If so, there are several visas that may be available to you, including the EB-5 Visa.
The reason why EB-5 visa is the most lucrative is because it is a visa which directly
leads to obtaining a green card in the least amount of time.
As of today, by investing $500,000 to $1 million, a foreign citizen of any country can take advantage of the Immigrant Investment Program and secure a green card for himself and his immediate family.
The US Congress has been discussing increasing the investment capital to $1,350,000 for regional centers and $1,800,000 for direct investment. However, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program may be subject to change by September 30, 2019. There are no guarantees that the program will operate under the existing rules.
President Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act in order to avert another government shutdown on February 15, 2019. The EB-5 extension legislation was attached to the Act, which means that the current conditions may change in September 30, 2019. Therefore, if you’re interested in applying for this type of visa, we recommend you act fast before new laws are put into effect.
A “regional center” is an entity, organization or agency that has been approved by USCIS. Regional centers offer hundreds of different project opportunities, which range from real estate, casinos, ski resorts, manufacturing, agricultural development projects, restaurants, sports stadiums and many others. In fact, USCIS features over a thousand approved Regional Centers across the U.S.
By investig $500,000 into a regional center and financing a particular project, a foreigner will be able to apply for the EB-5 visa. It’s also very important to highlight that the requirement of job creation and management rests on the shoulders of the project in which the capital was invested, as is the case with Direct Investment.
Investors can choose to put their capital into a new enterprise or purchase an existing business. With this option, the minimum investment amount is $500,000 in certain “target areas” where the unemployment rate is high, otherwise, the minimum investment is $1 million. In this type of investment, the investor is responsible for the creation of at least 10 full-time jobs.
Regardless of which of the two paths an investor takes, an initial two year conditional residence is granted at the expiration of which USCIS will evaluate your investment project to make sure all terms have been met, and if so, you’ll be able to obtain a 10 year permanent residence.
Application for the EB-5 visa is document specific. Therefore, it is imperative to have your interests represented by a qualified and experienced immigration attorney. Many applications are denied for lack of sufficient supporting evidence.
Choosing to obtain permanent residence in the United States through the Immigrant Investor Program (EB-5) involves the investment of large sums of money, and you want to make sure you have the right immigration attorney guiding you throughout this process.
Hire an experienced immigration attorney you can trust to ensure your Investment Visa application is approved. At the Law Offices of Alice Antonovsky, we will help you throughout the entire application process and set your goals in motion.
(212) 729-5720