February 26th, 2010 |
 Consider the Pros & Cons of your EB-5 Visa Program Choice For those deciding which EB-5 regional center program to invest in, life was, in some ways, a lot easier a couple of years ago when there were only a few centers to choose from. Now with more than 75 regional centers it seems a lot more complex.
However, a number of these centers are not yet offering a program, some have no measurable statistics to analyze and others have not built up a critical number of applicants; does that make it easier or tougher?
Hardly a day goes by when we do not see a news headline in a local newspaper or magazine in the USA, flagging up an issue that will be of interest if you are considering a particular EB-5 program. However, although the number of centers would seem to make the choice more complex there is also more information available. In the early days of the program there was very little to go on. Now that some centers have been operating long enough it is possible to obtain details on which programs have returned the initial investment, where there have been I-829 (removal of conditions) refusals and why. Additionally, the USCIS have clarified some important points.
All in all, now there is at least more concrete information to base your decision on. For more questions and THE ALL IMPORTANT ANSWERS contact Which EB5
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Tags: eb-5, eb5, I-829, investment visa, regional center, USA, uscis
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
February 25th, 2010 |
 Immigration with children requires detailed thought and planning Among the issues that we come across when we are troubleshooting are advising parents on how immigration will impact their children in terms of the initial move and then looking at the years ahead – how will their lifestyle work out in the USA as against their lifestyle in their current country of residence?
The areas that we have covered based on our experience in advising thousands of families on the move include: Why you wish to move and more critically, schooling and lifestyle benefits from the childs perspective.
The practicalities of the move include timing for each step in the process, the implications of areas to live and importantly schooling and the differences likely to be encountered with the US system.
A key aspect is the choice of a visa, as this may have a critical impact on child welfare as we have seen many times. In worst cases scenarios there are the implications of children facing deportation due to issues with specific visas which had not been taken fully into account.
You really do need to consider the whole picture before such a major lifestyle move. See chapter nine in Green Card via the Red Carpet, available at Amazon, which offers in-depth information on using the EB-5 investor visa program to gain rapid permanent residence status in the U.S.A.
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Tags: children, eb5, green card, Immigration, USA, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
February 24th, 2010 |
 EB-5 Visa Program - Fastest Way to a Green Card? Each year we work with several hundred applicants keen to use the EB5 route to permanent residence in the USA. Their reasons vary – however the majority fall into three main groups.
1. Those seeking to retire and live permanently in the States, often in the warmer climate of Florida or California, who had not realized that a suitable visa option is now available.
2. Overseas students about to be educated at Universities and Colleges in the States who want to be able to work while they study, or those who have just graduated and want to remain and work in the States. The EB5 has been particularly attractive for students from India following complications with the few other options.
3. Those relocating to the States with their families who have found that the complications of the E2 visa and the L1 visa can make these options risky, particularly if their children have to leave the USA at 21.
Read Green Card via the Red Carpet for extensive information on the EB-5 Visa program
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Tags: california, E2, eb-5, eb5, florida, India, investment visa, L1, permanent residence, USA
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
February 23rd, 2010 |
 There have been quite a number of families going through the final stages of the EB-5 visa process during the past few weeks.
We have been in regular contact with the families who we have been guiding through the challenges of their relocation to various parts of the US over the past months and this final stage, the consulate interview, can be something of a stomach churning time even for those with nerves of steel and despite the fact that the success rate to date is extremely good.
The EB-5 pilot program investor visa is a somewhat different visa process to many other types of application as the first stage (I-526) will have already been approved by the California service center, prior to the consulate interview.
However, there are still key points that the Attorneys we work with take clients through prior to their interview. An enormous advantage of specializing in EB5 visa relocation’s is that we have experience of taking many families successfully through the journey to obtain the visa; their feedback on the process can be invaluable if you are relocating to the States.
Andrew Bartlett and Stephen Parnell are authors of the recently released book on the EB-5 – Green Card via the Red Carpet
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Tags: attorneys, consular interviews, eb-5, eb5, Green Card via the Red Carpet, I-526, investor visa, relocating to the states
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
February 22nd, 2010 |
 Why settle for half the story? It is interesting how potential immigrants from various countries have different priorities when looking at the regional center program options. In working with clients from around the world it has surprised us how this can affect the regional center program that different nationalities may opt for. We remain concerned that not all potential immigrants are always given in-depth explanations concerning the range of options. This can have a major potential impact:-
For example: Some programs may seem an excellent option in terms of successfully completing the initial I-526 petition stage and the two year conditional green card approval. HOWEVER, this is only half the story. It is also necessary to have the conditions removed (I-829 petition) plus most investors are hoping for the return of their investment after a finite number of years. The implications of this require detailed explanation on the implications of past performance.
Andrew Bartlett and Stephen Parnell are authors of the recently released book on the EB-5 – Green Card via the Red Carpet
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Tags: eb-5, Green Card via the Red Carpet, I-526, I-829, investor green card, regional center
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
February 20th, 2010 |
 How to Retire in the U.S.A. National newspapers and magazines have been publicizing the ways that the EB-5 visa program can provide the opportunity for many people’s lifelong dream to retire in the U.S.
Under this immigration program foreign nationals can make an investment of $500,000 in an approved American Regional Center program to obtain an immigrant visa and be eligible for a U.S. green Card.
Andrew Bartlett, Joint Managing partner of the leading specialist EB5 relocation advocacy company, Which EB5, advised Brian and Jane Thompson, a couple from Essex, England, on the EB-5 visa program. The Daily Mail reported that they targeted Florida as their ideal retirement spot, noting its low real estate costs.
We have kept in contact with the Thompsons and will update you on their lifestyle in Sarasota.
The State Department reports that the number of approved EB-5 visas has nearly tripled between fiscal years 2008 and 2009.
Andrew Bartlett and Stephen Parnell are authors of Green Card via the Red Carpet
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Tags: andrew bartlett, eb-5, Immigration, regional center, retirement, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
February 19th, 2010 |
 Looking for an EB5 investor visa? Ask the right questions Questions that seem to come up frequently regarding the EB-5 visa include:
• What are the track records of the various EB-5 regional centre programs?
• Which have the quickest processing times?
• Which have returned investors funds on program completion?
• What are key dangers to be aware of?
• Where are there hidden costs?
• Where have problems occurred?
• What has gone wrong?
• What are the implications of programs that are slow filling?
• What is the feedback from previous clients regarding their experiences?
• What information was found on visiting centers that does not appear elsewhere?
• Which centers have had a good track record?
• What are the implications of the program ending?
• What is the likely impact of the present economic circumstances on different programs?
For more questions and THE ALL IMPORTANT ANSWERS contact Andrew Bartlett or Stephen Parnell, the authors of Green Card via the Red Carpet.
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Tags: eb-5, investor visa, processing time, regional center
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
February 18th, 2010 |
 Beware of what you read about the EB5 investment visa As regular readers of this blog will know we constantly warn about instances of misleading information we discover that involve the EB-5 investor visa.
Unfortunately this week we have discovered an increasing amount of incorrect and misleading information that could spell problem for those looking for accurate information as part of their investigation into the track record of regional centers offering investor green cards.
The question posed by an unsuspecting enquirer on an immigration blog is straightforward enough:-
“I am in the process of selecting a regional center where my main objective would be to make sure that the job creation requirements will be met after two years to get the conditions removed (I-829 petition) from my green card and to have some assurance that the capital will be recoverable after five or even a few more years. ROI would be less relevant. So far I have been looking at the following regional centers […..] which look promising: Any comments would be appreciated.”
And here the problems start; with a series of supposedly helpful but potentially misleading and dangerous suggestions offered by various responders, a number not using their real names but answering under aliases.
One responder mentions a different regional center that the questioner has not suggested – one of the programs at this center is currently the subject of litigation.
There is no in depth analysis regarding the very important question asked regarding the far reaching implications of job creation.
The questioner makes the comment it is helpful to get advice from people with real experience; unfortunately the type of experience from those that have answered is less than clear!
Andrew Bartlett and Stephen Parnell are authors of Green Card via the Red Carpet available at Amazon
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Tags: amazon, dangerous information, eb-5, experiance, green card, Green Card via the Red Carpet, I-829, Immigration, investor visa, regional center, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
February 16th, 2010 |
 What Exactly is my EB-5 Visa application going to cost? An investment in a Regional Center pilot program is a minimum of $500,000 and as you probably know you need to budget additionally for attorney costs and administration fees. But what are the potential costs you can expect from using the EB-5 immigrant investor pilot program and why do regional center administration charges vary so much from center to center?
Why do some centers charge deposits up front before providing you with a copy of their documents?
Attorney fees can also vary significantly and some applicants have found themselves billed for unexpected additional costs.
Then there is the $500,000 question: HAS ANYONE HAD THEIR MONEY BACK AND IF SO HOW MUCH? The programs have exit strategies, fine, but in the current economic climate the question of the likely return of investment is on many peoples’ minds.
Some of the original investors in certain programs have gone through the process and had their investment back but there are points that you should be aware of before investing in the EB-5.
Andrew Bartlett and Stephen Parnell are authors of Green Card via the Red Carpet available on Amazon
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Tags: eb-5, eb5, immigrant investor, regional center, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
February 15th, 2010 |
 Be careful where you get your information about the EB5 visa We monitor much of the information being put out about the EB5 visa. This information comes from Regional Centers, Attorneys, trade publications, local newspapers and many other sources both legitimate and otherwise.
Every now and then we come across a report that is completely wrong. We have come across a number of these on immigration blogs. Recently one announcement we read caused us considerable concern on several counts, it was totally inaccurate, it was from an Attorney, which would normally add credibility, and as yet it has still not been corrected.
The piece refers to a statement about the number of clients for a relatively new regional center program and included the following:-
“Recently, I was invited to attend an informational seminar about the […….] Regional Center, a very prosperous EB-5 Regional Service Center located in […….] Over 200 EB-5 Visas have been given to those investing in this center in the last year, an outstanding accomplishment for an EB-5 Regional Service Center”.
The problem is the center in question is recently established, is in the early stages of marketing its program, it has closer to zero than 200 actual EB5 clients! - Reading this would a potential investor question the statement? It came from an attorney, it must be true right? Sadly, no. It is misleading at best, ill informed and quite literally a complete fabrication. For what motive we are unsure. We are looking forward to seeing a retraction and explanation and will report further on this as the news unfolds.
Be careful where you get information about the EB-5 visa program. We are happy to clarify anything you wish to double check, just ask.
Andrew Bartlett and Stephen Parnell are authors of Green Card via the Red Carpet available on Amazon
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Tags: attorney, eb-5, eb5, Green Card via the Red Carpet, immigrant investor visa, immigration blogs, misleading, regional center
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
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