EB 5 Regional Centers Explained

Permanent residency through the investor visa or EB 5 visa:

For immigrants seeking to enter and live permanently in the U.S., the EB 5 visa is available to those who have the means to invest in a new business that creates 10 full time jobs or an existing business that is troubled. 

There are 10,000 EB 5 visas available each year with 3,000 set aside for investment in regional centers.

What is a regional center?

According to USCIS, a regional center is an approved economic growth facility which promotes “regional productivity, job creation and increased domestic capital investment.” These economic centers can be public or private and must submit a proposal to USCIS to become an approved regional center. Once approved, a regional center is then available to receive immigrant investor capital.

In order to qualify as a regional center, the facility must provide the following:

• A plan of action regarding how the center will focus on a particular geographic area
• How the center will accomplish the required economic growth in the chosen region
• Provide a “viable business model grounded in reasonable and credible estimates and assumptions for market conditions, project costs, and activity timeliness”
• Action plan of how jobs will be created from the business venture
• Provide the amount of capital invested in the project as well as the source
• Outline the promotional campaign of the business project

The Investment:

It is important to note that the government does not guarantee the investments made at a regional center and does not approve centers based on the investment risk. It is essential that any potential immigrant investor seek professional investment advise before choosing a regional center’s investment program. Different regional centers have different investment programs and it is important investigate which one is right for your money. An EB 5 visa attorney can assist in the choosing of a regional center, collection and filing of all documents and ensure the timeliness of your green card and permanent residency.

For a current list of EB 5 regional centers and their locations, please visit uscis.com.

We are experienced immigration lawyers and experts in the application process for the EB-5 visa. It is important to understand your rights and your obligations under US immigration law. If you are ready to begin the application process or have questions then contact us today to schedule a call or a meeting. We are more than happy to call you wherever you are in the world at no cost to you.