EB-5 investors from San Mateo, California considering an EB-5 investment should look into the benefits of investing in an EB5AN EB-5 visa project.
Location, location, location! This rule applies not only to buying a house but also to launching a business, and research shows San Mateo is a great place to do both. Conveniently located by Interstate 280, Highway 101, and Highway 92, San Mateo is less than 30 minutes from both San Francisco and San Jose. And with giants like Google and Facebook right next door, it’s a natural choice for a wide array of EB-5 businesses, including tech startups. If you’re searching for the perfect spot for your enterprise, consider the robust community of San Mateo, which is conveniently covered by the California EB5AN EB-5 regional center.
Why Do EB-5 Investors Use Regional Centers?
Affiliating with an EB-5 regional center holds numerous benefits, including the ability to immediately begin raising funds for your project and making your project attractive to EB-5 investors through targeted employment area (TEA) designation and expanded job creation numbers.
For investors, a key aspect of meeting the EB-5 program requirements is job creation: each EB-5 investment must create 10 full-time jobs for U.S. workers that last at least two years. The vast majority of EB-5 investors, more than 95 percent, choose regional center investments because it is significantly easier to meet the EB-5 job creation requirement when paired with one.
When investing in regional center projects, EB-5 investors can include indirect and induced job creation in their job creation total. In contrast, when they make a direct investment, they can count only direct job creation. In other words, with indirect job creation, they can determine job creation numbers through an econometric study, but with direct job creation, they must show actual employees on the payroll.
EB5AN maintains multiple USCIS-approved regional centers with broad geographic coverage, enabling it to immediately sponsor strong EB-5 projects in cities throughout the United States including San Mateo, California. Additionally, our business affiliates receive support from our team of EB-5 experts, starting with a project assessment to determine whether EB-5 capital is the right choice.
The EB5AN State of California Regional Center
Prospective EB-5 investors may choose EB5 investments located anywhere in the United States. But those living in San Mateo may simply want to invest in projects located in California, and EB5AN has a USCIS-approved regional center that covers San Mateo.
Since EB5AN’s regional center has geographic coverage of the entire state of California, this means you can pick anywhere in San Mateo for your project location and start raising capital right away. For a complete list of USCIS-approved EB5AN regional centers, visit the USCIS website.
Why You Should Evaluate an EB-5 Investment Project
EB-5 investors based in San Mateo or the surrounding areas in California should always evaluate their financial and immigration risk when choosing an EB-5 investment project.
One requirement of an EB-5 visa investment is that the investment capital must be at risk for the entirety of the investment. The “at risk” requirement is in place to ensure investors actually invest their capital in new commercial enterprises (NCEs) that can create jobs and boost the economy and not simply “buy” a U.S. green card. The EB-5 investment must incur a risk of loss as well as a chance of gain.
“At risk” does not mean that EB-5 investors are required to invest in “risky” projects. Just the opposite—EB-5 investors are strongly encouraged to conduct thorough due diligence to minimize their exposure to financial and immigration risk.
EB5AN, in collaboration with Klasko Immigration Law Partners, has created an EB-5 Project Risk Assessment Tool for EB-5 investors. This highly functional, easy-to-use tool takes investors through the initial due diligence of EB-5 projects from both financial and immigration risk perspectives.
Download our EB-5 Project Risk Assessment Questionnaire
What Are the Green Card Benefits for San Mateo EB-5 Investors?
The key benefits for a San Mateo-based EB-5 investor making an EB-5 investment in a new commercial enterprise include the following:
Residency and Citizenship Benefits
- EB-5 is one of the quickest methods to obtain permanent residency in the United States for the EB-5 investor, their spouse, and any 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 can 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 restrictions.
- Live anywhere you choose from the beaches of Florida to the mountains of Colorado or from a quiet, rural town to the hustle and bustle of a big city.
- Live in states such as Alaska or Nevada 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.
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.
Travel Benefits
- Green card holders can leave and enter the country without being denied re-entry, although some travel restrictions apply.
- Green card holders are free to travel anywhere in the United States.
- In the event of a political change or significant event in the investor’s home country, the investor and their family can immediately gain entry to the United States.
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 amount 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.
EB-5 Investment in San Mateo, California
California: Population and Income Demographics
With a population of just over 101,000 and a median household income of $90,000, San Mateo is clearly a city on the rise. Because residents earn high average salaries, there’s plenty of money to invest back into the community. As a result, San Mateo is a great spot for a wide range of EB-5 businesses. You can provide lucrative employment opportunities for deserving individuals while helping your investors achieve their dreams of permanent residency.
If you’re thinking of starting your EB-5 venture in the San Mateo area, consider partnering with our EB5AN regional center. We can save you time and money by helping you access funding and ensuring your business gets off the ground as fast as possible. And because regional center projects have less stringent job requirements (both direct and indirect jobs count toward the goal), the odds of securing permanent residency are that much higher for your investors.
The Culture and Economy of San Mateo, California
Part of the famed Silicon Valley, San Mateo is a tech-savvy town rich in local history. This San Francisco Bay cultural center boasts an array of entertainment options, including activities for the family. Spend the day at picturesque Laurelwood Park or learn something new at the CuriOdyssey, a combination science museum and zoo.
Additionally, San Mateo is home to a number of large employers, including Franklin Templeton Investments and San Mateo Medical Center. And because the California EB5AN regional center covers all of San Francisco Bay, including San Mateo, it’s also an ideal place for your EB-5 venture.
San Mateo is fully supportive of the EB-5 Regional Center Program as a mutually beneficial way for foreign investors to immigrate to the United States while boosting both the local and national economy.
San Mateo, California EB-5 Investors
EB5AN has EB-5 investment projects that are available to San Mateo residents. EB-5 investors from San Mateo and the surrounding areas in California can inquire about EB5 investment projects that are currently open to investment and are sponsored by our EB5AN State of California EB-5 regional center.
No matter where you are originally from, if you are a foreign national living in San Mateo looking for an EB-5 investment, the team at EB5AN can help. Contact us today to learn more about the benefits of regional center affiliation and how to become a business affiliate of EB5AN for your EB-5 project. Call 1-800-288-9138 or send an e-mail to info@EB5AN.com.
