January 6th, 2012 |
 EB5 Open Letter Conclusion
There are many different perspectives from which one should evaluate an EB5 regional center program before deciding to invest in it. With over 200 different regional center programs from which to choose, one can be overwhelmed with marketing materials from the various programs. The EB-5 regional center specialists at Which EB5 can assist prospective EB-5 clients and help you examine in detail the respective strengths and weaknesses, so that you can make an informed choice about which regional center program is most suitable.
Our Law Firm assists prospective investors in evaluating the regional center programs not in terms of investment viability, but in terms of optimizing the chances of successfully completing the legal immigration process. We handle all immigration matters for the investor, and guide him or her through the entire legal process.
Please contact Anthony Olson Attorney today. Thank you.
Just a reminder:
My name is Anthony Olson, and I am a lawyer who operates an immigration law practice with offices in Sarasota and Fort Myers, Florida. The following information includes my analysis of certain aspects of the Regional Center program that you should consider in seeking to optimize your chances of success in the United States immigration process. Also included is a discussion detailing the process of applying for permanent residence in the U.S. through the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Pilot Program.
Please understand that any information contained herein do not constitute legal advice, nor investment advice, nor a due diligence report of any kind, and that your receipt of this information does not by itself create an attorney-client relationship.
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Tags: eb-5 immigrant investor pilot program, investment advice, law firm, regional center, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
December 30th, 2011 |
 Just a reminder:
My name is Anthony Olson, and I am a lawyer who operates an immigration law practice with offices in Sarasota and Fort Myers, Florida. The following information includes my analysis of certain aspects of the Regional Center program that you should consider in seeking to optimize your chances of success in the United States immigration process. Also included is a discussion detailing the process of applying for permanent residence in the U.S. through the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Pilot Program.
Please understand that any information contained herein do not constitute legal advice, nor investment advice, nor a due diligence report of any kind, and that your receipt of this information does not by itself create an attorney-client relationship.
The importance of conducting your own Due Diligence—This is not a Due Diligence Report
I want to stress that the information presented here is intended to help potential investors understand the basic issues that should be considered in beginning the search for a regional center project, to optimize your chances for success in obtaining full permanent residence in the United States by utilizing the immigrant investor program. As an immigration lawyer, I like to see a “good fit” between immigrant investors and regional centers because good investments enhance and facilitate the success of the overall immigration process. It is important to understand, however, that neither I, nor my law firm, advise our clients to invest – or not invest – their money in any particular investment opportunity, or any regional center. We do, however, recognize that having our immigration clients invested in viable regional centers enables us to assist the investor to remove conditions from his or her immigration status, and thereby to ultimately gain full permanent residence. So, any information we provide about the regional centers is presented with that goal in mind. We discuss and present the business aspects of a particular program solely to help you and your business advisors assess the prospects for success and sustained viability of a particular regional center.
However, in presenting what we feel could be advantages in a particular regional center, we do not endorse or promote the merits of any regional center’s business model, or its job creation methodology, and we make no representations as to whether investing funds in any particular regional center will be viable, profitable, or safe. The potential risk and reward of any investment opportunity is a matter that requires the utmost due diligence on your own part and that of your own business advisors or tax advisors. In this regard it is important that you conduct your own due diligence by retaining a certified public accountant (CPA) to examine all financial aspects of any regional center’s program, and a business attorney to examine all legal aspects of the program. Before you invest in any regional center program, you should understand in great detail how the business model works, whether you will be comfortable with investing in the program, and what your rights and obligations would be if you become an investor and a co-owner in the project.
While we do NOT endorse any specific regional center programs, we do handle and process EB-5 regional center petitions with USCIS. In that role I cooperate with EB-5 regional center program consultants, such as those employed by www.whicheb5.com, and those consultants have a good deal of valuable information regarding many different Regional Centers and they do assist investors in gaining an overview of the nature of various Regional Centers as well as their relative strengths and weaknesses. These consultants provide such information about different regional centers through consultations, and on their website, www.whicheb5.com
Next we will cover: The job creation requirement
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Tags: due diligence, eb-5, immigrant investor, immigration lawyer, pilot program, regional center, uscis, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
December 20th, 2011 |
 An article in the New York Times has highlighted a potential weakness in the EB-5 visa program that may impact on certain regional center projects. The EB-5 visa requires an applicant to invest $500,000 to $1,000,000 in what are termed regional centers; these centers are approved by The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS).
The EB-5 visa has proved an increasingly popular choice in 2011, interest in the program has grown so fast that the USCIS are attempting to streamline the application process.
Given the tightening of credit availability the EB-5 has been viewed by some real estate developers as the ideal way to raise funds, particularly for construction projects.
The idea behind the program is to create jobs, ten per $500,000 investment in targeted employment areas [T.E.A’s]
An examination of the program by The New York Times suggests that in New York, developers and state officials could be stretching the rules to qualify projects for this foreign financing.
There is concern that developers are relying on gerrymandering techniques to create development zones that are meant to be in areas of high unemployment (thus qualifying for the $500,000 investment) but according to federal and state records are in prosperous ones.
The article mentions as a prominent project the International Gem Tower, a 34 storey glass tower in Manhattan that is to cost $750 million with one fifth of the funding coming from EB-5 applicants.
Although it is being built in an area that is reported as one of the wealthiest in the country, the Times reports that through the selective use of census statistics the project falls under (the $500,000) EB-5 requirements.
The newspaper reported that during an interview a senior federal immigration official, Alejandro Mayorkas, acknowledged that the program may need more scrutiny and maps being approved by certain states might not adhere to the spirit and intent of regulations.
There is mention of another area which has been classified as being located as an area that needs help attracting jobs; however there are concerns that the zone resembles a gerrymandered political district.
The article does raise an issue that may be of concern, in that if a particular EB-5 project is judged not to be in a properly qualified Targeted Employment or Rural area the $500,000 investment should actually be $1,000,000.
The continued importance of obtaining independent impartial advice before considering a move to the USA, using the EB-5 visa program, is critical. As a first step it is worth studying the only published consumer guide on the EB-5 process Green Card via the Red Carpet which is available at Amazon.
For personal, one-on-one, impartial information on the EB-5 visa contact Which EB-5 via Email or telephone at +1-561-771-1330
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Tags: Alejandro Mayorkas, amazon, eb-5, EB-5 requirements, EB-5 Visa, gerrymandering, Green Card via the Red Carpet, International Gem Tower, Manhattan, New York Times, regional center, TEA, uscis, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
December 19th, 2011 |
 Today we have published a very informative article on our Which EB5 website entitled:
Obtaining the EB-1 Green Card from L-1 Visa is Not Possible for Most Small Businesses
This article takes a long hard look at potential alternatives to the EB-5 immigrant investor visa and the risks that this particular alternative contains.
An extract from the article:
Many businesspeople, who plan to maintain a business in their home country, have started a small business in the U.S. with the plan to obtain permanent residence through the EB-1 Multinational Manager and Executive category. However, the majority of such people fail to reach the goal of obtaining permanent residence in this category. Why? The general answer is that USCIS’s decision track record in the EB-1 permanent residence and L-1 visa categories indicates that it believes that only the employees of large corporations are worthy of the green card in the EB-1 category, and eligible for extensions in the L-1 visa category.
To read the entire article simply click on the link below:
Obtaining the EB-1 Green Card from L-1 Visa is Not Possible for Most Small Businesses
Look out for more informative articles from EB5 Visa Experts in the days and weeks to come.
If you would like to speak to an experienced EB5 attorney and/or consultant, please feel free to email us at info@WhichEB5.com or call us at +1-561-771-1330
+Stephen Parnell
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Tags: attorney, consultant, EB-1, eb-5, EB-5 Visa, expert, green card, immigrant investor, L1, permanent residence, visa, Which EB-5
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:
- Beijing – China
- Miami – FL – USA
- Orlando – FL – USA
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 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 » |
November 30th, 2011 |
 We very rarely include press releases on the WhichEB5 site as experience has shown there is a significant risk in doing so of only telling half a story.
Not a day seems to go by without receiving a press release from a regional center with an announcement about the benefits of its latest program. Quite often these press releases will be later used by various attorneys and consultants on their web sites.
Our belief is that these pieces are there to promote a particular project and to recruit applicants to their program. All too often, and not surprisingly, they fail to show any potential weakness of the project.
Inevitably all EB-5 programs are a mixture of stronger and weaker points that need to be most appropriately matched to your own specific requirements. Trying to match these requirements to a one-sided viewpoint of a press release can lead to missing out on important information which could affect your decision.
It is critical that you receive information providing both the positive and negative aspects of regional center programs.
For the latest information on this subject or for further independent information on the EB-5 visa please contact us at info@WhichEB5.com or call us at +1-561-771-1330
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Tags: eb-5, independent information, press release, regional center, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
November 28th, 2011 |
 As we approach the end of the year it is normal for people all across the world to be busy with typical holiday time preparations and as such we normally see a marked downturn in new client contact. However, this year, in contrast to previous years, we are seeing continued strong demand for advice and guidance on all aspects of a potential move to the USA using the EB-5 Visa program.
A variety of factors are apparently at play here:
- Continued trouble, both financial and political, around the world
- A recent rally by the US Dollar that may continue, at least for a while, in light of the Euro debacle – This is seen by many as a sign that a move to the USA should be considered now and not later when the cost of exchanging local currency into $500,000 could potentially increase
- Recent figures from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) that the number of applications for the EB-5 Visa continues to climb, with the thought, that at some point in the near future, we might reach the annual maximum of 10,000 Visas
- Continued focus on the EB-5 program by Alejandro Mayorkas – Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. Director Mayorkas is devoting considerable effort into streamlining the EB-5 program and he continues to make progress in that direction leading to increased awareness of the benefits this program offers potential immigrants
These are just some of the reasons we continue to see a very bright future for the EB-5 program. However, recently you may have noticed, in our blog postings that we continue to warn of the dangers of NOT obtaining experienced advice when considering the EB5 as your path to a new life in the USA. I would like to reinforce that warning again today. We continue to see new so-called experts enter the arena offering advice on the EB-5 program. All I can say is please ask anyone you may be considering as an EB5 consultant or advisor:
- How many clients they consult with each month
- How many successful I-526 petitions do they have
- Do they have any successful I-829 petitions
- How many Regional Centers have they successfully guided clients through
- How long have they been advising on the EB-5 program
- Which experts do they use to provide legal, investment, accounting and currency exchange advice to their clients
If you cannot get satisfactory answers to those questions please call +1-561-771-1330 or email info@WhichEB5.com for advice – We look forward to adding you to our long list of clients
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Tags: advice, advisor, Alejandro Mayorkas, consultant, eb-5, EB-5 Visa, eb5, I-526, I-829, immigrants, investment, legal, regional center, USA, uscis, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
November 22nd, 2011 |
 Rarely a week goes by without us hearing about another lie involving the regional center EB5 visa to the USA. It is no wonder that our Chinese associates regularly tell us of concerns by potential Chinese EB-5 immigrants to the USA on the information they are coming across.
We have discovered a worrying amount of misinformation in China about the visa and immigration to the USA.
Some potential EB-5 applicants are being advised that buying a property in The USA would lead to a visa, indeed there are examples of Estate Agents in the USA advertising this apparent option. However, although such a program is being considered, currently it does not exist and given US political views many feel it is unlikely to pass into law. Therefore buying a house/property in the USA will not currently gain you resident status.
Other lies involve promises and guarantees given by a number of the EB-5 Regional Center promoters and agents. Again we have heard through our Chinese associates about presentations being given in China which contain information which is absolutely wrong.
The big problem is that if an EB-5 applicant selects the wrong Regional Center program they risk losing their $500,000 capital and face potential deportation from the USA. There have already been regional centers which have been removed from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service approved list for EB-5 programs. Unfortunately some Chinese investors had already applied for the EB-5 visa through these centers!
For the latest information on this subject or for further independent information on the EB-5 visa and/or details of our Chinese associates please contact us at info@WhichEB5.com or call us on: +1-561-771-1330
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Tags: china, EB-5 Visa, eb5, immigrants, lies, regional center, Relocation, USA, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
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