judiciary. In his statement on reauthorizing the EB5 regional center pilot program, Senator Grassley made a number of points including:-
“I think it’s important to consider whether the dollar amounts should be raised. They have remained at $500,000 and $1 million since the early 1990s.”
The increased popularity of the EB5 visa makes such an increase a possibility, and in the event of such an announcement, it is likely there will be a rush of applicants to beat an increase. Such a rush would have consequences in terms of supply and demand of places. In theory there are over 200 regional centers offering programs qualifying for the EB5 visa, however, currently many of them are inactive.
Of those regional centers currently offering projects, a significant number have very limited experience and/or potentially very speculative programs which show only a few previous investors.
Many potential EB5 visa applicants require programs that can point to an unblemished record, including the following:-
1. A good record of applications progressing through USCIS system in a timely manner, (times can vary from under six months to well over a year).
2. A 100% record of I-526 success.
3. A 100% record of I-829 success. At this stage conditions are removed from the green card.
4. The return of the full $500,000 within a reasonable time period. Many feel this needs to be between four to six years.
Despite lavish claims made by a number of regional centers at the beginning of 2012 it seems that only one regional center will have fully met all these criteria. (Further factual information can be obtained from WhichEB5).
It is important to be aware that in 2011 a number of regional centers programs were investigated by USCIS and later closed. In other cases families had I-829’s rejected. It is important to be very careful when choosing a regional center program and look beyond the all too typical sales hype and false promises.
For those looking at the EB5 visa as the best route to settle your family in the USA, but wanting the widest possible choice of regional center programs, there may be regional centers, which although not fulfilling all the four criteria above, may be of interest depending upon your own specific requirements. Arrange a free briefing through WhichEB5 now and you can be updated on the options available and the latest news about the EB5 visa program.
Contact Chase Brodsky on +1-561-771-1330 or via email at chase@whicheb5.com – Request full details of EB5 Visa programs
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Tags: committee on the judiciary, eb5, EB5 visa, green card, I-526, I-829, immigrant investor, Immigration, immigration to the usa, investor visa, japan, kim jong ii, Korea, natural disasters in japan, permanent residence, regional center, regional centers, residency in the usa, senate committee, Senator Grassley, united states citizenship and immigration service, USA, uscis, WhichEB5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
January 9th, 2012 |
 Encouraging economic data from The USA was contained in the latest jobless figures which showed the jobless rate falling to a three-year low, with an extra 212,000 people finding jobs. (Some credit going to the EB5 visa program). These figures have helped drive the unemployment rate down to 8.5% but a number of politicians have stressed that more needs to be done.
With the Presidential elections due later in the year, there is substantive political pressure to further reduce the jobless figures and the EB5 visa remains one method that effectively creates new jobs for American workers and does NOT have a cost to the American tax payer.
The EB5 visa works on the basis that immigrants to the USA can be granted permanent residency status for themselves, their spouse and their unmarried children under 21 in return for investing $500,000 in what is termed a Regional Center program. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has to date approved over 200 of these centers.
The performance of the regional centers has varied considerably; some have already created thousands of jobs benefiting the US economy, where others have collapsed achieving very little and potentially losing some or all of the investor funds.
For those of you planning to move to the USA and seeking independent impartial advice on the various regional center options the EB5 regional center program is expected to be extended at some stage during 2012, although there has been some discussion as to whether the required investment level may be raised above the current $500,000 level.
For more information on how the EB5 visa can obtain permanent residency in the USA for you and your family please contact Chase Brodsky on +1-561-771-1330 or via email at Chase@WhichEB5.com or register for EB5 visa information here.
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Tags: american, eb5, EB5 visa, immigrants, regional centers, USA, uscis
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
December 15th, 2011 |
 Yesterday was the last EB5 discovery day of 2011 and it was a great success – Thank You
Our EB5 discovery day meeting yesterday was a great success. I wanted to personally thank those who attended and especially those that stayed afterwards for one-on-one consultations. These new format meeting have been very succesful all year and we are going to expand the opportunity for you to attend in 2012.
During the first quarter of 2012 we will be holding our now famous EB5 Discovery Day meetings in the following cities:
These discovery day meetings are designed for a small group of potential EB5 clients who want to get an in-depth overview of the EB-5 Visa program in a personal setting followed by personal one-to-one meetings with expert EB-5 attorneys and consultants. No fee is charged to attend any of our meetings. You can get more expert EB-5 visa information in this meting than is possible with investing a week on the internet.
If you would like to attend one of our 2012 discovery days please use the following links to request location and date information.
EB5 Visa Discovery Day in Beijing
Existing Which EB5 client
Not yet registered with Which EB5
EB5 Visa Discovery Day in Miami
Existing Which EB5 client
Not yet registered with Which EB5 Existing Which EB5 client
EB5 Visa Discovery Day in Orlando
Existing Which EB5 client
Not yet registered with Which EB5 Existing Which EB5 client
Those of you who are new to the subject of the EB-5 visa program may want to read the only guide written for the exclusive use of potential EB-5 clients “Green Card via the Red Carpet” available in hard-copy or Kindle direct from Amazon.
We look forward to meeting you and discussing your EB5 questions and concerns in 2012. In the meantime we are available for Video & Telephone consultations at any time by appointment. Please email our client services director here to set up an appointment.
+Stephen Parnell
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Tags: amazon, attorney, Beijing, china, consultant, consultations, Discovery Day, EB-5 Visa, eb5, exclusive, Green Card via the Red Carpet, investing, kindle, miami, orlando, USA, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
December 14th, 2011 |
 H-1B visa holders who are approaching the six-year limit on their visa may find they face a major problem in holding onto their jobs and maintaining their lives in the USA. Once an H-1B visa holder has reached the six-year limit, or if they are laid off, the ability to extend the H-1B visa is often gone. In many cases, unless the person can qualify for a different visa, it becomes necessary to leave the U.S. for a year to restore H-1B visa eligibility.
Even if the H-1B visa holder manages to hold on to the job and the visa sponsorship, it can take many years to get permanent residency status (green cards) despite years of waiting. It has been pointed out that if you are an Indian or Chinese professional with an advanced degree, due to the country-specific green card backlog in the EB-2 category, you are little better off than your fellow countrymen with a bachelor’s degree.
Students holding F1 visas also face problems given the current economy has created a difficult job market, particularly at a time when there are many highly qualified U.S. citizens and permanent residents available who do not need H-1B visa sponsorship. In some cases, overseas students are even having a difficult time to find an employer just to maintain eligibility to stay in the U.S. for the optional practical training period, let alone to find sponsorship for an H-1B visa or the green card.
With the help of the EB5 visa program, people in these difficult situations can get green cards. The EB-5 visa program has its own specific annual quota of green cards and at present there is no backlog. The only delay is the about one year that it can take to go through the entire EB-5 immigration process.
Once the EB-5 investor obtains conditional residence they have all the rights and benefits of a permanent resident. This means they are no longer dependent on the existing U.S. employer, or on finding employment with a U.S. employer, indeed they can even go into business for themselves.
The EB-5 visa can give freedom, more career options, competing on equal terms with U.S. citizens and permanent residents in the labor market and business world, and the security that allows you to stay in the U.S.
As long as you maintain your investment in a regional center that achieves its business plan and creates 10 jobs per investor you will receive permanent residence after the two-year conditional period.
The importance of obtaining independent impartial advice before considering relocation to the USA is critical. As a first step it is worth reading the only published consumer guide on the EB-5 process Green Card via the Red Carpet.
For more impartial information on the EB-5 visa contact EB5 Experts at Which EB5 via Email or telephone at +1-561-771-1330
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Tags: chinese, eb-2, EB-5 Visa, eb5, eb5 experts, F1, green card, Green Card via the Red Carpet, H-1B, Immigration, permanent residence, sponsorship, USA, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
December 13th, 2011 |
Following arrests in 2009 the Canadian Government have now sent letters to more than 6000 people informing them that their citizenship or permanent residence is being revoked due to fraud.
These cases are tied to three immigration consultants who allegedly supplied false documents to the clients to support their applications for permanent residency.
The Canadian government has taken action against citizenship fraud for some time now. The “Cracking Down on Crooked Consultants Act”, imposes tough penalties for immigration consultants convicted of fraud, including fines and/or prison.
According to Canadian Citizenship and Immigration rules, to maintain permanent resident status a person must reside in Canada for at least two years within a five-year period.
Although we have not seen anything of this magnitude in the U.S. EB-5 Visa program, it does bring to mind a question we are often asked regarding the length of time you, as a U.S. permanent resident, need to stay in the USA versus the amount of time you spend out of the country.
As a visitor to the U.S. you will typically be asked by the Customs and Border Patrol agent (CBP) when you arrive “How long are you planning to stay”? This question is reversed once you are a permanent resident into “How long have you been away”?
If you, as a potential EB-5 Visa client, need to ask the following question:
“How long do I need to stay in the USA each year?” we can set-up a free consultation for you with an experienced EB-5 attorney to discuss your plans. This way you can make sure that you follow all the rules of US Permanent residence and perhaps most importantly, you are fully aware of all the rules before taking the first steps towards your own U.S. Citizenship.
Fraud, of any kind, can only ruin lives and damage theses important immigration programs from a public perception point-of-view. All EB-5 stakeholders we work with are doing everything within their power to increase awareness of the EB-5 program from a positive viewpoint. We certainly do not want to hear of any news that might bring the program into disrepute. We would ask that if you, as a potential EB5 applicant, have any questions, that you seek answers from an established, experienced source BEFORE taking any action that could harm your chances of a successful EB5 application and/or damage the program in any way.
If you would like to get an expert opinion (or a second opinion) on any aspects of the EB-5 Visa program, please contact us at Which EB5 via Email or by telephone at +1-561-771-1330. You can also use the Live Chat service on our Which EB5 website or Blog.
+Stephen Parnell
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Tags: CBP, eb-5, EB-5 Visa, experienced eb-5 attorney, How long do I need to stay in the USA each year, immigration consultants, permanent residence, permanent residency, U.S. Citizenship, USA, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
December 9th, 2011 |
 At a recent Senate Judiciary Committee Senators from both Democrat and Republican sides of the House got together to discuss Bill S-642, a proposal to make the EB-5 Regional Center program permanent. During the one-hour plus discussions (see video of the proceedings here) testimony was heard from, among others, the most ardent supporter of the EB-5 program, Senator Patrick Leahy. Regular readers of this blog will recall that I had the pleasure of meeting with Senator Leahy at a breakfast in Washington in 2009. Senator Leahy presented the most compelling reasons as to why this program should be made permanent.
The overall tone of the hearing, in my opinion, was positive. In general, any less-than-positive remarks were confined to tightening-up the rules of the program to make sure, among other things, that the jobs created by the program are going to American Citizens and permanent residents as opposed to those that might not have work authorization in the USA.
Among other supporters of S-642 is Senator Chuck Schumer who, despite not attending the hearing, did issue a statement containing the following quote:
….That’s why I am proud to be sponsoring S-642 with Senator Leahy to permanently authorize the EB-5 program. We need to permanently authorize the EB-5 program as soon as possible, and we should not tie the reauthorization of the EB-5 program to any other program. If all of us agree that this is a good program, let’s all cosponsor and pass S-642.
We, at Which EB5, applaud the message that the Senators are sending.
My opinion from watching the proceedings is that we will secure a permanent reauthorization of the EB-5 Regional Center program. However, if I were to take a view that some changes might be made to the program I would have to say that it might, just might, be that the amount required to participate may increase above the current $500,000 level. Just my humble opinion.
If you would like to discuss any aspect of the EB-5 Visa Program please contact Which EB5 via email or telephone +1-561-771-1330
+Stephen Parnell
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Tags: eb-5, EB-5 program, EB-5 Visa, regional center, S-642, Sen. Patrick S. Leahy, Senate, Senator Chuck Schumer, USA, washington, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
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