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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 approved by USCIS is offering and EB-5 project, does not automatically signify it is a good project to invest in. Investors must do their own due diligence when looking for a regional center that will lead them to becoming a United States permanent resident, create jobs to satisfy USCIS requirements, and to increase the investor chances of getting their investment back.

The competition among regional centers for EB-5 investors is fierce. While all make broad promises of success, only a small margin have actually delivered permanent green cards to their foreign investors. Looking for centers that have a long standing operational history is a good starting point in one’s due diligence, but surely not the most important point. 

Key points when considering a potential investment in a regional center include the nature and timelines of the regional center’s projects; how much money needs to be raised; what has the EB-5 regional center accomplished; and, finally, are they on their way to starting or completing EB-5 projects (or have they been sitting idle)?

While most investment based due diligence is basic risk analysis on potential return-on-investment, Investors must do their deepest due diligence to find a regional center that will create the jobs required by EB-5 to qualify applicants for their permanent Green Cards.

One of the most attractive advantages of investing in an EB-5 Regional Center is that it is a “hands- off” investment.  An EB-5 petitioner applying through a Regional Center benefits from a:

• Lower investment requirement – Petitioner need only invest $500,000 instead of the standard $1,000,000 requirement, should the investor choose a project located in a TEA;

• More favorable Job creation requirement — Regional Centers also have an easier time developing jobs because in addition to jobs directly created from the investment Regional Centers are allowed to count any “indirect” jobs (jobs created as a result of spending by the project and its employees) — toward the job requirement;

• Potentially more predictable result. A solid, well-run Regional Center with a documented track record of successfully getting conditional green card applications approved and conditions subsequently removed without undue burden on the investor, has the best chance of repeating that result, given their expertise. 

The EB-5 Regional Center program is the fastest available route to permanente U.S. residency.  It is attractive because it does not require having a close relative or a U.S. company willing to sponsor de immigrant, as required by other immigration options currently available.

While the key features of EB-5 are simply stated, the EB-5 process is a complex combination of timelines, deadlines, tax returns, supporting documentation, substantiation of investment funds, due diligence of EB-5 projects, immigration attorneys, conditional Green Card issuance, and petitioning to remove conditions on the Green Card.  It should not be attempted without experienced input from a trustworthy professional. 

An Exclusive Visas Expert EB-5 Consultant will cut through the confusion for the investor by explaining how the program works generally and specifically. Exclusive Visas brings together all the elements of the program giving the client the broadest likelihood of success.

Click here to contact an Exclusive Visas Eb-5 consultant now