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- Proposed Changes to EB-5 in Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill Should Benefit Program April 30, 2013 In addition to creating a pathway to citizenship for the nearly 11 million unauthorized aliens residing in the U.S. the Comprehensive Immigration Reform proposal submitted by the Gang of 8 U.S. Senators, also includes significant changes to the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program.Senators Graham, Rubio, Flake, Schumer, McCain, Bennet, Menendez and Durbin, have submitted in their…
- Breaking News – Senate Hearing Scheduled On Comprehensive Immigration Reform April 12, 2013 Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Ct) has announced his committee will take up comprehensive immigration reform on April 17, 2013. Chairman Leahy, a bold advocate for legal immigration including the EB-5 program, agreed to hold the hearing as soon as the legislation is introduced. He has promised to have unlimited debate and amendments during…
- AILA Offers Professional Advice on South Korean EB-5 Petitions April 8, 2013 The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) recently released a statement advising EB-5 professionals on South Korean law – specifically how it meshes with South Korean EB-5 petitions. AILA makes the following recommendations (AILA InfoNet Doc. No. 13010361):Foreign Currency Wire Issue: There is a specific foreign currency provision under South Korean law allowing EB-5 investors to wire…
- SAVE THE DATE: USCIS to hold teleconference on EB-5 in March March 20, 2013 By Renata Castro The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Public Engagement Division and the Office of Transformation Coordination have invited interested individuals to participate in a stakeholder teleconference. Date: Thursday, March 28, 2013 Time: 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM EST USCIS is moving more and more towards a web-based immigration…
- Teamsters Labor Union to Offer EB-5 Risk Analysis on Selected Projects March 11, 2013 The unprecedented February, 2013 shutdown of the Intercontinental Regional Center Trust of Chicago by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for allegedly defrauding 250 foreign EB-5 investors of nearly $160 million illustrates just how important high-quality, trustworthy information is when choosing an EB-5 project.The Charges are a welcomed…
- Comprehensive Immigration Reform Could Lead to EB-5 Permanent Reauthorization February 6, 2013 Jan. 29, 2013 – While President Obama laid out the principals of his Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) plan to include smarter enforcement and a pathway to earn citizenship, he also focused on improving the legal immigration system. “Immigrants helped start businesses like Google and Yahoo. They created entire new industries that, in turn, created new…
- Investor Visas May Become More Attainable December 26, 2012 Since the Election of Barak Obama in 2008 the Republican and Democratic parties have basically quit working together causing gridlock in the federal government. America has suffered due to both parties not being able to find common ground. However, two senators, Charles Schumer, a Democrat, and Mike Lee, a Republican, have defied that pessimism by…
- Other Countries’ Immigrant Investor Programs Pose Little Competition for EB-5 December 20, 2012 The United States is only one of several nations that promote investment-based visas to foreigners willing to invest in their country. Some countries go a step further than EB-5 offering visas for simply buying real estate. In Spain, Portugal, and Ireland where for a minimum investment in real estate foreign investors are granted permanent residency…
- Do Construction Jobs Count Toward EB-5 Job Creation? December 19, 2012 Exclusive Visas EB-5 Question of the weekWith nearly all EB-5 projects involving new or additional construction, do construction jobs created as a result of an EB-5 investment count toward the program’s 10-permanent-full-time job creation requirement?It Depends. Until recently, due to their seasonal or intermittent nature all commercial construction jobs related to EB-5 projects were not…
- What is the I-485 petition? December 14, 2012 The I-485 petition is the foreign national’s personal application to adjust their immigration status to permanent U.S. resident. After approval of the I-526 petition, the I-485 petition permits immigrant investors who already reside in the United States (under a non-immigrant status) to adjust their status to (conditional) permanent resident. This form requires applicants to disclose…
- What is the I-829 petition? December 12, 2012 The I-829 petition is the final step of the EB-5 visa process. The form is submitted to the USCIS after the applicant has successfully completed the investment and after conditional permanent residency through Form I-526 has been secured. The petition demonstrates evidence that all EB-5 requirements have been successfully met by the applicant. The I-829…
- New EB-5 Program Office and Chief Position Announced at Stakeholder Meeting December 11, 2012 In a recent stakeholder meeting, held on December 3rd, Director Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced the creation of a new EB-5 program office in Washington DC. The new office (expected to be up and running within 6 months) will handle adjudications, legislative affairs, identifying fraud, and policy. The expansion is prompted by the USCIS’ commitment to…
- How to Find the Right EB-5 Regional Center November 13, 2012 With over 250 Regional Centers nationwide choosing the right EB-5 regional center is challenging, confusing, and often overwhelming.The United States Citizen and Immigration Service (USCIS) publishes the active list of designated regional centers broken down by state on its website at uscis.gov. It is important to note that just because a regional center that is…
- BREAKING NEWS – President Obama Signs Extension of EB-5 Program September 28, 2012 September 28, 2012 - Washington D.C. BREAKING NEWS – President Obama signs extension of EB-5 programBy Renata Castro, Exclusive VisasOn Friday, September 28, 2012, President Obama signed into law S.3245, which extends the EB-5 Investor Visa Program for three more years to September 30, 2015 : the EB-5 Regional Center Program; the E-Verify Program; the…
- EB-5 Program Reauthorized by Congress September 14, 2012 Extension Sent to President Obama for SignatureBy: Tomy Levy & Renata CastroThe U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill today re-authorizing the EB-5 Regional Center Program for 3 years, through September 30, 2015. Having unanimously passed the Senate last month, the bill is now on its way to President Obama for signature which is expected…
- House of Representatives scheduled to vote on renewal of EB-5 today September 11, 2012 House of Representatives scheduled to vote on renewal of EB-5 today By Renata CastroAccording to Eric Cantor’s website (R-VA), the US House of Representatives is scheduled to vote today on the renewal of the EB-5 Regional Center Pilot Program – S.3245.Congressman Cantor, who is the Majority Leader, also informed that the House of Representatives would…
- IIUSA delivers 375+ Signatory Letter to Leadership of the US House of Representatives September 11, 2012 IIUSA delivers 375+ Signatory Letter to Leadership of the US House of Representatives advocating for the immediate reauthorization of the EB-5 Regional Center Pilot ProgramBy Renata CastroIIUSA (Association to Invest in the USA), a trade organization in the EB-5 Industry, has recently delivered a signatory letter with over 375 signatures from around the United States,…
- House of Representatives set to vote on 3 year EB5 extension September 10, 2012 Many people involved with the EB-5 Investor Visa Program have been concerned about the looming deadline of the program which is set to expire on September 30, 2012. It seems that these EB-5 Stakeholders may get an answer sooner than later.The U.S. House of Representatives reconvenes this week, with a 3 year reauthorization of the EB-5…
- Senate unanimously passes 3 year reauthorization of the EB-5 Regional Center Program August 3, 2012 On August 2nd, 2012, the US Senate unanimously voted for the reauthorization of the highly successful EB-5 Regional Center Program, and three other programs included in S.3245 – E-verify and the reauthorization of J-1 and Religious worker visas. (For a copy of S.3245, click here).Although the bill as introduced proposed a permanent reauthorization of the…
- IIUSA sends open letter to Majority Leader Senator Reid asking for immediate re-authorization of the EB-5 Regional Center Pilot Program August 1, 2012 On July 27, 2012, the President of the Association to Invest in the USA also known as IIUSA, K. David Andersson, sent an open email posted to the IIUSA blog, asking Senators Harry Reid (D-NV), Mitch McConnell(R-KY), Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Charles Grassley(R-IA), to support the renewal of the EB-5 Regional Center Pilot Program. The…
- USCIS announces new EB-5 Stakeholder Engagement in 2012 July 30, 2012 USCIS will host a stakeholder engagement, accessible both in person and by teleconference, on October 16th 2012, between 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM EST. The engagement will be held at the Tomich Center – 111 Massachusetts Avenue Washington, DC 20529. The focus of the engagement will be a general EB-5 Discussion. Stakeholders can submit agenda…
- Highlights of USCIS Stakeholders’ call held on July 26, 2012 July 27, 2012 USCIS held an EB-5 Stakeholders’ call on July 26th 2012, where a number of pressing issues were addressed by a USCIS attorney who was present on the call. Highlights of the call:I-924 Application for Regional Center under the Immigrant Investor Pilot Program Applicants of I-924 petitions that were denied will be given an opportunity to…
- USCIS Director Announces New EB-5 Program Office July 20, 2012 USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas announces new EB-5 program officeSource: USCISMessage from the DirectorI am pleased to announce that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will be creating a new office to oversee our administration of the EB-5 Immigrant Investor program.The EB-5 program has spurred the creation of tens of thousands of new jobs and the…
- Senator Patrick Leahy introduced Bipartisan Bill asking for EB-5 Regional Center Pilot Program permanent May 31, 2012 By Renata Castro May 30, 2012 On Thursday, May 24 2012, Senator Patrick Leahy (D. Vt.) has introduced legislation asking to have the EB-5 Pilot Program become permanent. The bill was introduced with bipartisan support coming from Senator Chuck Grassley (R. IA.).Senator Leahy credited the EB-5 Pilot Program with the creation of jobs and economic growth, and…
- Woo Hoo! The JOBS Act’s Passage Means No More Securities Compliance in EB-5, Right? Not So Fast… April 3, 2012 By Michael G. Homeier, Esq.Last week’s strongly bipartisan (73-26) passage of the “Jumpstart Our Business Startups” (JOBS) Act by the Senate on March 22, 2012 included an amendment regarding crowdfunding, but otherwise hewed closely to the version (H.R. 3606) passed on March 8 by the House of Representatives on an even more resoundingly bipartisan…
- The Real Status of the EB-5 Premium Processing for Investors October 13, 2011 The types of requests we started to receive from our clients make it clear that there exists a certain extent of confusion in the EB-5 market regarding the availability of Premium Processing. Foreign investors are now demanding only the EB-5 Projects that qualify for the Premium Processing of their I-526 Petitions.Those, who were present during…
- The Implementation of Enhancements to the EB-5 Program Has Begun September 13, 2011 Beginning today, USCIS starts implementing some of the earlier proposed enhancements to the EB-5 program. According to USCIS website, Form I-924 applicants (Regional Center Application) will be able to communicate directly with USCIS adjudicators via e-mail. It will streamline the process and quickly raise and resolve issues and questions that arise during the adjudication process.The…
- How to treat an EB-5 Consular Interview September 12, 2011 When applying for an EB-5 Visa many people focus just on the approval of the initial part of the process and the approval of the form I-526. And while the approval of your 526 is critical it is not the final part of the process before you can emigrate to the United States.Getting your I-526…
- Do you need to apply for your EB-5 Visa before you child turns 21 years old? August 24, 2011 If you plan to immigrate via an EB-5 visa along with your family, you must plan to begin the process well before any of your children turn 21 years old. The US Government considers a ‘child’ as someone who is under the age of 21 and who is not married. If a child of the…
- USCIS Proposes Significant Enhancements to EB-5 Visa Processing to Help America Win the Future August 2, 2011 released May 19, 2011 Actions Will Streamline Program Designed to Create Jobs WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today proposed significant enhancements to the administration of the USCIS Immigrant Investor Program, commonly referred to as the EB-5 Program—transforming the intake and review process for immigrant investors as part of the Obama administration’s continued commitment to…
- Why do some EB-5 applications get denied by USCIS? June 14, 2011 According to the United States Citizens & Immigration Services (USCIS) there were 1,955 initial applications for conditional permanent residency made in 2010. Of those applications approximately 165 were denied. When asked by our clients why USCIS would deny an application it is impossible for us to give one blanket answer that will cover all of…
- Using the EB-5 Visa as an alternative to the L1, E2 and H-1B Visa so you don’t have to leave the United States June 8, 2011 We often find ourselves talking to a new client who is currently living in the United States under the provisions of an existing visa, however these other visa options most typically do not provide permanent residence or green card status. Often these clients are calling us because they are finding themselves in a very precarious…
- USCIS Proposes Significant Enhancements to EB-5 Visa Processing to Help America Win the Future May 27, 2011 released May 19, 2011Actions Will Streamline Program Designed to Create JobsWASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today proposed significant enhancements to the administration of the USCIS Immigrant Investor Program, commonly referred to as the EB-5 Program—transforming the intake and review process for immigrant investors as part of the Obama administration’s continued commitment to improve the…
- Colorado congressman comments on immigration legislation October 13, 2010 A U.S. congressman made a statement about the recently introduced Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act.Colorado Democratic Representative Jared Polis commended Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) for introducing the legislation.“Today Senators Menendez and Leahy showed true leadership by introducing the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act," he said. "Instead of punting the issue like so many…
- USCIS adds fee for EB-5 regional centers September 28, 2010 The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) recently adjusted a number of its fees, including one for the EB-5 visa program.The USCIS had published the proposed changes in the June 11 edition of the Federal Register to provide a period of public comment."USCIS is grateful for the valuable public input that we received as we…
- Michigan county postpones decision on forming EB-5 regional center September 27, 2010 A county in Michigan has decided to postpone its decision regarding whether or not to establish an EB-5 regional center until next year.The Macomb County commissioners voted 14-12 decided to delay the $40,000 decision after a contentious debate that saw political and personal attacks, according to the Detroit Free Press.The commissioners had discussed whether joining…
- Internal USCIS memo suggests improvements for EB-5 August 5, 2010 In an undated internal memo from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) staffers to the agency’s director, Alejandro N. Mayorkas, some suggestions to improve the EB-5 visa program are laid out.The intent of the suggestions are to make EB-5 investment opportunities more accessible to foreign investors and to improve the program’s administration.The memo descibes the…
- What does the StartUp Visa Act mean for investor visa legislation? March 25, 2010 Entering 2010, healthcare and financial regulatory reform, job creation, and immigration were among the top priority legislative issues before Congress. With the controversial healthcare reform bill finally passed through both houses, and President Obama intent on approving a financial reform in the next two months, lawmakers will doubtless continue turning their attention on the remain…
- Immigration attorney weighs in on StartUp Visa Act March 24, 2010 While the U.S. Senate waits to act on the StartUp Visa Act of 2010, which proposes to expand the existing EB-5 visa program by offering an expedited green card process to foreign entrepreneurs, some immigration attorneys have begun throwing their support behind the legislation.Norma Henning an immigration lawyer from Southwest Florida, says that the proposal…
- Report says job growth dependent on new businesses, expanding EB-5 visa can help March 12, 2010 Supporters of expanding the existing EB-5 visa program to permit green cards to qualified foreign entrepreneurs, as well as investors, are citing a recent study that depicts a job market that relies on increased hiring from the nation's top companies.Authors of a study released on Tuesday by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation argue that job…
- Southwest Florida could gain from StartUp Visa Act, lawyer says March 11, 2010 While the EB-5 visa program has been supporting local economies in the U.S. since its inception in 1990, a Florida immigration attorney is now saying that an expansion of the measures of the existing investor visa under the proposed StartUp Visa Act of 2010 would provided an added spark to the commercial markets in some…
- Lawmakers aim to keep business owners in U.S. March 11, 2010 In the business world and among proponents of immigration reform, the recently proposed StartUp Visa Act of 2010 has received astute attention.The proposal, by essentially expanding the parameters of the existing EB-5 visa program to include entrepreneurs as well as investors, would allow the government to grant a 2 (two)-year visa to a foreign capitalist…
- Venture capital trade group supports expanded EB-5 visa program February 25, 2010 On Thursday, the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA), a trade group representing the U.S. venture capital industry, praised the newly-introduced StartUp Visa Act of 2010 as a crucial tool to spur economic growth in the country.The bill, sponsored by Senators John Kerry of Massachusetts and Dick Lugar of Indiana, proposes to issue two-year visas to…
- ITIC: Expansion of EB-5 visa program will bring new jobs February 25, 2010 On Wednesday, a prominent national tech group offered resounding approval in response to the StartUp Visa Act of 2010, a measure that effectively aims to expand the EB-5 visa program by making U.S. visas available to immigrants eyeing the country as location to launch a startup.The Information Technology Industry Council (ITIC) predicted in a letter…
- Senators unveil StartUp Visa Act of 2010 February 24, 2010 For months, lawmakers and economists have discussed the merits of offering a U.S. visa to immigrants who are looking to launch a new business in the country, thereby expanding the measures of the existing EB-5 visa program.On Wednesday, February 24, Democratic Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts and Republican Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana, took a…
- EB-5 visa proposal could shape immigration reform February 22, 2010 With Congress still ironing out the details of healthcare, jobs, and climate change legislation, it seems unlikely that lawmakers will take major action on a comprehensive and controversial immigration reform bill later this year.For this reason, some measures, including Colorado Congressman Jared Polis' proposal to expand the EB-5 visa program, may be removed from the…
- EB-5 visa program could eventually shape Obama’s job creation proposals February 5, 2010 Because the policies pursued by President Barack Obama has positioned the leader as strong supporter of entrepreneurship, some analysts believe his administration may eventually amend the U.S. EB-5 visa program to further favor startup companies.In his State of the Union address last week, Obama promised to drive increased lending to new companies and provide tax…
- Experts: ‘Misinterpretation’ belies value of expanded EB-5 visa proposal January 19, 2010 The main argument against the proposal by Congressman Jared Polis, a Democrat speaking for Colorado in the House of Representatives, to expand the EB-5 visa program to foreign-born entrepreneurs interested in starting a technology in the U.S. is predominately rooted in a fear that immigrants will take jobs away from American citizens.However, as venture capital…
- Mayor Bloomberg throws support behind expanded EB-5 visa program January 18, 2010 Last week, a group of entrepreneurs from India won the NYC Next Idea 2009-2010 competition, which is aimed at supporting and encouraging foreign entrepreneurs who submit their business plans in New York City.In this, the competition's first year, the winners were awarded $20,000 and an incubator space in the city for two years. The entrepreneurs…
- Senators: Make EB-5 visa regional centers permanent January 13, 2010 Congressional members from both parties are throwing their support behind an effort to maintain EB-5 visa regional centers.Bipartisan support, which is particularly rare on immigration issues, has lead lawmakers to support proposal that aims to eliminate the EB-5 regional center pilot program, which has continually been extended since its establishment in the 1990s, in favor…
- California investors lobby for expanded EB-5 visa eligibility January 8, 2010 A group of investors in California's Silicon Valley is lobbying lawmakers to provide visas to foreign citizens who want to establish technology start-ups in the U.S., in what would effectively constitute an expansion of the EB-5 visa program.The proposal was introduced by Brad Feld, a managing director at the venture capital firm Foundry Group in…
- House proposal may expand EB-5 visa eligibility January 5, 2010 Congressman Jared Polis, a Democrat from Colorado, has penned a proposal in the U.S. House of Representatives that aims to encourage foreign-born entrepreneurs interested in starting a technology company to bring their investments and know-how to the U.S.An addendum to the EB-5 visa system, which provides green cards to qualifying immigrants who invest in American…