When you choose to partner with EB5AN on an EB-5 investment in Massachusetts, you are accessing many benefits. Learn more about them here.
Two Reasons Most EB-5 Investors Use Regional Centers
Qualified EB-5 investment participants have two ways to invest. They can either directly invest in a program-approved project or partner with any EB-5 regional center across the country on an eligible project. And although investing directly offers a unique set of advantages, history shows that EB-5 investors prefer regional center projects. Why? There are two reasons:
Regional Centers Streamline the Investment Process
A reputable EB-5 regional center can offer access to a wealth of knowledge and experience. As such, investors who work through an EB-5 regional center enjoy a more streamlined investment process.
Regional Centers Make it Easier to Meet the Program’s Job Creation Requirements.
Regional centers are afforded the benefit of utilizing the indirect job calculation method to meet job creation requirements on EB-5 investments. What does this mean for the investor? Instead of gathering and providing W-2 employee information and evidence of their employment which must span a minimum of two years, they must only show that their investment capital was spent according to business plans.
EB5AN specifically maintains multiple USCIS-approved regional centers spanning a broad geographical area and can offer immediate sponsorship of strong EB-5 projects across the U.S.–including in Massachusetts. Learn more about the EB5AN Commonwealth of Massachusetts Regional Center below.
The EB5AN Commonwealth of Massachusetts Regional Center
The EB5AN Commonwealth of Massachusetts Regional Center is USCIS approved and offers EB-5 investment participants from Massachusetts the opportunity to invest right where they live. Whether a prospective EB-5 investor already lives in the state or is considering any of the 14 counties within state lines as a potential future home, this regional center can provide investment opportunities close to home, including in the largest cities in Massachusetts.
Boston, the state’s capital, is considered one of the most influential, wealthy, and historic cities in the U.S. It is also the largest in the New England area. Outside of Boston is the “Heart of the Commonwealth,” Worcester, the second-most populated city in the state.
Benefits of an EB-5 Program-Issued Green Card in Massachusetts
Direct green card benefits enjoyed by Massachusetts-based EB-5 investment participants fall into four general categories. Each is related to travel, employment, education, and residency, and citizenship in the United States. Find examples of benefits in each category below.
Travel-Related Benefits
- A green card allows you to travel to any part of the U.S. at any time.
- If you hold a green card, you may enter and leave the U.S. without concern of being denied re-entry as well. Make sure you are aware of the few travel restrictions that apply.
- Should an investor suffer political changes or other significant events in their home country, they (and their eligible family members) are granted immediate re-entry into the United States.
Employment-Related Benefits
- EB-5 investors with a green card don’t need a visa sponsor or employer sponsor.
- They do not need an H-1B work visa to work legally.
- Green card holders are eligible to live and work anywhere in the U.S.
- They are free to enjoy local benefits (from environmental and cultural to tax-related benefits) offered in their area.
Education-Related Benefits
- Green card holders are eligible for free public education at elementary, middle, and high school levels.
- College-aged green card holders can enjoy in-state tuition savings at public universities and accredited colleges.
- Holding a green card makes EB-5 participants eligible for various scholarships and financial aid opportunities.
- Green card holders are also permitted to work while completing their studies, internships, and post-graduate applications.
Residency- and Citizenship-Related Benefits
- The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program provides a more direct path to U.S. permanent residence for EB-5 investment participants and their eligible family members.
- Five years of established U.S. permanent residency provides green card holders the option to apply for U.S. citizenship.
- Retired U.S. green card holders can tap into pensions earned both overseas and in the United States. Some qualify for Medicare and other similar social welfare programs as well.
Five Requirements of Successfully Investing in the EB-5 Program
Every EB-5 investment must meet the basic requirements to be deemed successful, regardless of where the project is located. There are five of them:
- A Minimum Investment. While projects located beyond designated targeted employment areas (TEAs) call for a $1,050,000 minimum investment, EB5AN projects only require $800,000 because they are all located within TEAs.
- Investment in an NCE or Troubled Business. Qualified EB-5 investors must infuse capital into a new commercial enterprise or a troubled business.
- Funds Sourced Lawfully. Every EB-5 investment must be accompanied by evidence that all capital funds were lawfully sourced.
- Investment Remains At-Risk. All EB-5 investment capital must maintain at-risk status for the entire investment period.
- A Minimum Number of Jobs Created. EB-5 capital must have created or preserved a minimum of 10 qualified full-time jobs for U.S. workers.
How to Assess the Risks of an EB-5 Investment Project
All Massachusetts EB-5 investors are advised to assess the financial and immigration risks of every project they consider. EB5AN wanted to make that easier for them. So, in collaboration with Klasko Immigration Law Partners, EB5AN designed an EB-5 Project Risk Assessment Tool, now available to its partnering EB-5 investors.
This digital tool provides thorough and easy-to-understand guidance for the initial stages of proper due diligence. Investors’ due diligence efforts help minimize both financial and immigration risk exposure.
One EB-5 visa requirement, as you read before, is that all investment capital must remain at-risk throughout the investment period. Contrary to what investors might initially think, “at-risk” does not mean investing in a “risky” project. It simply means that all investment capital must remain subject to the possibility of both loss and gain for the duration it is invested.
This requirement was established to ensure the integrity of the EB-5 program. Investors in the EB-5 program must not simply “buy” a U.S. green card but instead invest in the U.S. economy.
When an investor conducts the proper due diligence, however, they can effectively minimize any risks associated with investing in the EB-5 project they select. Learn more by downloading the questionnaire at the link below.
Click Here to Download the EB-5 Project Risk Assessment Questionnaire
Determine Whether Massachusetts is Right for Your EB-5 Investment
Massachusetts’ population aged 16+ sits around 5.4 million, according to data from the U.S. Census. Of this population segment, approximately 3.6 million of them are in the labor force. Around 3.3 million are employed, and 323,000 are unemployed.
The geographical area of Massachusetts totals 10,555 square miles–approximately 183 miles wide and 113 miles long. This gives Massachusetts an estimated population density of 858 people per square mile. This ranks Massachusetts as the third-most densely populated U.S.
Take a look at additional population and income demographics below and get a better understanding of Massachusetts’ general economic outlook.
Massachusetts: Population and Income Demographics
Massachusetts’ General Economic Outlook
An overview of the state’s GDP, unemployment, and consumption statistics can provide a broad-stroke picture of Massachusetts’ general economic outlook.
- Massachusetts’ largest city, Boston, is also the heart of the state’s largest metro area.
- Gross domestic product (GDP) came in at $379 billion in 2010, indicating a compound annual growth rate of 3.34% and a GDP per capita of $52,251 from 2000 to 2010.
- As such, Massachusetts ranks as the 12th-largest U.S. economy.
Home to 13 Fortune 500 companies, including Liberty Mutual Insurance Group of Boston and MassMutual Financial Services of Springfield, the state has been recognized as the 25th-best state in the nation for business. Studies have also shown Massachusetts to be home to the sixth-largest number of millionaires in the U.S.
2015 unemployment statistics revealed an average unemployment rate of 4.7% in Massachusetts and monthly unemployment rates for 2015’s fourth quarter of 4.5%, 4.5%, and 4.6%, respectively.
How EB-5 Investors Can Access Projects in Massachusetts
Commonwealth of Massachusetts residents can access program-approved EB-5 investment projects through EB5AN. Contact EB5AN directly to inquire about those projects sponsored through the EB5AN Commonwealth of Massachusetts Regional Center and currently open to resident investor capital.
Investors interested in EB5AN’s regional center projects from the following Massachusetts cities and others should reach out to learn more about the EB-5 investment process:
- Boston
- Worcester
- Springfield
- Cambridge
Because EB5AN has coverage in all state counties, regardless of where you live in Massachusetts, if you are considering an EB-5 investment in the state, the EB5AN team can help. Schedule a call by clicking this link, and get started on researching your EB-5 investment journey.
