My name is Uwe. I am in my mid-50s, I live in Munich, Germany, and I am a well-known author of crime and suspense novels. My ties to the United States go back many years. A few years ago, some relatives bought a home in Southwest Florida, and my wife and I began spending much of our vacation time there.
We came to love the area and started thinking seriously about living in the United States for longer periods and possibly retiring there.
We looked at several options, but the EB-5 program ultimately made the most sense for what we wanted: the possibility of living in the United States without building our plans around a new job or business.
After months of research, I chose EB5AN’s Simply Shenandoah rural EB-5 senior loan project (now closed for investment) because it matched the criteria I had developed during my research.
In this post, I explain how I found my immigration attorney, how I completed the source-of-funds work, and the criteria that led me to EB5AN and the Simply Shenandoah project.
My approach may be helpful to you as you begin your EB-5 journey and get on the path to U.S. Green Cards for yourself and your family.
Watch Uwe’s Interview Highlights
Watch Uwe’s Full Interview
My Long Relationship With the United States and Why I Chose EB-5
Finding a German-Speaking EB-5 Immigration Attorney
Why My Source-of-Funds Documentation Took Four to Five Months
How I Researched Regional Centers and Found EB5AN
The Criteria That Led Me to Simply Shenandoah
What I Liked About the Simply Shenandoah Rural EB-5 Project
My Experience Joining the Simply Shenandoah Project
Summary: My Advice for Prospective EB-5 Investors
My Long Relationship With the United States and Why I Chose EB-5
Since my relatives bought a home in South Florida, my wife and I have spent enough time there to imagine making the United States a much larger part of our future. We wanted the ability to remain for longer periods rather than planning every stay around the limits of a visitor’s status.
The O-1 visa category initially seemed worth exploring because of my career as an author. We stopped before applying when it became clear that the case was unlikely to meet the standard.
We then asked ourselves which immigration path suited a retired couple who wanted to live in the United States without creating a new business. EB-5 fit that description.
Finding a German-Speaking EB-5 Immigration Attorney
Our connections in Southwest Florida helped us find an immigration attorney. Through friends, neighbors, and Cape Coral’s German community, we met people who had already chosen EB-5. Their experiences and attorney recommendations gave us a practical starting point.
We spoke with two lawyers who were originally from Germany and could work with us in German. We then chose Norma Henning as our immigration attorney. For me, finding an experienced EB-5 immigration attorney who spoke my language was extremely important. The process involves detailed legal questions, financial records, and terminology that can be difficult even after months of research. I wanted to be able to ask a precise question in German and understand the answer without worrying that a language gap had changed the meaning.
Norma set out a timeline and explained that the source of funds would be central to the case. She identified additional records, explained what had to be proven, and helped arrange translations. That forward planning made me comfortable working with her.
Why My Source-of-Funds Documentation Took Four to Five Months
I thought my source of funds would be simple and well documented. We had already gathered some records while considering O-1, but source-of-funds documentation required far more than collecting the papers already in my files. The financial history needed clear support, and German-language records needed translations.
Norma reviewed what we had and identified additional evidence. We contacted the bank for statements more than 10 years old, which were not always easy to obtain. A transaction could be legitimate and familiar to me while the required proof remained difficult to retrieve.
Preparing the I-526E documentation and translations took at least four months and perhaps closer to five. The delay affected project selection. I originally contacted EB5AN’s Jordan Lawrence about the Bay Creek project, but it had filled up by the time my documents were ready. Simply Shenandoah had opened in the meantime.
At this stage, allow more time than you expect and ask why each document is necessary. A lawful source-of-funds package still needs a clear paper trail, and old records and translations can take months.
How I Researched Regional Centers and Found EB5AN
A direct investment did not suit my personality or risk tolerance. I knew EB-5 capital must remain at risk, but I wanted the structure I considered most secure within those rules. Comparing direct and regional center investments led me to focus on regional center projects rather than operating a business myself.
I looked at projects before examining the regional centers behind them. EB5AN’s website stood out because of how clearly the projects were presented and how much information was available.
That difference mattered because I was still learning the industry. Some other regional centers presented projects that sounded attractive but did not provide enough detail for the questions I wanted to answer. EB5AN gave me more information to review before the first call, so I could use that conversation to examine specific points instead of beginning with only general claims.
The next step was to speak with someone. Jordan took the time to answer the many questions I had about the project and EB5AN. That conversation mattered because regional center due diligence cannot be completed through a website alone. I wanted direct answers and a sense of whether I could work comfortably with the team.
Norma then conducted her own research and said that, if I liked the project, she was comfortable with the regional center. The website informed me, Jordan answered my questions, and my attorney supplied an independent view. Together, those steps gave me confidence to proceed.
The Criteria That Led Me to Simply Shenandoah
Once Bay Creek was no longer available, I considered the newly opened Simply Shenandoah rural EB-5 project. Rural status came first. I understood that a rural investment should offer a faster Green Card process, and the lower $800,000 investment amount also mattered.
The rural EB-5 category fit my priorities because immigration was my primary goal and I understood that rural petitions should move faster.
Second, I wanted a loan rather than an equity investment. More specifically, it was important to me that the offering be structured as a senior loan. No EB-5 investment can be completely safe, but the senior loan fit my risk preferences better than equity.
Third, the project had already received Form I-956F approval. I understood that USCIS had already reviewed and approved the project filing for EB-5 purposes. It did not eliminate every risk, but I hoped it would remove one source of delay.
The approval also gave me a clearer basis for evaluating immigration risk. I did not treat it as proof that the investment could not fail or that my own petition was guaranteed. But knowing that USCIS had already reviewed the project itself was more reassuring than joining an offering that was still waiting for that review.
I also focused on job creation. Rather than a general assurance that the project should produce 10 jobs per investor, I wanted to see the expected number and the cushion above the requirement. EB5AN provided a clearer job-creation picture than some other companies.
Keep in mind that the at-risk requirement means no EB-5 investment is 100% safe. I compared many projects and chose the combination that made me most comfortable: rural status, a senior loan, project approval, and a substantial expected job cushion.
What I Liked About the Simply Shenandoah Rural EB-5 Project
The project’s concept also appealed to me personally. Simply Shenandoah is planned as a luxury retreat with more than 100 guest rooms and facilities such as a yoga studio and fitness studio. I could see myself not only as an investor but also as a future guest. That made the development easier to understand and more interesting to me than a project I could not imagine using.
I also liked the project’s environmental focus. Green energy and sustainability are part of the concept, and those features mattered to me. They were not substitutes for the financial and immigration criteria. I first needed the rural designation, loan structure, approval, and job creation. But once those requirements were met, the resort concept and its emphasis on sustainability gave me another reason to prefer Simply Shenandoah.
My Experience Joining the Simply Shenandoah Project
After deciding on Simply Shenandoah, I informed Norma and sent her the project materials, including the subscription documents. She reviewed the paperwork before I signed. Keeping her involved at that stage was consistent with the approach I had followed from the beginning: use the project information and EB5AN’s answers, but also ask my own attorney to review the decision.
That review was important because the final decision depended on the formal documents, not only on my conversations with Jordan. Norma checked the subscription materials and confirmed that she was comfortable with them. I could then sign knowing that my attorney had examined the same paperwork that governed the investment.
The subscription process itself was smooth and fast. We signed through DocuSign, so there was no need to wait for papers to travel back and forth. Once my attorney gave her approval, the remaining steps took days rather than weeks. Most of the waiting had been on my side while the legal and source-of-funds work was completed.
Throughout the process, I could call or email the EB5AN team whenever I had a question. Jordan usually handled those discussions, and the responses came quickly. We also scheduled additional calls when a topic required more explanation. The combination of prompt answers and direct access made me comfortable while completing the subscription and transferring the funds.
Summary: My Advice for Prospective EB-5 Investors
Begin with an immigration attorney you trust and can communicate with clearly. For me, that meant discussing complicated details in German. Involve the attorney throughout the process, not only after every other decision has been made.
Start source-of-funds preparation early. My preparation lasted four to five months, and that delay changed which projects were open when I was ready to invest.
Research both the project and the regional center. Look for a regional center with a demonstrable track record, but do not rely only on what appears online. Speak with the people who will manage the relationship and notice whether their answers are complete and timely.
Use the telephone as well as email. A written answer is useful, but a direct conversation shows whether the person understands the project and is willing to spend time on your concerns. You are choosing a long-term EB-5 partner, so communication before the investment is part of the diligence.
Define the project features that matter most to you. Mine were rural status, a senior loan, Form I-956F approval, and a strong job cushion. Another investor may decide differently, but everyone should understand the structure and remember that transparency is an investor’s right, not a privilege.
Based on my experience, I would recommend Norma Henning, especially to German-speaking investors.
I would also recommend EB5AN. My questions were answered fully, communication was fast, and the project information was presented transparently.
No EB-5 investment is entirely safe. But Simply Shenandoah matched the immigration goals, financial preferences, and personal interests that led my wife and me to pursue a long-term future in the United States.