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.
|
| |
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 23rd, 2010 |
 The family who had been looking for the best way to achieve permanent residency in America, decided to use all the facilities of WhichEB5 to thoroughly research all the various proven EB-5 programs. They wished to look in-depth across a range of programs in particular the likelihood of the necessary jobs being created in time to ensure the removal of conditions at I-829 stage. We identified for the family that although some centers seemed to indicate their affiliation with State Government this was giving a misleading impression in relation to the guarantee or otherwise of the actual return of the investment. We had a long video consult as a first step then met with them for a detailed face to face follow-up.
|
| |
Tags: America, eb-5, guarantee, I-829, investment, jamaican, misleading, permanent residence, state government, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
June 8th, 2010 |
 It is interesting how potential immigrants from various countries have very different initial priorities when looking at the regional center program options. In working with clients from around the world it has sometimes surprised us how this can affect the regional center program that different nationalities may opt for and we remain concerned that not all potential immigrants are always given the widest range of options. This can have a major potential impact:-
For example, some programs may well 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) (application at 21 months) and most investors are hoping for a return of their investment after a number of years. The implications of this require detailed explanation – for further information please contact the partners at Which EB-5.
|
| |
Tags: eb-5, I-526, I-829, investor visa, regional center, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
May 28th, 2010 |
 Where to get real information on the EB-5 visa program As the EB-5 program has now been operating for several years there are a numbers of families who have experienced the entire cycle. They originally obtained their I-526’s, and their green cards, had conditions removed via the I-829, have lived in the US long enough to apply for citizenship, and have had a return on their original $500,000 investment or are due to in the next few months.
Their experience on the return on their investments are particularly interesting for those considering the EB-5 option as some investing in particular regional centers received back less than they originally invested; others are likely to receive back at least the $500.000 they initially invested possibly more.
It is also interesting to analyze the experience of the many regional centers that have been approved by the USCIS to offer regional center EB-5 programs; there are significant differences when using different criteria to measure results, all of which are important for potential EB5 investors to understand.
If you are seeking feedback of either immigrant’s experience of the EB-5 or the experience of the various regional centers it would be worth contacting Which EB5 who have carried out extensive research in these areas and received feedback from families who have been through the entire EB-5 process.
|
| |
Tags: eb-5, eb5, eb5 investors, green card, I-526, I-829, information, investment, investors, regional center, uscis, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
May 24th, 2010 |
 Is the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa a safe option? We sometimes receive correspondence from readers of our articles, newsletters, and this blog, saying that they are concerned there may be problems with the EB-5 as we seem to regularly identify problems with this particular immigrant visa or are warning potential investors about certain issues or flagging up complaints.
We certainly feel, as advocates of the EB-5 visa, that it is important we identify issues that potential immigrants should be aware of and as the founders of WhichEB5 we, as first generation immigrants ourselves, feel particular empathy towards those taking the major step towards starting a new life with their family in the USA.
However, far from having concerns about the EB-5 visa we have a great deal of belief in the visas track record to date based on the experiences of the 150 plus families from all over the world who we have worked with over the past few years and who are all now fulfilling their dream, living permanently with green cards and permanent residency status, in many different areas of the USA.
Many of those families had been living, for a number of years, in the USA on a variety of other visas which failed to provide them with permanent residency status and were causing them and their families a great deal of concerns and uncertainty. Their need to turn to the EB-5 to resolve these problems and the subsequent granting of their EB-5 visa status has often been a source of relief and satisfaction to them and saw the end of the ongoing problems they had previously experienced with the E2, L1, H1B and F visas which they felt could have resulted in them eventually having to leave the USA, in some cases after living here for many years.
Immigration to another country is often a mixed experience combining the excitement of new opportunities and challenges with regret at what one is leaving behind. Our concerns with the EB-5 visa are not with the visa itself or indeed with many of the well proven regional centers who have enjoyed a 100% track record to date.
However, we are concerned that some families making, what is a major step in their lives, fail to obtain independent, impartial advice from experienced consultants who have spent a great deal of time researching and importantly visiting the proven regional center options. Instead every year some unwary families rely on sales information directly from a particular regional center, or on advisors who may be promoting only one center, who may not have visited the centers or may be recommending regional centers paying the highest level of commission.
In summary, we believe the EB-5 visa can be an excellent option for those who are seeking permanent residence in the USA and there are some excellent and importantly well proven regional center programs to choose from. However, the importance of experienced and impartial advice from consultants with a track record should never be underestimated.
|
| |
Tags: consultants, E2, eb-5, F visa, H-1B, highest commission, immigrant investor, L1, permanent residence, regional center, track record, USA, visa, warning, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
May 17th, 2010 |
 Is the EB5 investor visa your best option? For the past five years we have been working with families from many countries looking for a visa that provides them with the opportunity for permanent residence. Multiple families we have worked with have invested $500,000 in a regional center program and opted for the EB-5 immigrant investor visa. The feedback from these families, who have settled in many different areas of the States, proved invaluable in our book Green Card via the Red Carpet.
We were recently asked by a leading immigration publication to give our views on the EB-5 program, specifically taking into account the needs of the immigrant investor whose first language may not be English. As first generation immigrants ourselves we have seen our families grow up in America and remain concerned that some of the information provided on the EB-5 programs by attorneys, consultants, and regional centers, may cause problems for families, after they have moved to America.
One of the problems is the amount of information that is now available on the EB-5 programs. Although there seems to be a mass of helpful information available on the program research we have carried out shows some of it may be a cause of concern for the unwary family particularly if they have not carried out research into the background of the adviser. For example, how many families have they actually (successfully) worked with on the EB5? How many regional centers have they successfully processed investors through? Can they put you in touch with a number of families they have worked with? Have they actually visited a significant number of proven regional centers? Have they been barred by a regulatory board and/or commission from practicing in certain areas?
Given our own experiences, we cannot emphasise enough how important these points are, and with reference to visiting the regional centers, we mean spending several days at the center looking behind the scenes to see what is actually going on. We believe the importance of visiting and investigating regional center programs is critical to provide detailed information to families considering the various regional center programs and in undertaking research for our follow up book we are carrying out further in-depth visits as well as talking to our successful clients who have invested in various regional center programs.
Simply attending the regional center official tour, interviewing a particular regional center head, or videoing a regional center can only provide a limited perspective on the nuts and bolts of a particular program. We know from experience that the important considerations for a family considering investing $500,000 in an EB5 visa are:
Will we obtain the visa? Will we keep the visa? Will we get our $500,000 investment back? From our experience in working with many families and many centers we are aware that there are centers that have fulfilled these requirements, we are also aware that there are other centers being recommended where there have been cases of litigation, some ongoing, and families have potentially lost all their $500,000.
We feel strongly that all too often families considering the EB-5 visa are not being given all the information necessary to know what they are signing up for. Yes, it is great to know that there is a visa available that enables you and your family to live permanently in the USA and after five years become citizens if you want but from your viewpoint it is important that the visa delivers what you want therefore you need to know which programs have a successful track record and which should or may cause concern.
More information can be found on WhichEB5.com or Green Card via the Red Carpet
|
| |
Tags: America, attorney, citizens, consultants, eb-5, eb5, Green Card via the Red Carpet, immigrant investor, permanent residence, regional center, USA, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
May 11th, 2010 |
We have, for several months, been concerned about a number of developments regarding some of the regional centers offering EB-5 programs. We therefore decided, after finishing our book Green Card via the Red Carpet, to spend a number of weeks conducting further in-depth research into the various regional center immigrant investor programs.
As immigration advocates who have successfully worked with over 150 EB-5 applicants from many countries, our view is very clear. Would-be EB-5 investors generally wish to focus on successfully obtaining green cards, maintaining their green cards visa status, and finally obtaining the return of their $500.000 investment. Additionally some seek a sizable return on their $500,000 investment, but generally not at the risk of jeopardizing their original capital or risking the failure of removal of conditions and potential deportation.
Our weeks of follow-up research however have highlighted many important issues which we intend to cover in short blog style articles over the next month including –
- The need to be given the facts rather than a sales presentation.
- Why you need to be taking advice from EB5 consultants who work only with potential immigrants, rather than consultants who also offer services to the regional centers themselves; providing a potential conflict of interest.
- How to be aware of the limitations of certain information – for example: What, realistically, are you likely to learn from a video interview with the head of a regional center? – it’s unlikely to focus on any bad press!
- The need to be aware of the background of the people you are dealing with. We have identified some issues which should be of real concern if you are investing $500,000 of your hard earned money, particularly if those giving you advice have had previous problems with the authorities – our research has indicated some who have!
- The need to be aware that you, like others before you, can fall victim to tactics more in keeping with a car salesman that someone really interested in your families’ welfare. We are sadly aware of immigrants investing in certain programs where the sales talk sounded great but previous investors have not received their $500,000 back and others who did not have their conditions removed after twenty one months and now face deportation.
There can be enormous questions posed when many of the investors in a program do not speak English and are totally reliant on commission earning intermediaries who may be focusing on the center paying them the highest fee.
Another potential disaster is incorrect information – we have been appalled by some of the inaccuracies we have come across, including disturbingly, some from Attorneys.
Just as bad are the cases of Attorneys and Consultants who have led potential clients to believe that they are experts on the EB-5 visa and then approach us (often anonymously or using an alias) for the information to give the clients. We have been clamping down on this practice as having worked with immigrants for many years, and being immigrants ourselves to the USA; we understand all too well the reliance placed upon accurate and independent advice. You just have to make sure the information you are getting is just that, accurate and independent.
Does this mean everything you are likely to be told is flawed, or that the risks may be too great? Well, on the positive side, we have examples of a few regional centers that do not need to actively market and do not need the sales talk. They have not only successfully worked with EB-5 immigrant investors all over the world, they can also point to the fact that unlike many who rely on sales talk, they have actually returned investors $500,000 and the families are now happily established in the USA living their American dream.
We intend to cover all these issues in our forthcoming series of blogs and can talk this through with you over the phone or at our office. For more details please use the form on this blog or contact us via email from our website www.WhichEB5.com
|
| |
Tags: accurate, advice, American dream, attorney, bad press, commission, consultants, deportation, eb-5, eb5, Green Card via the Red Carpet, highest fee, immigrant investor, immigrants, incorrect information, independent, investors, regional center, removal of conditions, USA, video interview, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
April 14th, 2010 |
YES: One regional center’s first two projects, which were loans made from a limited partnership of EB5 investors, have reached maturity and have been repaid in full.
One other regional center program has made repayments below the $500,000 capital investment.
In “Green Card via the Red Carpet” which can be found on Amazon, we reported that many EB-5 investor visa applicants feel the return of their $500,000 is an their second most important consideration.
For the latest impartial information on who has and who has not paid back contact the senior partners at Which EB5
|
| |
Tags: eb5, Green Card via the Red Carpet, investment visa, investors, regional center, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
April 5th, 2010 |
 What is best, an old established regional center investment or a new one? Regional center track records are one of the first forms of comparison that help investors choose between alternative investment possibilities. Early on in the EB-5 program, that was almost enough to compare center to center and come up with your favored option. As there were only a handful of approved centers, comparisons were fairly straightforward. That situation has changed dramatically in recent years. With more than 80 approved centers and more being added to the list on a regular basis, it is much harder for immigrants to compare all the centers, to understand the diversity of information and statistics that are found, and to be able to confidently choose which center is best for their needs. Add to that the facts discussed before—the fact that the centers should not be your one and only reliable source of research and information—and what you have is an unmanageable situation for the average immigrant investor.
In addition to this, and this is a very important fact to highlight and always remember, there can be quite a lot of differentiation even within an established and trusted regional center. A good track record with a specific or past project may not be a guarantee of the investment and visa potential of the next planned project. For this reason it is always necessary to evaluate not only the overall and long-term track record of the center, but also the track record of each project in conjunction with an in-depth analysis of the proposed projects that are being offered by the center at the current time.
It is also critical to know that designation or approval as a regional center by the USCIS does not mean that all projects and petitions emanating from that center will automatically be approved. Each project that the center undertakes is evaluated individually, as are all petitions and applications. It is true that designation as a regional center may be a more secure avenue of investment for immigration, but this is only a threshold requirement—the project and the petition still need to prove their worth beyond doubt to the USCIS.
The track record of a regional center, while not a guarantee of individual approval, is a strong indicator of what the center and its management are capable of achieving. It indicates whether or not the program and its principals have the “know how” to develop strong investment programs that will qualify as immigration investments and get approved by the USCIS, and whether or not the individual investor’s petitions will be approved, both at the I-526 Stage for Conditional Permanent Residence and at the I-829 stage for Removal of Conditions.
That being said, track record alone is still not enough for you to commit to any regional center. The project that you are considering also needs to be thoroughly evaluated on its own merits. Success with a past project is a good start, but in conjunction with this you need professional advice to determine the potential viability of the project.
To add yet another contributing factor to the mix, all the recently launched centers and new projects must also be evaluated and considered. It takes an even higher level of care, research, and due diligence to evaluate the potential of a brand-new project where there is little or no record of success to fall back on. In order to consider a new center and/or project on your regional center “short list”, it must be thoroughly researched in conjunction with economic forecasts and business plans in order to determine its potential viability.
Contact Which EB5 for in-depth analysis of any potential regional center investment you are considering
|
| |
Tags: eb-5, I-526, I-829, immigrant investment, immigrants, regional center, track record, uscis, visa, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
March 24th, 2010 |
A few EB-5 regional centers make this claim however, some qualification is required, for example – 
- How do they know, given that USCIS does not provide that information!
- Is this based on the number of years they have been operating?
- Since the economic slowdown are the centers making this claim still attracting the most clients?
- Do these immigrants come from just a couple of countries where the center has a number of agents operating? (In this case what are the implications if most of these immigrants do not speak English?)
- Why does one organization, which has probably had the most clients overall, not make this claim?
For free advice on working your way through the implications of the different EB-5 regional centers contact the partners at Which EB5
|
| |
Tags: immigrants, regional center, uscis, Which EB-5
Posted in Immigration | No Comments » |
|
