EB-5 Investors from Arkansas Seeking EB-5 Investment

EB-5 investors from Arkansas 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 Arkansas.

The EB5AN State of Arkansas Regional Center

Potential EB-5 investors may select EB-5 investments located anywhere in the United States. Those living in Arkansas, however, may simply want to invest in projects located within the state, and EB5AN already has a USCIS-approved regional center in Arkansas.

The EB5AN Midwest Regional Center is expected to receive USCIS approval in 2023, at which time it will be licensed to sponsor EB-5 investment projects throughout all 75 counties in the state of Arkansas, including the largest cities in the state.

With a population of 204,405, Little Rock is Arkansas’ capital and most populated city. It serves as an important cultural, economic, government, and transportation center within Arkansas and the American South. This thriving city is home to several cultural institutions, such as the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, and the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center.

Fayetteville has a population of 95,230, making it the second-largest city in Arkansas. Best known as the home of the state’s flagship university, the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville cultivates a lively college-town feel. Additionally, the city is often referred to as the “Track Capital of the World” due to the success and prestige of the university’s cross country and track & field programs.

Arkansas’ third-largest city, Fort Smith, is home to 89,142 people. Originally established as a western frontier military post, Fort Smith became well known as a base for migrants passing through towards the American West. The Fort Smith National Historic Site preserves the city’s origins, while the Fort Smith Museum of History explores local history.

Green Card Benefits for Arkansas EB-5 Investors

The direct benefits of making an EB-5 investment in Arkansas 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 Arkansas 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 an 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 $800,000 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 $1,050,000, but all of EB5AN’s EB-5 investment projects are located in TEAs and qualify for the lower investment threshold of $800,000.
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 Arkansas 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 Arkansas

Arkansas: Population and Income Demographics

According to the U.S. Census, Arkansas has a population of 3,025,891. Of this, approximately 1,400,997 people are in the labor force, with 1,323,511 employed and 77,486 unemployed.

Arkansas: General Economic Outlook

Arkansas covers an area of 53,179 square miles, with an approximate width of 270 miles and a length of 240 miles. This implies a population density of 56.4 people per square mile, which ranks Arkansas among the least densely populated states in the United States.

Little Rock is Arkansas’ capital and largest city, and the state’s largest metro area is Central Arkansas. Little Rock, North Little Rock, and Conway are principal cities of the Central Arkansas metro area. Arkansas’s 2021 gross domestic product (GDP) was $123.35 billion. This implies a per capita GDP of $47,770.

Agriculture is the cornerstone of Arkansas’ economy, particularly livestock. The state’s primary agricultural outputs include poultry and eggs, soybeans, sorghum, cattle, cotton, rice, hogs, and milk. In fact, Arkansas is the nation’s largest producer of rice, turkeys, and broilers — chickens bred for meat production. Primary industrial output consists of food processing, electrical equipment, fabricated metal products, machinery, and paper products. Tourism also plays an important role in Arkansas’ economy; the official state nickname, “The Natural State”, was originally created to bolster state tourism in the 1970s.