On November 5, 2024, millions of Americans will exercise their right to vote in this year’s presidential election, widely considered one of the most pivotal moments in modern U.S. history. The outcome of each presidential election is seen as a reflection of the United States’ core values, with democracy, economic stability, and social justice on the line.
“This is going to be the most important election since 1860, because it is going to be about the future of this country as a democracy,” says political scientist Herbert Kitschelt in The New York Times. As voters face questions around leadership, polarization, and the direction of the country, this moment may well prove to be a turning point for the country.
While permanent residents of the United States cannot vote, they still benefit from the country’s commitment to democracy, with the people electing government officials and holding them accountable for their actions.
But U.S. citizens can directly participate in the democratic process by voting in elections. Through casting their ballots, U.S. citizens help shape the future of their country—and of the world.
The 2024 presidential election will not only be a landmark event for U.S. citizens and permanent residents. It will also be crucial for thousands, even millions, of foreign nationals who want to build their futures in the United States, establish a new life for their families, and eventually become U.S. citizens.
If these are your goals, you may be considering the EB-5 visa program, or you may have already made an EB-5 investment. The EB-5 program is one of the very few direct paths to becoming a permanent resident of the United States—and it enables you to apply for U.S. citizenship after holding your U.S. Green Card for five years. And once a U.S. citizen, you would have the same democratic rights as everyone else: the right to vote and influence the future of the nation.
With this election likely representing an inflection point for the nation, as an EB-5 investor, you may be wondering what the 2024 U.S. presidential election will mean for you.
In this article, we provide an overview of how the 2024 presidential election may impact the EB-5 program—and how an EB-5 investment can enable you to vote as a U.S. citizen and help shape America’s future.
First, let’s consider how democracy became the founding principle of the U.S. government and how the United States has continuously preserved and protected its democratic system.
Democracy: The Cornerstone of America’s Government and Core Values
U.S. Citizens, Exercise Your Right to Vote
No Matter the Result of the 2024 Presidential Election, the EB-5 Program Is Safe
Become a U.S. Citizen Through EB-5 and Help Shape America’s Future
Democracy: The Cornerstone of America’s Government and Core Values
Feeling that they were not adequately represented in Parliament and that they therefore didn’t have a say in government decisions that directly impacted them, in 1776, the American colonies agreed to break away from Britain. The United States, as the new nation came to be known, was founded on the basis of this desire for government power to come from the people, as explained in the Declaration of Independence.
Then, in 1787, the adoption of the U.S. Constitution established the United States as a representative democracy. This founding document divided power between three branches of government: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
By enshrining the right to vote and an electoral process, the Constitution followed through on the ideas expressed in the Declaration of Independence and ensured that elected officials were accountable to the people.
Over time, amendments to the Constitution have given more Americans the right to vote. In the beginning, only property-owning white men could vote, but voting rights eventually expanded to all adult citizens, regardless of race, gender, or wealth. The 15th Amendment ensured people could not be stopped from voting because of their race, the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote, and the 26th Amendment lowered the voting age to 18.
Now, as a result, voting is a Constitutionally protected right available to nearly every U.S. citizen.
Elections are the main way Americans participate in the democratic process. U.S. citizens do not only vote in federal elections; they can vote for state and local officials, choosing leaders who represent their values, as well as vote on specific measures through referendums.
Accountability is another key principle of American democracy. Elected officials are responsible for serving the people who elected them—as Abraham Lincoln, America’s sixteenth president, famously said, the American government is “of the people, by the people, for the people.” And voting is the primary way Americans express their opinions regarding these elected officials. If they do not keep their promises or work against the public’s interest, they can be—and often are—voted out of office.
In sum, democracy is the underlying principle behind the U.S. government and its policies, and it is perhaps the most important right guaranteed to American citizens.
U.S. Citizens, Exercise Your Right to Vote
U.S. citizens enjoy the right to participate in the democratic process and select the government officials they believe will best serve the interests of the United States.
EB5AN invites all U.S. citizens to exercise their right to vote in the 2024 presidential election.
And we encourage foreign nationals to consider investing in the EB-5 program, one of the few direct paths to U.S. citizenship—should you choose to pursue this route, you, too, may one day be able to exercise your vote.
No Matter the Result of the 2024 Presidential Election, the EB-5 Program Is Safe
The result of the presidential election is still highly uncertain, with the Guardian pointing out that the difference between the two candidates “is mostly within the so-called ‘margin of error’ — meaning, in essence, that the difference is too small to be certain.”
However, one thing is clear no matter which candidate wins: The EB-5 program will continue to receive support from both sides of the U.S. government and encourage economic growth nationwide.
Since it was introduced by Congress in 1990, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program has received strong bipartisan support. In the past 34 years, the U.S. government has made significant improvements to the EB-5 program, keeping it transparent, efficient, and safe for foreign nationals interested in becoming permanent residents or citizens.
For example, the EB-5 Regional Center Program was introduced in 1992. The vast majority of EB-5 investors—as well as project developers—now work with regional centers for their flexible job-creation criteria and ability to pool funds from multiple investors.
Other adjustments to the EB-5 program include the introduction of the Investor and Regional Center Unit (IRCU) in 2005 and several new bills modifying the minimum investment amounts and other policies in 2019.
The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022: A Show of Bipartisan Support for EB-5
The most far-reaching improvements in the EB-5 program’s history were introduced by the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (the RIA). This bill, signed into law in March 2022, included stricter requirements for USCIS to oversee regional centers and the management of EB-5 funding. These measures reduce the likelihood of fraud and have greatly increased investor confidence.
What is more, I-526E processing and Green Card approvals have become significantly faster under the RIA, even for investors from backlogged countries such as China and India.
Before the RIA, it was common for investors to wait several years for I-526 approval. Now, the standard is for investors in rural projects to receive I-526E approvals within 12 months. Investors in EB5AN’s rural projects have received their physical U.S. Green Cards in as little as 10 months.
Interestingly, the RIA’s new policies were a result of bipartisan efforts. In the years leading up to the RIA, Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) were both instrumental in raising awareness about the EB-5 program’s economic benefits and the need for reform.
Senators Grassley and Leahy had introduced an earlier form of the RIA in 2021, proving that key policymakers from both political parties hold a favorable view of the EB-5 program.
Indeed, the EB-5 program has created a clear path to generate foreign investment into the U.S. economy. In particular, the program provides real estate developers with faster and cheaper access to funds. EB-5 funds are often available at below-market rates, making them an increasingly popular source of real estate capital.
According to Invest in the USA (IIUSA), an EB-5 trade association, the EB-5 program has created over 1.35 million jobs and has raised over $50 billion in capital for the U.S. economy.
Clearly, the EB-5 program is in the best interests of the United States and will continue to operate no matter who wins the 2024 presidential election.
Become a U.S. Citizen Through EB-5 and Help Shape America’s Future
After holding your EB-5 Green Card for five years, you will become eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship. This five-year period starts when you receive your initial Green Card after your I-526E approval.
As a U.S. citizen, you will have the right to vote in federal, state, and local U.S. elections. Voting is more than a civic duty for U.S. citizens. It allows you to help determine the kind of society that reflects your vision for the United States—in healthcare, education, civil rights, economic policies, and other areas.
Voting as a U.S. citizen empowers you to select leaders who share your values and priorities. These include not only the president, but also congressional representatives, state governors, and local officials.
These elected officials create laws and make key decisions that affect every aspect of daily life in the United States.
By becoming a U.S. citizen, you join an exclusive group that helps guide the nation’s path forward. Most people around the world do not have this opportunity. Citizenship gives you a voice that allows you to look out for the interests of your family, your community, and your entire country. It is a chance to participate in the world’s strongest and most celebrated democracy.
In addition, the result of the upcoming U.S. election, as well as future ones, will have a significant impact on international events. As the Center for Strategic & International Studies notes, “The audience for the U.S. presidential election is global. As Americans go to the polls, their choices have ramifications for the world.”
“As U.S. citizens, we highly value our right to vote and help determine America’s path forward,” says EB5AN managing partner Sam Silverman. “EB5AN invites all U.S. citizens to exercise their right to vote on November 5. We also encourage foreign nationals to consider the EB-5 program, one of the fastest paths to becoming a Green Card holder, and eventually, a U.S. citizen with the right to vote.”
For more information on how the EB-5 program can help you become a U.S. citizen, schedule a free consultation with EB5AN.
