EB-5 investors from Texas seeking an EB-5 investment should consider the benefits of investing in an EB5AN EB-5 visa project.
Why Do Most EB-5 Investors Use Regional Centers?
EB-5 regional centers streamline the EB-5 investment process for potential EB-5 applicants and make it easier to demonstrate required job creation. Specifically, only regional centers may use the indirect method of calculating jobs through an approved economic methodology. This means that EB-5 investors must show only that their invested funds were spent according to the business plan rather than documenting that full time (W-2) employees were hired and remained employed for at least two full years.
EB5AN maintains multiple USCIS-approved regional centers with broad geographic coverage, enabling it to immediately sponsor strong EB-5 projects across the United States, including Texas.
The EB5AN State of Texas Regional Center
Potential EB-5 investors may select EB-5 investments located anywhere in the United States. Those living in Texas, however, may simply want to invest in projects located within the state, and EB5AN already has a USCIS-approved regional center in Texas.
The EB5AN State of Texas Regional Center covers all counties in the state of Texas, including the largest cities in the state. Houston is the largest city in Texas and the fourth largest in the United States; the city is highly diverse and is one of the nation’s largest Latino, African American, and Asian American population centers. San Antonio is a beautiful city located at the axis of three different types of terrain: hill country, South Texas plains, and prairies and lakes. Austin is the capital of Texas, the home of Texas University, and an influential center for politics, technology, music, film, and food.
Dallas and Fort Worth are part of the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex, the most populated area in Texas, which has a population exceeding 7 million people. Fort Worth, sometimes referred to as “Cowtown,” is closer to its cowboy roots than neighboring Dallas. Sugar Land is one of the most affluent and fastest-growing cities in Texas. It is home to the headquarters of Imperial Sugar; the company’s main sugar refinery and distribution center were once located in the city.
Plano city is a hub for many corporate headquarters. Plano is also considered to be the safest city in the nation, according to Forbes. Irving is the 13th-most populous city in Texas and is now a bustling city of more than 200,000 residents. Carrollton is a fast-growing suburb of Dallas in the prairies and lakes region of Texas.
Green Card Benefits for Texas EB-5 Investors
The direct benefits of making an EB-5 investment in Texas include the following:
Residency and Citizenship Benefits
- EB-5 is one of the fastest methods to gain permanent residency in the United States for the EB-5 investor, his or her spouse, and their unmarried children under 21 years of age.
- Retired green card holders can access their pensions earned abroad and in the United States. They may also qualify for Medicare and other social welfare programs.
- Green card holders may apply for U.S. citizenship after a minimum of five years of established permanent residency in the United States.
Employment Benefits
- Green card holders are free to live and work anywhere in the United States, without restriction.
- Live anywhere, from the beaches of California and Hawaii to the mountains of Colorado, from a quiet, rural town to the hustle and bustle of New York City.
- Live in states such as Texas and Texas with no state income tax.
- The EB-5 program does not require a visa sponsor or employer sponsor
- Green card holders do not need H-1B work visa in order to work
Travel Benefits
- Green card holders can leave and enter the country without being denied reentry, although some travel restrictions apply.
- Green card holders are free to travel to any part of the United States.
- In the event of a political change or significant event in the investor’s home country, the investor and his or her family can immediately gain entry to the United States.
Education Benefits
- Green card holders have free access to public elementary, middle, and high schools and lower-cost in-state tuition at public colleges and universities.
- U.S. residency improves the likelihood of U.S. university admission by as much as 350%.
- Green card holders qualify for in-state tuition, financial aid, and scholarships.
- Permanent residents can also work while studying, complete internships, and apply for postgraduate positions.
Primary EB-5 Investment Requirements
The primary EB-5 investment requirements can be summarized as follows:
- Investing a minimum of $900,000 for EB-5 investments made in rural or high unemployment areas designated as targeted employment areas (TEAs). Projects outside of TEAs require an investment of $1,800,000, but all of EB5AN’s EB-5 investment projects are located in TEAs and qualify for the lower investment threshold of $900,000.
- Creating or preserving at least 10 full-time jobs for qualifying U.S. workers that last a minimum of two years.
- Investing in a new commercial enterprise or a troubled business.
- Maintaining the at-risk status of the investment and using investment funds that have been lawfully sourced.
How to Evaluate EB-5 Investment Projects
EB-5 investors based in Texas should evaluate both financial and immigration risk when selecting an EB-5 investment project.
One of the requirements of a successful EB-5 visa investment is that the investment capital must be at risk for the duration of the investment. This is to ensure investors actually invest their capital and are not simply “buying” a U.S. green card.
“At risk” does not mean that EB-5 investors are required to invest in “risky” projects. Quite the contrary—EB-5 investors are strongly recommended to conduct thorough due diligence to minimize their exposure to financial and immigration risk.
EB5AN, in collaboration with Klasko Immigration Law Partners, has developed an EB-5 Project Risk Assessment Tool for EB-5 investors. This highly functional, easy-to-use tool guides investors through the initial diligence of EB-5 projects from both financial and immigration risk perspectives.
Download our EB-5 Project Risk Assessment Questionnaire
More Information about Texas
Texas: Population and Income Demographics
According to the 2010 U.S. Census, Texas has a population of approximately 19.5 million people over the age of 16. Of this, there are approximately 12.7 million people in the labor force, with 11.6 million who are employed and 1 million who are unemployed. These population numbers represent approximately 8.9 million households.
Texas: General Economic Outlook
Texas covers an area of 268,581 square miles, with a width of 773 miles and a length of 790 miles. This implies a population density of 103.1 people per square mile, which makes Texas the 26th-most densely populated state in the United States.
The capital of Texas is Austin, the largest city is Houston, and the largest metro area is the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington area. The gross domestic product (GDP) of Texas in 2010 was $1,208 billion. This implies a compound annual growth rate from 2000 to 2010 of 5.12% and a per capita GDP of $43,993. Texas is the second-largest economy in the United States by GDP.
Texas’s GSP is comparable to the GDP of India or Canada, which are the world’s 12th- and 11th-largest economies, respectively. Texas’s economy is the fourth largest of any country subdivision globally, behind England (as part of the UK), California, and Tokyo Prefecture. Its per capita personal income in 2009 was $36,484, ranking 29th in the nation.
In 2010, Site Selection magazine ranked Texas as the most business-friendly state in the nation, in part because of the state’s $3 billion Texas Enterprise Fund. Texas has the joint highest number of Fortune 500 company headquarters in the United States, along with California.
EB-5 Investors from Texas
EB5AN has EB-5 investment projects that are available to residents of the state of Texas. EB-5 investors from Texas can inquire about EB-5 investment projects that are currently open to investment and are sponsored by an EB5AN EB-5 regional center.
EB-5 investors from the following Texas cities and others are encouraged to reach out and learn more about the EB-5 investment process:
No matter where you live in Texas, if you are a foreign national considering making an EB-5 investment, the team at EB5AN can help. Click here to schedule a call to learn more about currently available EB-5 investment opportunities.
