EB-5 Investors from Florida Seeking EB-5 Investment

EB-5 investors from Florida 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 Florida.

The EB5AN State of Florida Regional Center

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

The EB5AN State of Florida Regional Center covers all counties in the state of Florida, including the largest cities in the state. Miami, known as the “Magic City,” is the cultural, economic, and financial center of South Florida. Orlando, located in central Florida and known as the “Theme Park Capital of the World,” drew more than 72 million visitors in 2016.

Jacksonville is the most populous city in the state and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. Fort Lauderdale, located on the Atlantic Ocean amid a myriad of scenic inland waterways, has been designated the “Venice of America.” Boca Raton, a city on Florida’s southeastern coast, is known for its golf courses, parks, and beaches.

Green Card Benefits for Florida EB-5 Investors

The direct benefits of making an EB-5 investment in Florida 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 Florida 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 $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 Florida 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 Florida

Florida: Population and Income Demographics

According to the U.S. Census, Florida has a population of approximately 15.5 million people over the age of 16. Of this, approximately 9.3 million people are in the labor force, with 8.2 million employed and 1.1 million unemployed.

Florida: General Economic Outlook

Florida covers an area of 65,755 square miles, with an approximate width of 361 miles and a length of 447 miles. This implies a population density of 353.4 people per square mile, which makes Florida one of the more densely populated states in the United States.

The capital of Florida is Tallahassee, the largest city is Jacksonville, and the largest metro area is the Miami metro area. Florida’s 2010 gross domestic product (GDP) was $748 billion. This implies a compound annual growth rate from 2000 to 2010 of 4.51% and a per capita GDP of $35,815. Florida has the fourth-largest economy in the United States by GDP.

In the 20th century, tourism, industry, construction, international banking, biomedical and life sciences, health-care research, simulation training, have contributed to Florida’s economic development.