Blog

The growing polarization of U.S. politics has made the 2020 presidential election contentious, to say the least. Even though Joe Biden has finally been declared the projected winner of this…

The October Visa Bulletin brought welcome news for EB-5 investors. For FY2021, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has nearly doubled the number of available employment-based visas to a…

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is one of the fastest and easiest ways to immigrate to the United States. This program offers foreign nationals the chance to receive a U.S.…

Wealthier Investors On November 21, 2019, EB-5 investors saw an increase in the required investment amounts to $1.8 million, or $900,000 for a targeted employment area (TEA). But new TEA…

It is true that EB-5 investment capital can legally come from a variety of sources, including employment wages, the sale of personal assets, and even money gifted from parents to…

Lengthy wait times aren’t new to EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program application processing. This is particularly true for investors hailing from countries experiencing backlogs. Still, the EB-5 program remains one of…

As of November 10, 2020, EB-5 investors who check the Case Processing Times page on the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services site for I-829 petitions may be in for…

Although each of the two journeys carries its own sets of pros and cons, all paths lead to a life in the United States – a highly sought after future…

What’s the first step to initiating an EB-5 investment through United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)? Filing an I-526 petition. This submission packet is every EB-5 investor’s opportunity to…

When the October 2020 Visa Bulletin came out, the slow advancement of the final action dates for Chinese and Vietnamese EB-5 investors weren’t all that surprising. With the Visa Bulletin…

All projects approved through the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program can be split into two geographical categories: those inside a targeted employment area (TEA) and those outside. The majority of foreign…

As the COVID-19 pandemic enters its second wave, triggering a resurgence of lockdowns across Europe, immigration to the United States may be the last thing foreign investors are considering. But…

It’s true that the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is one of the easiest (and quickest) pathways to gaining U.S. permanent resident status. What’s also true is that meeting all the…

The year 2020 has been an unexpected rollercoaster of events for U.S. green card hopefuls who are participating in EB-5 investments. From extensive I-526 petition processing wait times and widespread…

Despite periodic economic swings, the United States is still the largest economy the globe over. Additionally, the country remains a beacon of freedom and liberty for many. Alas, immigrating to…

The EB-5 regional center is one of just two pathways to make EB5 investments in the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. This path is an indirect method of investment, while the…

A Form I-526 “reset training” was given through the Immigrant Investor Program Office (IPO) for United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) adjudicators in May 2019, and in September 2020,…

Thousands of foreign nationals from all over the globe have invested their time and energy – and millions of dollars – in EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program projects annually since the…

To say United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has had a rocky go of 2020 might be an understatement. The agency has suffered greatly due to lulls in immigration,…

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has always been up front about long processing times for EB-5 investment petitions. Two years isn’t an uncommon wait time for EB-5 investors,…

Barreling headlong into FY2021, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program has, nevertheless, borne its own set of challenges in the wake of a global pandemic and the subsequent mental, physical, and…

EB5 Affiliate Network (EB5AN) has added several useful features to its interactive national targeted employment area (TEA) map. The map allows users to immediately see whether a project address is…

While the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is a popular path to U.S. permanent resident status for its speed and relative ease, parts of the program can be somewhat complex. Generally…

Beginning in August 2020, I-526 processing time ranges were split into two categories by United State Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). One range is assigned to Chinese EB-5 investor applicants,…

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is one of the fastest and easiest ways for foreign nationals to obtain permanent resident status in the United States. The program allows foreign nationals…

Household lockdowns en masse. Entire communities brought to an economic halt. Many businesses shuttered for good. This was the picture of the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the globe in early 2020,…

News of the plan of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to furlough 70% of its employees at the end of August 2020 circulated through the EB-5 community for…

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, President Trump enacted an executive order on April 22, 2020, that constituted a temporary immigration ban to the United States, barring most types…

The estimated processing time ranges published by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) are designed to aid EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program investors in gauging wait times for I-526 petition…

Directly following a new Chinese national security law targeting the autonomous region of Hong Kong, the U.S. president signed the Executive Order on Hong Kong Normalization in July 2020. His…

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program offers a unique opportunity for foreign nationals and their immediate family to immigrate to the United States. The program was created to stimulate the U.S.…

Many foreign nationals dream of relocating to the United States to secure a brighter future for themselves and their families. However, immigrating to the United States can be a difficult…

Established in 1990, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program offers a unique opportunity for foreign nationals to obtain permanent resident status in the United States in exchange for a qualifying investment…

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced changes to the filing fees for immigration petitions. The adjustment of fees will take effect on October 2, 2020, and will…

Since its inception, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program has provided countless investors from all over the globe with a direct route to U.S. permanent residency. From 1990 on, foreign investors…

At first glance, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is fairly easy to understand. A foreign national investor chooses a qualified EB-5 project to invest in, creates a minimum of 10…

Although the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is considered one of the fastest and easiest ways to immigrate into the United States, applicants are still often subject to long wait times…

In March 2020, the United States temporarily shut down all U.S. embassies and consulates due to the emerge of the COVID-19 pandemic. These closures have significantly delayed many foreign investors’…

Each year, EB-5 program administrators receive applications from investors across the globe who are seeking a better, and prosperous future in the United States. Because the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program…

Investors in the EB-5 program are required to demonstrate through an I-526 petition that all their EB-5 capital has been obtained from legitimate (lawful) sources. Collecting all the necessary documentation…

Due to the constantly changing EB-5 landscape, the monthly Visa Bulletins (published by the U.S. Department of State – Bureau of Consular Affairs) is a document of varying importance among…

In March 2020, Sarah Kendall, the chief of the Immigrant Investor Processing Office (IPO), announced that the office was more equipped than in FY2019 to process EB-5 petitions. This announcement…

Many foreign nationals from all over the world hope to begin a future in the United States. Whether education, employment, or entrepreneurial opportunities, the United States of America offers immigrants…

A program designed to offer permanent U.S. residency to foreign investors and their immediate family members, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program has proven itself one of the best options for…

Both regional centers and EB-5 investors should familiarize themselves with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website. At the Check Case Processing Times page, program participants can check…

The U.S. Department of State – Bureau of Consular Affairs publishes Visa Bulletins on a monthly basis. This report provides a substantial amount of information to EB-5 investors about the…

Every month, the U.S. Department of State – Bureau of Consular Affairs publishes a new Visa Bulletin with important information for EB-5 investors. The Visa Bulletins indicate which countries currently…

Over the spiraling course of a pandemic-induced economic downturn in the United States, a handful of Republican senators have spoken out about employment-based visa programs, including the EB-5 program. Their…

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program provides an opportunity for eligible immigrant investors to obtain permanent residency in the United States by investing $1.8 million or $900,000 in a qualifying EB-5…

The first step in your journey to attaining a green card through the EB-5 program is filing an I-526 petition. After that, you must wait for it to be adjudicated…

If you are a foreign national looking to start a life in the United States, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program offers an attractive opportunity to fast-track your immigration status. Unlike…

Although June’s unemployment report revealed better numbers than projected, the U.S. is still hovering around the 11% mark. In other words, nearly 18 million Americans are still out of work…

In July 2020, United States Citizenship Immigration Services (USCIS) announced through a Policy Alert guideline updates for capital redeployment on EB-5 projects. The revisions, published in Volume 6, Part G,…

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has published a comprehensive report of all petitions it has received and adjudicated in Q2 of FY2020, which covers January to March 2020.…

On June 16, 2020, Charles Oppenheim, the chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division of the U.S. Department of State, offered the EB-5 community a wealth of new information…

Faced with the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, President Trump enacted on April 22, 2020, a proclamation temporarily banning immigration to the United States. The ban was in effect…

July 2020’s Visa Bulletin offers some long-awaited news to Indian EB-5 investors: The Indian final action date is finally current. Indian investors have long been subject to lengthy waits for…

No one foresaw the COVID-19 pandemic, and it has wreaked havoc on the world in ways no one could have predicted. The world has seemingly become a prison, with the…

Countries around the world have been ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdowns. In June 2020, as the threat begins to subside in some countries, people can start…

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has shut down life in countries all over the world and ravaged economies from Europe to Asia, hasn’t been able to stop the EB-5 Immigrant Investor…

As the entire world contends with the unprecedented threat of COVID-19, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program continues, allowing foreign nationals to gain a U.S. green card for an investment in…

A harrowing two and a half months have followed the March 18, 2020, closure of all United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) offices to the public. The United States…

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program has never enjoyed positive press—it’s always been demonized, accused of fostering fraud and fakery. While there are some instances of fraud in the EB-5 program,…

It’s no secret that the United States is the number one destination for tourists and immigrants worldwide. As a global economic and cultural leader, the United States is the country…

Life in the United States is a dream for much of the global population. Famous for its prosperity, freedom, and high standard of living, the United States enchants countless people…

The unfortunate reality is that life in many countries is unstable and uncertain. Corrupt governments, civil unrest, weak infrastructure, poor education, and economic volatility are some of the problems that…

Only around 4% of the global population has had the luxury of being born in the United States of America and enjoying all the benefits that come with U.S. residency.…

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program provides foreign investors who have the necessary capital with a pathway to obtaining U.S. permanent resident status in exchange for an investment in the U.S.…

U.S. employment-based visas are some of the most sought-after visas in the world. Every year, thousands of highly skilled immigrants from around the world flock to the United States on…

The historical national average processing time for I-526 petitions, as of February 29, 2020, sits at 12.9 months. Though this is a slight uptick from the 12.6 months prior to…

The sad reality is that health care in many countries is subpar. Across Africa and the poorer regions of Asia and Latin America, millions of people rely on faulty health…

With some of the best colleges in the world, the United States is where many high school graduates around the world set their sights. However, the process of immigrating to…

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program has felt the effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic, with the closure of U.S. embassies and consulates around the world and United States Citizenship and…

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) closed all its domestic offices to the public on March 18, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. All overseas U.S. embassies and…

I-526 Visa Availability Processing Approach On March 31, 2020, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) implemented the visa availability approach for processing I-526 petitions. Whether this new approach will…

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on the EB-5 program, as evidenced by the closure of U.S. embassies and consulates abroad and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)…

The EB-5 visa program provides a pathway for foreign investors to obtain U.S. permanent resident status through investments in the U.S. economy. Foreign investors may invest either directly in an…

In their I-526 petitions, EB-5 investors are required to provide evidence that their EB-5 investment funds were obtained legally. To meet this requirement, it is essential that investors know which…

The United States boasts a slew of the world’s highest-ranked universities, attracting more than a million international students each year. Competition is fierce, as youth all around the world place…

The U.S. Department of State — Bureau of Consular Affairs has released May 2020’s Visa Bulletin, and much to the delight of Indian EB-5 investors, it reveals that the Indian…

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) implemented a new visa availability processing approach for I-526 petitions on March 31, 2020. Prior to this, I-526 petitions were processed using a…

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, which offers foreign nationals the opportunity to obtain U.S. permanent resident status through an investment in the U.S. economy, has not escaped the far-reaching effects…

I-526 processing times are not consistent. I-526 petitions contain a wide range of information and supplementary documents that differ dramatically from investor to investor, which means not all I-526 petitions…

The purpose of the EB-5 “at risk” eligibility requirement is to ensure that an EB-5 investor’s investment capital is actually used to fund a new commercial enterprise (NCE) that will…

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) implemented the EB-5 Modernization Rule in 2019. The new rule resulted in major changes to the EB-5 visa program, as well as a…

On their I-526 petitions, EB-5 investors are required to prove that they have obtained their EB-5 funds lawfully. Knowing how United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) defines “lawful sources”…

When embarking on their EB-5 journey, investors have two options: invest directly in an EB-5 project or invest via a regional center. Both offer advantages and disadvantages, but for most…

For parents around the world, making the decision to leave their birth country can be difficult—with friends, family, business contacts, and more, they would be leaving a lot behind, and…

EB-5 demand in Canada isn’t that high, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t numerous benefits Canadian investors stand to enjoy. Canadian investors who wish to reside permanently in the United…

COVID-19 is the most devastating disease outbreak the world has seen since the Spanish Flu. While less deadly than some other outbreaks, the virus has left almost no country on…

The COVID-19 pandemic rages on, and as the number of infections rises, so too does the unemployment rate. The crisis has particularly impacted certain industries, such as real estate and…

In today’s tightly connected world, viruses can travel farther and more quickly than ever before, as evidenced by the novel coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 respiratory illness. What began in…

In recent months, EB-5 demand in India has dropped significantly, which improves the situation for the Indian investors already participating in the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. According to United States…

There’s one observation that can’t be missed when you look at the EB-5 processing statistics from the past decade: FY2019 broke the trend and recorded incredibly low I-526 petition processing…

The EB-5 Visa Bulletin for April 2020 from the Department of State — Bureau of Consular Affairs is out. April is the first month of United States Citizenship and Immigration…

We probably have the Freedom of Information Act to thank for the release of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)’s I-526 and I-829 processing data for the first quarter…

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)’s March 13 public engagement on the new visa availability approach to the processing of I-526 petitions offered valuable insights into how the EB-5…

If you’re a foreign investor dreaming of a life in the United States, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program might be just the program you’ve been looking for. In exchange for…

As with any government program, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is subject to continuous changes in its regulations and processing methods as implemented by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services…

Indian EB-5 investors will have a new obstacle to wrestle with come April 1, 2020: a new 5% tax on remittances out of India, announced recently by the Indian government.…

Every year, thousands of foreign investors from around the world invest in the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program in hopes of obtaining U.S. permanent residency for themselves and their families. Each…

Unfortunately, the answer is typically longer than EB-5 investors would like. Despite the long wait times, however, the ability to obtain a green card for the United States is worth…

The Report of the Visa Office 2019 has been released by the U.S. Department of State. It provides a summary of the number of EB-5 visas issued, as well as…

One of the most popular reasons EB-5 investors choose to participate in the EB-5 visa program is to ensure a better future for their children in the United States. As…

The reasons why foreign investors decide to invest in the EB-5 program are numerous, as each investor’s situation is different, but they all have the same general goal: obtaining a…

Recently, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) amended the regulations for the EB-5 investor program, creating what is possibly the most dramatic changes the program has ever seen…

Navigating the changes to the EB-5 program published in the Federal Register in July 2019 is challenging considering the length and complexity of the Final Rule. Nevertheless, current and future…

A comprehensive EB-5 modernization bill has been introduced in the U.S. Senate by three Republican senators who aim to strengthen the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. The proposed bill offers a…

Samuel Silverman, Managing Partner of EB5 Affiliate Network, discusses the introduction of a new initiative that promises to protect EB-5 investors’ funds in the event of an I-526 application denial.…

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program benefits both the U.S. economy and foreign investors desiring permanent residency in America. The program facilitates job growth in America by foreign capital creating new…

It doesn’t take a lot of research to see that American immigration policy is becoming somewhat volatile. Investors want to stay informed and manage risks with EB-5 investments. It helps…

With rapid and drastic changes in U.S. immigration policies, foreign nationals seeking permanent residency find the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa Program to be their best resource. The recent tightening of…

There have never been more varied or higher quality EB-5 investment projects available than there are today. Less than 10 years ago, EB-5 equity and financing investments were considered to…

The EB-5 Program — also known as the Immigrant Investor Program — is a U.S. visa program that grants lawful permanent resident (LPR) status to foreign individuals. The program requires…

The EB-5 program is not one to rush into with your eyes only half open. It is a time-consuming process that requires a substantial amount of money and commitment. Before…

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is not for the faint of heart. While the program is an ideal way for foreign nationals to quickly gain permanent resident status and eventual…

The EB-5 visa program, launched in 1990, is a relatively simple way for investors with the necessary capital to move to the United States permanently and eventually become citizens, if…

To avoid a long-term government shutdown, the President and Congress just agreed to a defense spending budget for FY 2018 and FY 2019. The agreement also included a decision to…

Common Obstacles Faced by EB-5 Investors The EB-5 Program, while providing many benefits to the U.S. economy and investors alike, is not without its challenges. Program investors may encounter several…

Permanent Resident Status through the EB-5 Investor Program Foreign nationals who choose to participate in the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program have obtaining permanent resident status in the United States as…

An Overview of U.S. Citizenship There are two ways to be classified as a U.S. citizen: being born into citizenship and becoming a naturalized citizen. Children who are either born…

Due Diligence in EB-5 Investments Within the EB-5 program, conducting due diligence with a thorough investigation of the EB-5 project and major players and the regional center that will be…

Planning for Taxation This section recommends several strategies that EB-5 immigrant investors can use when planning for the taxes they will be assessed following immigration and resident status. Be aware…

Taxation in the United States The U.S. taxation system is somewhat unique in that it requires legal residents to not only pay income tax on income obtained in the United…

The Importance of Retaining Separate Representation To protect the interests of both investors and regional centers, it is recommended that each party retain their own immigration attorney for advisement during…

Outline of the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program The employment-based 5th preference visa program, more commonly known as the EB-5 Program, was established as part of the Immigration Act of 1990…

EB-5 Investment Options The EB-5 program was originally designed to stimulate the U.S. economy through foreign capital and job creation within the United States. It has since become a program…

Steps to Becoming a Permanent U.S. Resident Through the EB-5 Program The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa program was established in 1990 to provide an opportunity for foreign nationals to become…

Permanent Resident and Temporary Resident Statuses: EB-5 and E-2 Investment Visas The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa and the E-2 Treaty Investor Visa are two types of visas offered to foreign…

Evaluating Projects with Immigration Risks in Mind When evaluating a project for a potential EB-5 investment, investors should keep two important questions in mind: Is the project likely to see…

Evaluating Immigration Risk in EB-5 Projects There are two categories of risk involved in an EB-5 investment: immigration risk and financial risk. Immigration risk involves the possibility that the investor…

Evaluating Financial Risk There are two categories of risk involved in an EB-5 investment: immigration risk and financial risk. Immigration risk involves the possibility that the investor will not be…

When Material Changes are Necessary On occasion, EB-5 projects do not proceed exactly as outlined in the original project description. While in general all reasonable efforts are made to remain…