EB-5 Investors from California Seeking EB-5 Investment

Those in California interested in making an EB-5 investment should look into the many benefits of investing in a project offered by EB5AN.

More Information about California

California: Population and Income Demographics

According to the U.S. Census, California has a population of approximately 29.5 million people over the age of 16. Of this, approximately 18.9 million people are in the labor force, with 16.6 million employed and 2.2 million unemployed.

California: General Economic Outlook

California covers an area of 163,696 square miles, with a width of 250 miles and a length of 770 miles. This implies a population density of 246 people per square mile, which makes California the 11th-most densely populated state in the United States.

California’s capital is Sacramento while the largest city and metro area is Los Angeles. The gross domestic product (GDP) of California was $1,901 billion in 2010. This figure makes California the largest economy in the United States by GDP.

California’s largest employment sectors are leisure and hospitality, education and health services, government, and professional and business services.

The EB5AN State of California Regional Center

EB-5 investors may pick EB-5 investments that are located anywhere in the U.S. Those living in California, however, may find it easier to invest in projects that are located within the state. Thankfully, EB5AN already has a regional center that is USCIS-approved in California.

The EB5AN State of California Regional Center covers all 58 counties in the state of California, including the biggest cities in the state.

San Diego attracts many tourists, students, and investors every year. The San Diego Zoo and the University of California, San Diego both draw many visitors and students, respectively. San Jose has a slightly different feel but still draws from the same groups of tourists, investors, and university students for its well-known attractions and institutions. Meanwhile, San Francisco offers an utterly unique feel with its well-known attractions like the Golden Gate Bridge and many impressive educational and business offerings.

Why Most EB-5 Investors Make Their EB-5 Investment through Regional Centers

EB-5 regional centers make the EB-5 investment process go smoother for potential EB-5 applicants. Importantly, only regional centers are allowed to include indirectly created jobs towards the job creation requirement. EB-5 investors are only required to show that their invested funds were spent in line with the business plan instead of documenting that full time employees were hired and then remained employed for a minimum of two full years.

EB5AN has multiple USCIS-approved regional centers, enabling it to sponsor strong EB-5 projects across the United States immediately, including in California.

Green Card Benefits for California EB-5 Investors

The benefits of making an investment for EB-5 investors from California include:

Prominent Residency and Citizenship Benefits

The EB-5 visa offers one of the fastest ways for an immigrant to achieve U.S. permanent residency
Retired green card holders are also able to receive their pension if earned abroad and can qualify for Medicare and other social welfare programs.
Green card holders also have a well-traveled path to U.S. citizenship which they can apply for after 5 years of permanent residency in the United States.

Travel Benefits

Although some travel restrictions do apply, green card holders can travel abroad without being denied reentry.
Green card holders can also travel unrestricted within the U.S.
If there is a significant change in the investor’s home country, the investor and the investor’s family can come to the United States immediately.

Education Benefits

Green card holders can attend public elementary, middle, and high schools for free and receive lower-cost in-state tuition at many colleges and universities.
The chance of admission to U.S. universities also increases for green card holders by up to 350%.
- Permanent residents can also work during their time at university, and apply for internships and postgraduate positions or jobs.

Employment Benefits

Green card holders can live and work anywhere in the U.S., including states with no state income tax if they so choose.
Successful EB-5 investors do not need a visa or employer sponsor.
Green card holders do not require H-1B work visa to work.

Primary EB-5 Investment Requirements

EB-5 investors are required to:

Invest a minimum of $900,000 for an EB-5 project in a rural or high unemployment area designated as a targeted employment area (TEA). Although projects located outside of TEA areas must have an investment of $1,800,000, all of EB5AN’s EB-5 investment projects qualify for the smaller investment amount of $900,000.
The investor must maintain the investment’s at-risk status and using lawfully sourced investment funds. This requirement is meant to ensure that investors make an investment and do not “buy” a green card.
An investment must create or preserve 10 full-time jobs. These jobs must be for qualifying U.S. workers and last a minimum of two years.
An investor must make their investment in a new commercial enterprise (NCE) or a troubled business.

How to Evaluate EB-5 Investment Projects

EB-5 investors based in California should assess a project’s financial and immigration risk before investing. EB-5 investors should conduct thorough due diligence before investing. The EB-5 Project Risk Assessment Tool for EB-5 investors developed by EB5AN and Klasko Immigration Law Partners can help investors wade through their initial due diligence.

Download our EB-5 Project Risk Assessment Questionnaire