August 4th, 2010 |
 The EB-5 visa has been available in its current format for several years and as a result there is a fair amount of evidence to draw on regarding its success, as well as some failures.
For those of you considering the EB-5 as your gateway to permanent residence in the USA you will need to invest $500,000 in one of many government approved regional center programs typically for five to six years. In return, if you fulfill the requirements of investing in specific areas, and the program creates ten jobs per investor, you, your spouse, and children under 21 get to achieve permanent residency (Green Card) status in the USA.
Those brave pioneers who first used the EB5 route some six years ago are now in a position to have received their investment back and obtain US citizenship if they so choose. Going back six years there were literally only a handful of programs available to choose from. These programs still exist, but only one has repaid their initial investors in full. That program had a clear and fixed exit strategy covering repayment of the investment.
So, for many people, that raises the question; will I get my money back? The answer in the case of that project is yes. However, in the case of other centers, without that clear exit strategy in writing, there is still no answer.
The EB5 investor visa program has many benefits but an ongoing problem remains for those that seek information direct from the regional centers rather than experienced independent advisers. The regional centers want, and indeed need to sell places and sometimes they may be economical with the facts in order to win you over and steal you away from a competing regional center project.
For example, are you in a hurry to obtain your EB5 visa? If so you may be drawn to a particular regional center that makes a number of claims including that it has a faster processing time. Here is a direct quote from their website and promotional material:
“Credibility of the State of XXXXXXX with governmental responsibility and oversight means that investors’ petitions are given priority by CIS, resulting in a faster path to approval”
Enquiries into the accuracy of this statement by independent EB5 investigators to the USCIS (the U.S. Government) resulted in the following response:
“XXXXXXX Regional Center petitions are not given priority over other Regional Center petitions”.
Are any other statements on that website inaccurate? I’ll leave you to be the judge.
Another regional center claim a100% track record but there has been a number of refusals which are not highlighted in their sales material.
Sometimes families researching the various EB5 programs are attracted by well known names associated with particular regional centers yet with a little help it is not difficult to discover there a number of less well known, mundane, and frankly boring programs with excellent track records, well thought through, and certainly in the current economic climate, worthy of attention.
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Tags: citizenship, eb-5, eb5, green card, investor visa, permanent residence, regional center, USA, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
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 » |
June 30th, 2010 |
This is a Chinese translation of our recent blog: What support do I get after I have obtained my EB-5 visa?
我们已经帮助世界各地超过150个家庭取得EB5投资移民签证，他们以永久居民的身份在美国各地居住。因此，我们清楚地了解，一旦他们在美国定居，生活上需要哪些协助。
当然，所有的家庭有不同的要求。有少部分人很乐意自己闯荡，搬到美国后不需要我们的服务。 然而，大部分人还是非常需要我们的服务，向我们询问搬到一个新国家后诸多必然出现的问题，从我们这里得到即时答复。
过去咨询我们的问题的范围非常广泛，包括我在哪里可以找到一个经验丰富而又可靠保密的国际税务专家？美国的教育和大学系统的机制如何？我需要知道哪些有关在美国开车和驾照考试的情况？我进入美国二十一个月后，有哪些重要的问题我需要知道？在美国各个不同地方生活的优缺点？我可以从哪个信誉好的公司买健康保险？
对于一些家庭，特别是大多数来自中国的家庭，这些问题尤其重要，因为很多家庭只是母亲和孩子移民到美国，父亲留在中国继续工作或者经营生意，每年到美国探亲两次。在这种情况下，母亲们希望在美国有他们可以信任的人帮助他们，数千里外的父亲们也要确定有可以让他们放心的人在这里帮助他们的家庭。
我们担心，许多移民顾问和律师不提供这种服务。一旦第一步I-526 申请批准，费用已清，客户拿到EB5 投资移民的临时绿卡，他们的工作便已完成
在现实中， 对许多家庭而言，这并不是整个过程的结束，而只是另一个过程的开始，面对适应美国生活方式的挑战，从电话另一端听到一友好声音负有经验的意见，对许多移民家庭是非常重要的，受到他们的热切赞赏。
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Tags: china, eb5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
June 18th, 2010 |
Which EB5 have assisted many clients who have opted for different regional centers depending on their priorities.
Questions we have answered for previous clients include:
- What is the track record of the various regional centers?
- 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 is slow reaching the required number of investors?
- 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 good track records?
- What are the implications of the program ending in 2012?
- What is the likely impact of the present economic circumstances on different programs?
These important questions are covered in a free consultation with our clients. You can book your consultation by completing this short form.
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Tags: eb5, investor visa, regional center, USA
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
June 16th, 2010 |
Transparency
You need to be confident that your Consultants do not have any issues from their past that could be of concern. For example issues concerning professional institutions or regulatory bodies etc. You may wish to check:
- Have they been disciplined by professional or regulatory bodies and been prevented from practicing in certain areas?
- Have they actually researched and visited a number of centers, how many and for how long?
- How many clients have they referred to how many centers?
- How many clients have been successfully processed through the EB-5 Visa
- Have they written and published books on the EB-5?
Make sure your EB5 consultant is transparent.
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Tags: consultants, eb-5, eb5, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
June 15th, 2010 |
Credibility
If Consultants or attorneys are setting out to give measured, balanced and reasoned advice on the strengths and weaknesses of different regional centers it should be considered important that they have at the very least actually visited the regional center programs so that they are familiar with what is exactly happening on the ground.
At these visits they need to be looking aggressively for any problem areas. It goes without saying that regional centers are likely to promote their strengths, but are also unlikely to highlight weaknesses. These visits need to focus on uncovering negative issues rather than simply being used as promotional opportunities involving photos and interviews which are unlikely to get behind the scenes to identify where the centers weaknesses may be. Visits that spend more time drumming up sales, rather than looking into the behind-the-scenes of the centers will be of limited value.
Likewise, touring the world giving sales presentations to potential clients may impress potential customers by providing face to face contact however; there is a world of difference between a slick sales campaign as opposed to a Consultant with actual in-depth knowledge on the positives and negatives of various regional centers.
Make sure your EB5 consultant is credible.
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Tags: consultant, eb5, regional center
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
June 14th, 2010 |
When you are looking for a Consultant to guide you through the EB-5 investor visa options you need to look beyond their sales claims and instead focus on key basic issues. From our experience, working for a number of years on EB-5 visas and successfully working with over 150 families, EB5 consultants should at least possess the following characteristics otherwise you may be making unnecessary and dangerous risks with your $500,000 capital, as well as risking deportation if your approval fails at the I-829 removal-of-conditions stage. Over the next three days we will be looking at those qualities, namely:
• Impartiality
• Credibility
• Transparency
Today we will look at: Impartiality
Some Consultant’s advise both regional centers as well as individuals seeking impartial advice on the positives and negatives of regional centers; this may create a potential conflict of interest.
If a consultant is advising regional centers on how to best market or sell their programs it is hard to see how, at the same time, a consultant can claim to impartially recommend a range of different programs to individual clients.
Another issue relates to finder’s fees which regional centers pay to Consultants and sometimes to Attorneys, these can vary substantially. In certain cases these may include an ongoing percentage of interest payments.
A further issue can relate to Consultants having sole representation of a particular centers product. Again, in particular circumstances this may result in a conflict of interest.
Make sure your EB5 consultant is independent.
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Tags: consultants, eb-5, eb5, I-829, investor visa, regional center, removal of conditions, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
June 7th, 2010 |
 All over the world there are people who want to live in the USA but despite their qualifications find that they are unable to obtain business sponsorship, labor certification or a suitable offer of employment.
As specialist EB5 Immigration Attorney Anthony Olson recently explained, labor certification is dependent on the sponsoring employer not finding a qualified, willing, able, and available worker in the local job market. In the current market there are many well-qualified people out there looking for jobs thus labor certification is not looking very promising as a vehicle to permanent residence. This could well be one of the reasons for the growing popularity of the US EB-5 investor visa green card.
Which EB5 research all EB-5 investment visa options and our impartial advice has helped many families obtain Green cards and permanent residence in the USA. For more details of how the EB5 program can help you read the Guide to the EB5 immigrant investor visa program.
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Tags: eb-5, eb5, green card, immigration attorney, investor visa, relocate, USA
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
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