EB-5 investors from Redmond, Washington, should consider exploring the opportunities that accompany an investment in an EB5AN EB-5 visa project.
Including all program-approved projects anywhere in King County, EB-5 investors from the city of Redmond have access to total geographic coverage from the EB5AN’s Washington regional center.
EB-5 Investors Prefer Regional Center Projects
Qualified EB-5 investment participants can invest in two ways–by direct investment in a program-approved project or by partnering with an EB-5 Regional Center. By and large, the data shows that a majority of EB-5 investors choose to invest through regional centers. Why? Two reasons:
1. Meeting the job creation requirement is, simply put, easier when participating in a regional center project. EB5 regional centers have the ability to utilize an indirect method of calculating jobs. Effectively, an EB-5 investor is only required to demonstrate that their invested capital was spent according to business plans. The alternative is to provide documentation for ten full-time W-2 employees and evidence they remained employed for at least two years.
2. Working through an EB-5 regional center streamlines the investment process. A regional center with a proven track record of success can bring its years of experience to the investment table. EB5AN, for instance, maintains multiple USCIS-approved regional centers across a broad geographic area, enabling immediate sponsorship for strong EB-5 projects in cities across the United States, including Redmond, Washington.
Direct Green Card Benefits for Redmond EB-5 Investors
There are four general categories of direct green card benefits to Redmond investors upon successful EB-5 investment. They are related to residency and citizenship, travel, education, and employment
Benefits of U.S. Residency and Citizenship
- The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is a relatively direct path to U.S. permanent residency for qualified investors and their immediate families.
- EB-5 green card holders have the option of applying for citizenship in the United States after five years as a permanent resident in the U.S.
- Retired U.S. green card carriers can access both stateside and overseas pensions, and some even qualify for social programs like Medicare.
Travel Benefits, Foreign and Domestic
- EB-5 green card holders are eligible to travel anywhere inside the U.S., restriction-free.
- There are some travel restrictions, but by and large, green card holders may leave and enter the U.S. without denial of reentry.
- When an EB-5 investor and their family face political change or other significant events in their home country, they may be granted immediate U.S. entry.
Education-Related Benefits
- U.S. green card holders possess the right to free public elementary, middle, and high school education.
- They qualify for savings from in-state tuition where they live, a variety of scholarships, and other financial aid available for public universities and colleges.
- Permanent residents are allowed to work while studying, intern, and/or apply for employment.
- U.S. permanent residency improves the likelihood of admission into an American university by up to 350%.
U.S. Employment Benefits
- Anyone holding a green card can work and live anywhere in the country, free to enjoy every local benefit any other resident is afforded, from environmental and cultural experiences to state tax benefits.
- EB-5 program participants do not need an employer or visa sponsor.
- EB-5 green card holders aren’t required to maintain an H-1B work visa to work.
The EB5AN Redmond, Washington Regional Center
While potential EB-5 investors are free to participate in EB5 investments located anywhere in the U.S, those specifically living in Redmond may simply wish to invest in projects located inside the state of Washington. Those who prefer to invest locally can find what they’re looking for through EB5AN. The firm already has a well-established and USCIS-approved regional center covering its Redmond investors.
Our EB5AN State of Washington Regional Center provides coverage of the entire state of Washington, including Redmond, Kirkland, Bellevue, and Sammamish. Eligible immigrant investors who meet EB-5 program qualifications and seek a clear path to U.S. permanent residency are welcome to invest in any of a myriad of EB-5 projects through our Washington EB-5 regional center or another EB5AN owned regional center.
A Checklist: Five Primary EB-5 Investment Requirements
Often, prospective EB-5 investors come in with the same initial fact-finding mission. They are seeking out the primary EB-5 investment requirements. No matter where a program-approved project is located, there are five basic requirements every EB-5 investment must meet in order to be considered successful. They are outlined below:
- Minimum Investment Amounts. Projects positioned outside of designated targeted employment areas (TEAs) require a minimum investment of $1,050,000. All EB5AN projects, however, qualify for a lower minimum investment ($800,000) because they are located within TEAs.
- Lawfully-Sourced Funding. EB-5 investors are required to provide evidence that all capital funding was sourced lawfully.
- Program-Approved Investments. Each qualified EB-5 investment participant must invest capital into either a new commercial enterprise or a troubled business.
- Job Creation Requirements. Every successful EB-5 investment needs to demonstrate that it has created or preserved a minimum of 10 full-time employment positions for U.S. workers for a minimum of 2 years.
- At Risk Status. All EB-5 investment capital must maintain at-risk status for the entire investment period.
Evaluating an EB-5 Investment Project
Every prospective EB-5 investor from Redmond (and surrounding areas in Washington) must consider both immigration and financial risks associated with each potential EB-5 investment project.
For instance, one of the primary requirements in a successful EB5 investment is maintaining the at-risk status of their investment throughout the entire investment period. This regulation was put into place to ensure investors are actually investing capital into the U.S. economy, not simply “buying” a U.S. green card.
That said, “at-risk” does not mean that EB-5 investors are required to invest in “risky” projects. Quite the opposite, in fact—EB-5 investors are strongly advised to conduct thorough due diligence to minimize exposure to financial and immigration risk.
EB5AN and Klasko Immigration Law Partners have partnered in the development of a highly functional and easy-to-use EB-5 Project Risk Assessment Tool for EB-5 investors. It provides guidance through the initial diligence phase on prospective EB-5 projects from both financial and immigration risk perspectives. Check it out at the link below:
Download our EB-5 Project Risk Assessment Questionnaire
Redmond Is Full of Economic Potential
Known as the bicycle capital of the Northwest, Redmond is also home to a historic farmers’ market, a renowned poet laureate, and a burgeoning indie music scene. But it isn’t just fun and games in Redmond. This location is headquarters to corporate powerhouses Microsoft Corporation and Nintendo of America.
These two household names, along with several other leading corporations (think AT&T Mobility, Eurest Dining Services, and Genie Industries, for instance), employ nearly 40,000 people locally. Microsoft alone employs more than 34,000 of its 90,000 worldwide employees in Redmond. The Washington School District and UPS are runners-up as top employers in the area.
As such, Redmond provides a unique balance between corporate and homegrown culture, presenting EB-5 investors an exciting invitation for new development.
With a median per capita income of $36,000 per year, Redmond’s population of just under 65,000 can certainly benefit from more employment opportunities resulting from completed EB-5 regional center projects in the community. Because of this, Redmond views EB-5 investments coming from the EB-5 Regional Center Program as an excellent opportunity to boost the local economy while facilitating the immigration process for the best and brightest foreign investors from around the globe.
How Prospective EB-5 Investors from Redmond Are Learning More
The EB5AN State of Washington Regional Center has geographic coverage of the whole of King County. Immigrant investors can meet the qualifications for the EB-5 program and clear a path to U.S. permanent residency when they invest through our USCIS-approved Redmond regional center.
By becoming an EB5AN affiliate, you can play an active role in bringing new development and jobs to the people of King County.
For help with EB5AN regional center affiliation or new USCIS-approved regional center information, contact us now. Call 1-800-288-9138 or e-mail info@EB5AN.com, and we’ll be in touch within 24 hours.
