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December 15th, 2009 |
 Finding the Right EB-5 Consultant is Important Expert advice can guide EB5 investors through the selection process
With the recent extension of the EB-5 program, the push is on for potential immigrants to find the right regional center investment. Using a consultant to help navigate the system and research regional centers is smart, but rushing into a decision is not.
Investors need to take a step back before they select a consultant and look at a number of key factors. The reality is there are consultants who don’t have enough experience, lack a proven track record or simply represent one regional center. An impartial, experienced hand is called for to help would-be EB-5 visa applicants protect their investment and their permanent green cards.
There are a number of things investors should ask before they make a decision to use a consultant. They include:
• Are consultants independent or are they associated with a certain regional center?
• Is there a fee charged?
• Have the consultants actually taken an in-depth look and reviewed the regional centers?
• Are the consultants also immigration attorneys? This may pose a potential conflict of interest.
• Have the consultants worked with other EB-5 immigrants in the past? What is their success rate?
• Do they have a track record of recommending more than one center?
• What kind of information can they provide?
Selecting a consultant is a smart way to work through your choice of an EB-5 Visa program. Taking time to make the right choice is vital for protecting the $500,000 investment and your green card status. Which EB-5 specializes in providing unbiased information and education to potential EB-5 visa immigrants. Get complete EB-5 Regional Center information now.
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Tags: attorney, consultant, eb-5, green card, immigrants, regional center, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
October 27th, 2009 |
How to Choose an EB-5 consultant
Choosing a consultant to guide you through the different EB5 regional centers programs can be an important first stage for potential EB-5 immigrant investors. Key points you need to consider include:
• Are the consultants truly independent, or are they associated with a particular regional center, acting more as an agent of that center rather than providing impartial and independent advice?
• Do they charge you a fee?
• Have the Consultants actually visited the proven centers? By visiting we mean an in-depth look and review of the center, not just attending a conducted tour and arranging a photo opportunity.
• Are the Consultants doubling up as the Immigration Attorneys who are advising you?
If so there may be a conflict of interest and an ethical dimension which has been the subject of much discussion at the recent (American Immigration Lawyers Association) AILA conference in California. At this Conference leading specialist EB-5 immigration Attorneys advised that while Attorneys working with clients on the EB5 visa should obviously provide advice on immigration law, they should not necessarily be giving advice on the relative positive and negative aspects of the regional center programs.
• How many actual EB-5 immigrants have they advised, what is their success and failure rate?
• Which centers have they recommended? One or several?
• What is the range of information they provide?
It is all very well knowing who the directors of the regional centers are , what the track record of the regional centers is, and how many EB-5 visa applicants they have attracted, but all these facts miss far more important points that are critical in the current economic times.
• What is the difference between equity and loan based programs?
• What is their knowledge on economic and job creation methodology?
• Do they have links to the leading independent EB-5 immigration attorneys, economists, international chartered accountants and business attorneys?
Please feel free to email your questions or concerns on selecting an EB-5 consultant to: info@whicheeb5.com
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Tags: agent, AILA, American Immigration Lawyers Association, applicants, conflict of interest, consultant, eb-5, eb5, ethical, fee, immigrant investor, immigration attorney, immigration law, impartial, independent, job creation methodology, questions, regional center, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
July 9th, 2009 |
As part of our ongoing due diligence we recently identified significant potential problems on a particular EB5 program, this reinforces one of our ongoing concerns that some families focus only on the legal implications of the visa and seek minimal advice or ask the wrong questions on the investment implications.
All too often clients start by asking which particular program gives the highest investment return; this is not only the WRONG QUESTION TO ASK it can also be extremely dangerous.
With so many regional centers offering the EB-5 pilot program, up to 49 at the latest count, it is inevitable issues would arise sooner or later particularly with some investors from counties where English is not their first language. Frequently these families are reliant on local sales agents representing only one or two programs and it is possible that a significant number of investors do not realize the potential weaknesses of the program they entered.
A regional center that has, according to a recent report, run into problems, sold extensively in Asia with legal advice focused mainly on obtaining the visa. The majority of investors failed to obtain separate independent advice of any other options and the investment implications of the center in question. The problem now is not only do they stand to lose all or part of their $500,000 investment by making an inappropriate decision on their program of choice, but also their right to stay in the USA if the project fails and the jobs are not created.
As part of our due diligence process we monitor programs closely to identify issues. Being aware of what is happening at the regional centers is very important and pretty much impossible to do if you are several thousand miles away, possibly relying on a local sales agent or an attorney focused specifically on just the legal emigration question as opposed to the potential investment repercussions.
The potential problems with this particular center, as well as the earlier cases of alleged fraud by a visa consultant, (currently being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service) emphasize the importance of seeking independent advice before selecting a center. There are some excellent programs available and the EB5 visa is for many both the fastest and perhaps the only option for permanent residency, but obtaining impartial advice is critical.
For questions and answers on your personal EB-5 options and choices please contact Which EB5 directly.
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Tags: alledged fraud, consultant, eb-5, eb5, impartial, independent advice, investment return, permanent residence, pilot program, regional center, USA, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
June 11th, 2009 |
When considering the time lines for the EB-5 investment, you need to consider a few time lines that all need to be coordinated and work in conjunction with one another. Those are:
• Your own personal timeline based upon your and your family’s goals and plans for relocation (we will discuss this further in later blogs). You should discuss this time frame with your regional center selection advisor and with your immigration attorney, so that you can plan realistically, and then set and reach your goals as promptly as possible.
• The timeline for searching for the right regional center for you, for conducting due diligence to make sure that it is right for you, for registering with the regional center and investing, and for filing your I-526 petition with USCIS. Once again, your EB-5 advisor/consultant and immigration attorney can prove invaluable in guiding you through these processes and setting a realistic time lines for their completion. They are familiar with the amount of time that it will take to gather the information from the regional center, to work with the business attorney, CPA, and possibly other business consultant assisting you in the due diligence phase prior to your investment. Once you will have made your investment, then the work is primarily in the hands of your immigration attorney, and so then it will then come down to his or her time frame for processing your case.
• The time line for USCIS to process your I-526 petition, and then for USCIS also to process your adjustment of status or for the State Department to process your application for an immigrant visa, is beyond your and everyone else’s control; however, your immigration attorney can advise you of what the current processing time is, and can help you to avoid needless delays due to inadequate documentation or other problems.
Not all of these time lines are set in stone, and so while we can provide you with some idea of what you are looking at in terms of timing and planning, no one can guarantee them—these are all beyond any of our control in that regard. What we can do is present you with a comprehensive understanding of the tasks ahead of you and the relative timeline on which you can base your plans. This will prove extremely beneficial as you begin to take action, investing and applying for your permanent resident status.
Knowing how the process should go and being prepared to meet the requirements and challenges at every step of the way will make your immigration process go as smoothly as possible, and give you the best preparation for a relatively speedy and successful application.
If you haven’t done so already I would recommend contacting the experts at Which EB5 who can start providing the information and guidance you need.
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Tags: adjustment of status, advisor, consultant, CPA, eb-5, guarantee, I-526, immigrant visa, immigration attorney, investment, permanent residence, processing time, regional center, state department, uscis, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
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