March 8th, 2010 |
 Should you compare EB5 investor visa projects with the help of a lawyer? The situation is understandable; you are looking into the various regional center options for your choice of EB-5 program and are spending days, weeks maybe months (it may seem like a lifetime) searching the internet in an attempt to find information on the relative advantages, or just as importantly disadvantages, of the ever growing number of regional centers.
A number of the most experienced immigration lawyers do not provide guidance on choice of regional centers. Instead they focus on the legal aspects of the EB-5 visa. Indeed there have been a number of seminars where leading EB-5 immigration attorney’s have stressed that Immigration Lawyers should not be providing advice on your choice of regional center – their focus should be on the actual legal immigration process.
So you continue to search for useful information; such as how many successful applicants have each center processed, however, how helpful is that statistic? For example, if a program has a high number of non-English speaking applicants what are the implications that are not readily apparent from the bare statistics?
When a web site quotes comparative statistics how up to date and accurate are those statistics and indeed how meaningful? The US economy is still undergoing massive changes and regional center programs that were popular a couple of years ago, at a time of significantly higher returns, may require other considerations in the light of a more conservative attitude.
Another factor that is not readily apparent from the web is how are programs actually performing once fully subscribed? Have buildings been constructed, jobs been created, what issues have come to the surface and have investors had their monies returned?
If you are looking into regional center options for your choice of EB5 regional center independent, impartial information can be found on Which EB-5, contact Andrew Bartlett or Stephen Parnell to find out what they discovered on their visits to these regional center programs.
Andrew Bartlett and Stephen Parnell are authors of Green Card via the Red Carpet available on Amazon
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Tags: amazon, America, andrew bartlett, eb-5, Green Card via the Red Carpet, immigration attorney, immigration lawyers, regional center, stephen parnell, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
January 12th, 2010 |
 How long is the EB5 immigration process? From start to finish, how long will it be before you receive your green card? Unfortunately, there is no definite answer to this question but we can give you some general estimates.
For the first phase—the regional center investment phase—the timeline should not be overly long. Usually this can be accomplished in a matter of two to eight weeks after your decision has been made as to which EB-5 center to invest in; however, every center’s timing and timeline will differ.
The real timing begins with your specialist EB5 immigration attorney submitting your I-526 to the USCIS. The general waiting time for USCIS review of I-526 petitions was previously six to eight months, but since USCIS increased its staff of examiners, it is now down to as little as one to six months.
Once that is approved and your attorney files the application for adjustment of status or for application consular processing of an immigrant visa you will have another waiting time of about six to twelve months for adjustment of status, or two to six months for consular processing. These time-lines vary enormously so please contact us for updated timetables at any time.
The grand total timeline after you submit your original I-526 application is between six and fifteen months. This is the estimated amount of time it will take for you to receive your conditional green card and take up residence in the United States – if you would like advice on what you need to take into account to obtain the quickest time please contact Which EB-5 via email at info@WhichEB5.com or through our website at www.WhichEB5.com
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Tags: consular processing, eb-5, green card, I-526, Immigration, immigration attorney, regional center, united states, uscis, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
January 11th, 2010 |
 Putting together a personal EB5 timetable is good advice Each investor and his or her family have ideas about what they would like their own personal timeline to look like. You should have some idea of a target date or estimated date when you would like to be living in America. Formulating your personal timeline can be difficult and this is where the guidance of an experienced EB5 immigration attorney will prove invaluable. He or she will help you match your goals and needs with the reality of the process and capabilities of processing within the constraints set by outside factors; namely the regional center you choose to invest in and the USCIS.
No discussion of time lines for EB-5 investing is complete without at least introducing the basic timeline for investing from the regional center perspective. USCIS’s procedures and processing times determine most of the timeline in this process; however, you should not underestimate the impact of the regional center and its time lines and procedures on your personal goals.
The timeline for investing from start to finish will vary. In fact, the proposed timeline for a center and their track record for abiding by it may be one of those considerations that you and your immigration consultant weigh when choosing the right regional center for your investment. For further information on time lines for various regional centers contact Which EB-5
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Tags: America, eb-5, eb5, immigration attorney, immigration consultant, processing time, regional center, uscis, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
January 7th, 2010 |
 Enrollment for this school year is only seven months away After conferring with a number of specialist EB-5 immigration attorneys we have calculated the current average times for I-526 approvals from the USCIS is about 3 months, with consular processing running at an additional 4-6 months. This is a total of 7 to 9 months before you can enter the USA using your EB-5 visa.
If you are planning to apply for the EB-5 visa and require approval in time for your children to start school/college in the USA at the start of the school year August 2010, you need to act now.
Some regional center programs, can for specific reasons, RFE’s - requests for further evidence etc, be faster than others.
If timing is important to you and you want your children to start school or you have children turning 21 in the next year please contact us urgently for further information info@WhichEB5.com
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Tags: consular processing, eb-5, eb5, I-526, immigration attorney, regional center, request for further evidence, USA, uscis, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
January 6th, 2010 |
 National Public Radio One of our EB5 clients, Brian Thompson, was recently featured on (NPR) Public Radio – Below is a transcript from part of the interview with him which was covered on the Morning Edition.
“News of job creation programs has been widely reported lately, but there’s one program that many people have never heard about: Under U.S. immigration law, foreigners can invest in an American business and, in exchange, receive a green card.
This has long been a small, obscure program, but as domestic sources of financing have dried up, the number of EB-5 visas issued this way has tripled in the past year.
For investor Brian Thompson and his wife the motivation was to leave England for a place with better weather. A few years ago they put $500,000 into the redevelopment of a Seattle warehouse that is being turned into a hotel. Once it opens Thompson hopes to make his money back and then some. But the immigrant investor program requires a certain degree of risk, and if the business venture falls through, so do the green cards.
That would be the worst-case scenario,” Thompson says. “We’d be stuck in England, left without the pot of money that we’d worked all our lives for.
But so far the hotel project is on track. And since you don’t have to live where you put your money, Thompson and his wife are happily retired in Florida.
Half a million dollars is the minimum required — an investment in a more competitive area must be $1 million — and across the country, government-approved consultants have popped up to help match this foreign money with American companies.
Immigration attorneys say a big motivation for many investors is to educate their children in the U.S., since a participant’s entire immediate family also qualifies for a green card”.
More Which EB5 client success stories can be found by clicking this link now.
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Tags: eb-5, eb5, florida, green card, immigration attorney, immigration law, National Public Radio, npr, seattle, USA, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
December 9th, 2009 |
 How do I Emigrate to the USA? We were recently approached by a journalist writing an article for the British newspaper The Daily Mail and apparently this is a question many are currently asking. The question seems simple enough, but from our long experience we know it is a question that can so often lead to misleading information and trouble down the road.
The reason is simple, by asking how do I emigrate to the USA the questioner is already starting off by missing a key point.
By way of explanation let’s examine who may answer the question –
If a consultant or business broker is asked the question, many may flag up the E2 or L1 visa options. These visas are often tied in with an opportunity for commission for that consultant or business broker. However, that motivation may not be clear to the potential emigrant, and it may not be explained that these visas do not necessarily provide permanent residency rights. Without permanent residency a whole trail of difficult issues can crop up at a later date, this may lead to possible deportation. For this reason, certain emigrants looking at the E2 or L1 routes and buying a business of a certain size, may have been better looking at the EB-5 visa which provides for permanent residency.
An immigration attorney may also approach the question from the angle of how you can emigrate, rather than should you? and what are the lifestyle implications for your family. In other words should you even do it, or will your family wish you were back in your original country in a few months or years?
Some asking the question how do I emigrate to the USA seek advice from an emigration blog. However, this again can cause problems. For example, those that reply in a positive tone may not realize that although they were happy with the route they have taken, it may lead to issues later on. Example: Simply because they took an E2 visa and bought a business that has worked out for them does not mean that they will not eventually face problems. They may not realize at this stage that eventuality they may need to leave the States due to non renewal, business failure, or a child having to leave at age 21.
For more information contact Andrew Bartlett at: andrew@whicheb5.com
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Tags: E2, eb-5, emigrate to the usa, immigration attorney, L1, permanent residency, visa
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
November 20th, 2009 |
 Which EB5 Visa? Occasionally we hear from an EB-5 applicant, who having signed up for a particular EB-5 regional center program, suddenly finds out about our service and approaches us for advice as to whether they have done the right thing.
Often they originally found out about the EB-5 through a persuasive agent, or an advert from a regional center or even had been recommended it by an immigration attorney.
Our first though generally is oh dear, after all, once they have placed their investment with the regional center and are in the process of making an application there is little that can be done.
In much the same way as if you rush into marriage with the wrong partner you may have something of a roller coaster ride, if you have chosen an inappropriate regional center program you not only risk losing some or all of your $500,000 but also face potential deportation for you and your family – hardly the outcome you may have been planning!
The time to ask for advice is now, before you make a decision. Visit EB5-Info now.
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Tags: agent, applicant, eb-5, EB5-INFO, immigration attorney, investment, regional center
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
November 12th, 2009 |
 Frustrated looking for EB-5 information? Sitting at your computer getting a headache trying to find as much information as possible on the EB-5 visa?
Looking for impartial information on regional centers can be so frustrating. Some centers promise you everything you are looking for, they seem to focus on how wonderful they are but don’t offer you any insight into possible negatives. Turning to immigrations attorneys can also be of limited help if they just provide bland legal details or the technicalities of the EB-5. In some countries you may even have come across consultants who you hope give impartial advice but are working directly with one of the centers, plus they often charge you a big fee!
The EB-5 visa can be an excellent option if you are looking for legal permanent residence in the U.S.A. but finding information from your viewpoint is fraught with danger. We have even come across many well meaning blogs from fellow EB-5 applicants that are unfortunately riddled with dangerous errors.
So much can depend on the decision you make regarding choice of regional center program – that decision can affect whether get your green card, whether you keep it, and whether you get your $500,000 back at some point in the future. Quite often one of the only effective methods of discovering the reality of what’s happening with a regional center is to visit it, but it’s pretty time consuming to visit any number of centers.
To find out more about what we have discovered during our visits to the regional centers contact us via email at info@whicheb5.com or by phone at +1-559-EB5-INFO
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Tags: blogs, eb-5, EB5-INFO, green card, immigration attorney, information, permanent residence, regional center, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
October 29th, 2009 |
The recent AILA (American Immigration Lawyers Association) conference in California attended by Immigration Attorneys and Government Representatives from the department of Homeland Security (USCIS) focused on the EB-5 immigrant investor visa option. One of the key issues debated in detail at the conference was the role of immigration attorneys in the EB5 process and why immigration attorneys might want to focus on immigration advice rather than facing potential ethical issues, and perhaps even a conflict of interest, by providing advice to clients on choosing a regional center.
A number of speakers emphasized that the immigration attorney is naturally the right specialist for immigration advice but possibly inappropriate for advice on which regional center to choose.
Issues that potential EB-5 applicants should be aware of include:-
• Some centers require the EB5 visa investor to use a particular attorney – What are the implications in this for you the applicant?
• In some cases, attorneys also advise the very centers they are presenting and offering to the client. Is this a possible conflict of interest?
• If offering advice on choosing a regional center, has the attorney taken the time to visit the centers in question?
• How many actual I-526 petitions and I-829’s has the Attorney processed?
Your choice of immigration attorney is very important. It is imperative that your chosen attorney not only be an experienced immigration attorney but also have considerable experience, preferably with multiple regional centers, in the filing of EB-5 visa petitions too.
For an in-depth look at the role of attorneys in the EB-5 selection process see: Ethical And Practical Considerations In EB-5 Representation by Carolyn S. Lee
Questions and concerns regarding choice of EB-5 attorneys are welcome at WhichEb5 Blog. Please email: info@whicheb5.com
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Tags: AILA, American Immigration Lawyers Association, application, Carolyn S. Lee, Department of Homeland Security, eb-5, eb5, Ethical And Practical Considerations In EB-5 Representation, I-526, I-829, immigrant investor, immigration attorney, regional center, uscis, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
October 28th, 2009 |
Once our clients have gone through the various regional center options and arrived at their preferred choice, some feel they want further independent advice from a chartered accountant and a business attorney to provide due diligence. Although our clients use a specialized immigration attorney to undertake the actual EB5 visa application for them, they sometimes also require the reassurance of an accountant looking over the financial viability of the program and legal reassurance from a business attorney looking at the legal side of the regional center business entity itself.
It can be an important step to retain a business attorney to examine the legal documents which govern the functioning of the EB-5 project entity (typically a limited partnership) in which you would be investing in the regional center. These include the subscription agreement, the partnership agreement, as well as comparing the provisions of these documents with the information presented in the offering prospectus.
Some regional center projects are based on the limited partnership lending money to private sector or government entities, and so then it would also be wise to have the business attorney examine the loan documents and the terms of the loan. Working in conjunction with a CPA (“Certified Public Accountant”) or business evaluator, to examine the creditworthiness of the borrower in the loan structure.
It can be useful to consult with a CPA or a business evaluator in assessing the security of the investment in the regional center’s project. Moreover, a CPA who is experienced in advising international clients can also help you to carry out your tax planning prior to becoming a U.S. tax resident, which typically occurs once the investor becomes a legal permanent resident (LPR). This is another important aspect of the investor’s planning to protect himself financially.
Until quite recently finding the expertise necessary to carry out these functions at a reasonable price has been difficult, particularly using specialist professionals who have previous experience of analyzing EB-5 regional center investments. However, WhichEB-5 have identified chartered accountants and business attorneys who have experience of working in this area for our EB-5 clients , if you would like further information simply send us an email with an outline of your thoughts and needs and we will respond immediately. Contact Which EB5 at info@WhichEB5.com
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 regional centers; you make the same investment plus get all the independent advice of Which EB-5 at no cost to you.
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Tags: application, business attorney, certified public accountant, chartered accountant, CPA, due diligence, eb-5, eb-5 project, eb5, immigration attorney, independent advice, investments, legal permanent resident, limited partnership, LPR, options, regional center, successful, tax planning, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
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