by Eliana Phelps / in Visas

EB-5 Investor Visa

The EB 5 investor visa program is an excellent opportunity for foreign nationals to obtain permanent residency and a US Green Card through a qualifying financial investment in the United States. In order to be eligible, foreign individuals are required to invest a minimum of $500,000 in certain qualified investments or regional centers in the United States. Qualifying regional centers are designated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) department and are essentially any economic program, private or public, that promotes economic growth, productivity, creates at least 10 jobs and increases the domestic capital investment. These regional centers are located throughout the U.S. in specific economically depressed areas that have a high unemployment rate. Investors also have the option of investing $1 million in any business anywhere in the U.S. without the restriction of investing in a qualified regional center.

Benefits:

  • Direct eligibility for a green card
  • Possible permanent residency through a green card for the immigrant’s spouse and children under 21
  • Ability to live and work anywhere in the United States
  • Variety of EB 5 regional center qualifying programs to choose from
Limitations:

  • The application process could take 9 months to over a year.
  • Income tax applies to US residents as well as citizens based on your worldwide income.
  • There is possible double taxation between the US and your country of origin.
  • Investor applicant must prove the investment resulted in the creation of at least 10 full time jobs.
  • Other limitations apply depending on which program you choose to inves.
Requirements and Documentation:

  • Invest $1 million dollars anywhere in the US or invest $500,000 in a qualified regional center
  • Create at least 10 full time jobs
  • Applicants must provide the source of the investment funds by providing:
    • 5 years of past tax statements
    • 5 years of bank records
    • Proof of ownership of any businesses
    • Financial statements for each business and any business licenses
    • Additional documents may also be required depending on each individual circumstance
  • Form I-526 Petition for Alien Entrepreneur
Did you know:

  • 94% of the I-526 petitions for the EB 5 visa were approved for FY2009.
  • The current processing time for the EB5 visa is 5 months.
  • Currently, there are 75 approved regional centers.
  • A minimum of 3,000 visas are guaranteed available for regional center based applicants.
  • 10,000 EB 5 visas are available per calendar yea.
  • Insurance may be purchased with separate funds from a third party to cover the investor’s capital that is ‘at risk’.
  • Immigrant investors do not have to manage the day-to-day operations of the business.
  • You may start your own business or invest in an existing one.

Cost:

  • The cost to file the I-526 Petition for Alien Entrepreneur is $1,435.

Phelps Immigration Attorneys is a respected and highly successful Law Firm and a leading authority on the EB 5 visa process. For more information, please send us a message today. We are more than happy to answer your questions and will return your call anywhere in the world at no cost to you.


 
Eliana Phelps

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