July 30th, 2010 |
 The family had spent some considerable time investigating options for immigration to different countries with their short list comprising Australia, Canada and the United States. They had concerns regarding the climate being too cold for much of the year in Canada and felt Australia was less central for their business requirements than the USA, deciding that California was the best match for their needs. Once they had determined that California most suited them they had spoken to an Attorney regarding visa options and she had put them in touch with WhichEB5 to take them through the various regional center programs. The family was particularly concerned that once they received the visa there should be no problems at the two year stage (the removal of conditions) so were very insistent that the center should have a proven and straightforward record of job creation. They also did not want a project that could have difficulty obtaining subscribers, in case it did not reach a critical mass and then failed to go ahead. Finally exit strategy and the return of their funds was an important consideration. These specific requirements considerably narrowed down the range of options and after discussing these with them over a number of internet phone conversations, a meeting was held at our office and subsequently they visited three regional centers. Their final decision was based on these visits with the chosen center particularly impressing them, as they felt as an ongoing program it was well proven and minimized as far as possible risk factors. The family has now successfully relocated to California. We have continued to keep in touch and checked out issues that have cropped up with him for the benefit of new investors.
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Tags: attorney, california, Canada, eb5, exit strategy, Immigration, job creation, regional center, removal of conditions, USA, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
July 29th, 2010 |
 The gentleman and his wife had relocated to the USA from Pakistan nine years ago. Initially he came over as a student on an F1 visa and after graduation worked for a major financial sector company in New York. After working for six years on an H1-B visa, he faced a problem with the uncertainty and waiting time required for labor certification cases and adjustment of status. All this despite both his desire to remain in his job and his employers willingness to help him, could have meant he would have to leave his home in the USA and return to Pakistan. After a meeting with Stephen Parnell in New York, and discussions with an experienced EB-5 attorney, he looked at the EB-5 regional center pilot program in more detail and specified project track record, speed of obtaining the green card and investment with a company that offered a specific exit strategy as important criteria for him. He decided to invest $500,000 in a limited partnership project in an approved and proven regional center program for the development of a project in California. Approval took a little less than three months and the applicant received his green card a month later.
Read more EB-5 Success Stories here
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Tags: adjustment of status, attorney, california, eb5, F1 visa, green card, H-1B, labor certification, New York, Pakistan, pilot program, regional center, stephen parnell, USA
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
July 26th, 2010 |
 Esta familia de cinco miembros (padre, madre y tres hijos) residía en California con una visa E2 que vencía al cabo de un año. Estaban interesados en la visa EB-5 como la mejor ruta para obtener el derecho a residencia permanente. La familia ya dirigía una próspera empresa multinacional y deseaba hacer de California su residencia permanente. Los niños estaban perfectamente integrados en el sistema educativo y temían que la visa E2 no les proporcionase la seguridad de hacer de EE.UU. su hogar a largo plazo. Tras considerar las diferentes opciones, la familia expresó su preferencia por el programa del centro regional con sede en California. Optaron por un programa acreditado que ya había resultado atractivo a inmigrantes de diferentes naciones (algunos programas suelen atraer principalmente a inversores chinos, lo cual puede tener implicaciones importantes que es necesario considerar). La familia utilizaba los servicios de un abogado de experiencia demostrada, y recibieron la aprobación al cabo de tres meses. Hemos seguido en contacto y revisado los problemas con los que se fueron encontrando posteriormente, para que futuros inversores se puedan beneficiar de su experiencia. — This family of five, father mother and three children were living in California on an E2 visa that was due to expire the following year. They were interested in the EB-5 visa as the best route to gain them permanent residency status. The family already operated a successful multinational business and wanted to make California their permanent home. The children were doing well in the school system and they were concerned that the E2 visa did not provide them with the ongoing long term security to make their home in the USA. After considering the various options the family expressed a preference for a regional center program based in California. They opted for a proven program that had proved attractive to immigrants from a wide variety of nations (Some programs tend to attract mainly Chinese investors which can have some important implications; you need to be aware of).The family used a proven and experienced Attorney and received approvals within three months. We have continued to keep in touch and checked out issues that have cropped up with them for the benefit of new investors.
Read more EB-5 Success Stories here
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Tags: california, E2, eb-5, permanent residence, regional center, 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 » |
January 19th, 2010 |
 Retire in the USA using the EB5 Visa - Live in the Sunshine States or anywhere else Increasing numbers of overseas visitors love to spend part of the year in the ’sunny all year round’ states of Florida, California and Arizona. However, those wanting to retire and relocate permanently to the U.S. have often found it difficult or near impossible due to no specific visa that allows retirees to live in America year round, even if they are wealthy and self supporting.
There has been talk for years of a silver visa but nothing ever materialized. Unless retirees have a close American relative, or buy a business, permanent retirement to America has always been simply a dream. Not so any longer, as more potential retiree’s consider the EB-5 visa regional centre pilot program as the answer to living permanently in the USA. This visa category has been a blessing to retirees wishing to permanently retire to the States as it does not require them to directly operate a business.
In return for a $500,000 investment in an approved regional center program many people can achieve their lifelong dreams of permanent residence in the USA. If you would like full details of exactly how this visa category can work for you visit Which EB5 for complete EB-5 visa details.
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Tags: America, arizona, california, eb-5, florida, pilot program, regional center, retire, silver visa, USA, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
November 6th, 2009 |
Recently, several clients have asked us if EB-5 Regional Centers in California might be affected by the economic conditions in that state. We found a recent cover article in Time magazine that offers a candid look at the current and future state of the State of California. We have not drawn any conclusions from reading this but, in the spirit of providing as much information to our readers as possible, we thought you might enjoy this piece.
We would be interested to hear your thoughts especially if you think this information will help you decide which EB5 regional center is right for you. Please feel free to comment on this blog.
Here is the link: Despite Its Woes, California’s Dream Still Lives
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Tags: california, eb-5, investment visa, regional center, time magazine, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
October 20th, 2009 |
Yesterday I was at the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) EB-5 Conference in San Francisco. Many of the areas of discussion will be important to those of you presently looking into the EB-5 regional center visa route and over the next few days I will highlight those topics which will have a bearing on your decision.
One point covered several times was concern with the sheer number of regional centers being approved by USCIS and the potential consequences for you as an immigrant investor faced with these choices. If you make the wrong decision you face not only losing your permanent resident status after two years, but also your $500,000 or in some cases $1,000,000 investment.
It was clear from talking to Government officials and Attorneys at the Conference that certain types of programs have potentially concerning attributes (in a number of ways), whereas others seem to offer a simpler, some might say safer, route. Over the next week I will cover these issues for you, as well as update you on the regional centers in California I am visiting this week.
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Tags: AILA, attorney, california, eb-5, eb5, government officials, immigrant investor, investment, permanent residence, regional center, uscis, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
August 19th, 2009 |
A number of people that considered applying for the Canadian immigrant investor visa program had not realized that the USA has operated a similar program.
The Canadian program requires a $400,000 Canadian Dollar investment for a five year period as a no interest loan to the government. The U.S. EB5 program requires a $500,000 US dollar investment in a wide range of government approved regional centers.
The Canadian program requires that the investor has qualifying business experience and satisfies a points system, the US program does not have these restrictions.
The Canadian program guarantees the loan but offers no interest or chance of capital growth over a period of five years and two months – the U.S. EB-5 program is not guaranteed but offers approximately 60 USCIS approved regional centers covering a wide variety of business structures, including loans to quasi-government infrastructure projects, vacation resorts, property investments etc and offers a variety of interest payments and/or potential capital growth.
There are no restrictions as to where you can live in the U.S. so whether your choice is California, Hawaii, Florida, New York or indeed anywhere else, the U.S. EB5 immigrant investor option enables you to work, retire or study there.
The EB-5 Investor Green Card regional center visa program is an excellent way to quickly become a permanent resident of the United States. Which EB5 researches all regional centers; you make the same investment plus get all the independent advice of Which EB-5 at no cost to you. Contact us now for complete information.
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Tags: california, eb-5, eb5, florida, green card, investor green card, New York, regional center, USA, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
July 15th, 2009 |
We have been looking at the reasons why the EB5 visa has been of interest to particular groups of immigrants and today we look at a case study taken from one of our previous 100+ investors – this relates to a citizen of Pakistan who wished to change his visa from the H-1B to the EB-5 to live permanently in the USA.
The gentleman had relocated to the USA eight years ago, initially as a student on an F1 visa. After graduation he worked for a major finance company in New York. After working for a few years on the H1B visa, and wishing to file for permanent residency in the United States, he faced a lengthy waiting period required for the labor certification during the first stage of the employment-based permanent residency application. This situation had been further complicated by the distressed economy. He and his wife were also fast approaching the end of the six years allowed under their H-1B visas. An inability to renew their H-1B’s, despite both their desire to remain in their respective jobs and the willingness of their respective company’s to help, could have necessitated their departure from the USA.
After meeting Stephen Parnell during a Which EB5 discovery day in New York city, he looked at the EB-5 regional center pilot program in more detail. A successful project track record, quick processing time and an investment with a project that offered a specific exit strategy were some of the important criteria that he considered in reaching his decision. Once he had completed his diligence on the projects that met his criteria, he decided to invest the requisite $500,000 in a limited partnership project in an approved and proven regional center program for the development of an infrastructure project in California. The funds are loaned to a development agency to fund the redevelopment and renovation of a redundant government facility for commercial use. The entire process took a little over four months from beginning to end, with the I-526 approval taking three months, and the green card arriving little over a month later.
If you are currently on an H-1B visa and need to look for an alternative route to permanent residence click here now.
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Tags: california, citizen, eb-5, eb5, employment based, F1 visa, green card, H-1B, I-526, investors, labor certification, New York City, Pakistan, quick processing time, regional center, stephen parnell, USA, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
July 2nd, 2009 |
Many families, particularly from Europe, have spent some great holidays in the United States over the years – they often first made the trip with their children on family vacations enjoying the theme parks and then when the children have flown the nest, long to rekindle happy memories and enjoy all the advantages particularly of Florida and California on a permanent long term basis in retirement.
Until recently this group of people have found their retirement dreams frustrated due to a lack of suitable visa. The USA has no retirement visa as such and so unless they applied through the E2 or L1 visa programs, and bought a business, their hopes remained a pipe-dream – as both the L1 and E2 visas are for fixed terms and did not provide permanent residence they often had to pass on their hopes and either remain in their homeland through those dreary winters or opt for Spain and the potential language difficulties.
However, at long last there is a finally a proven alternative visa option that has satisfied those dreams of year round sunshine and the advantages of the American way of life – the EB-5 investor regional center pilot program has now been operating long enough to track how the initial pioneers who used it when it first came out five years ago have fared.
As part of our series on who should be interested in this visa we will, in future blogs, look into some cases studies of those who used the EB5 for retirement.
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Tags: california, E2, eb-5, Europe, florida, L1, pilot program, regional center, retirement, united states, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
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