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Ways an EB-5 visa attorney can help you
A growing number of foreign nationals are recognizing the benefits of the EB-5 visa program, which is sponsored by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Typically, immigrants see the program as an opportunity to make money through targeted investments, gain the right to live and work permanently in the U.S., or raise their families in a multicultural environment with access to the U.S. education system.
The increased popularity of EB-5 investment opportunities has been overwhelming in China, where access to traditional immigration visas is limited due to caps implemented by the U.S. government.
Qi Lixin, chairman of Bejing Entry & Exit Service Association, told the media outlet China Daily that the number of applicants for the EB-5 nearly doubled in China during 2009, increasing from about 500 in 2008 to more than 1,000 last year.
Because the demand for the EB-5 visa has grown by such a vast margin, and because many immigrants lack the expertise or experience to navigate the procedures of the U.S. immigration system, an EB-5 attorney may be useful for investors looking to gain an American green card.
According to the immigration law firm Ivener & Fullmer, “most immigrants taking the EB-5 route will need some protection before they apply to regional centers and the various organizations that they will encounter claiming to help them.”
They added, “[t]he sudden increase in Asian applicants to the EB-5 program is definitely a good trend, as long as they have someone, such as a lawyer, to look out for their best interests.”
As Qi Lixin warns, there is a lack of regulations to ensure that EB-5 investors actually receive a monetary return on their investment through participating EB-5 regional centers. “If unforeseen things happen, we do not know who will shoulder the responsibility from the contracts,” he told China Daily.
When discussing sums as hefty as $500,000 to $1 million, investors may seek guidance from an immigration lawyer to seek protection in the name of the law.
Additionally, EB-5 attorneys can assist in gathering and organizing the information need to fill out the I-526, I-485 and I-829 petition forms, which are used to approve applicants, adjust their immigrant status, and ultimately grant a permanent green card to successful applicants after two years, and full citizenship after five years.