Has anyone had their money back from the EB5 investment visa?

The $500,000 question.

Once you have had the conditions removed from your green cards (twenty one to twenty four months after your green cards are initially activated) through an I-829 petition you generally have to wait to cash in your investment – as a general rule of thumb it is unlikely to be less than five years from the date you initially invested funds.

Under the requirements of the EB-5 pilot program, Regional Centers are not allowed to guarantee the return of your investment – it has to be “at risk”.

The various regional center programs often refer to the return of the $500000 investment as the exit strategy. Some regional centers have a specific fixed term/date for the return of your investment others have more complex or sometimes ambiguous exit strategies, some are lost in a mass of legal jargon.

Importantly, some programs focus on countries where the investors primary concern is the visa, not the return of the $500000 - it is very important you are aware of the dangers of this strategy.

The vast majority of regional centers have not been operating long enough to be in position to return investments. One center plans to return substantial amounts later in 2009.