Honolulu, Hawaii-based EB-5 investors should consider the benefits of joining an EB5AN EB-5 visa project.
The EB5AN State of Hawaii Regional Center provides total geographic coverage of every neighborhood in Honolulu, from Ala-Moana-Kakaako to Waikiki and from Moiliili to Diamond Head.
Why Do Most EB-5 Investors Use Regional Centers?
Potential EB-5 applicants often opt to invest in a project sponsored by an EB-5 regional center because regional centers make the EB-5 investment process more efficient. Only regional centers may use the indirect method of calculating jobs through an approved economic methodology — a method that makes it easier to prove that the job creation requirement has been adequately fulfilled. Therefore, EB-5 investors who invest in a project sponsored by a regional center are only required to show that their invested funds were spent according to the business plan.
By maintaining multiple USCIS-approved regional centers with extensive geographic coverage, EB5AN has the capacity to immediately sponsor strong EB-5 projects in cities throughout the United States, including in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Green Card Benefits for Honolulu EB-5 Investors
The direct benefits for an EB-5 investor based in Honolulu who invests in an EB-5 project are highlighted below:
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.
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 sunny California to the Rocky Mountains in Wyoming, from a quiet, rural town to a cosmopolitan, lively city.
- Live in states such as Nevada 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 to obtain an H-1B work visa in order to work
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.
The EB5AN Honolulu, Hawaii Regional Center
Potential EB-5 investors can choose to put their money in an EB-5 financed project located anywhere in the United States. That being said, those living in Honolulu and Hawaii may find it more straightforward and efficient to invest in a project located within the state and EB5AN already has a USCIS-approved regional center that covers all neighborhoods of Honolulu and Hawaii.
Therefore, foreign investors who want to gain permanent resident status in the United States and are eligible to start the application process can make their own EB-5 investment under our Hawaii EB-5 regional center or another EB5AN-owned regional center.
EB-5 Investment in Honolulu
Honolulu: Population and Income Demographics
As the bustling capital of Hawaii and its largest city, Honolulu has a population of more than 351,000 and 68.4 square miles of development opportunity. It’s also a gateway to the United States and an international business hub.
By affiliating your EB-5 project with the EB5AN regional center in Hawaii, you can be empowered to make an economic impact on this community. Your project can lower the unemployment rate and provide beneficial economic activity for the people of Honolulu.
The Culture and Economy of Honolulu, Hawaii
Located on Hawaii’s most-visited of Oahu, Honolulu offers tourists an assortment of reasons to visit, from legendary Waikiki Beach to the historic ‘Iolani Palace. The University of Hawaii at Manoa and Hawaii Pacific University attract students from a variety of countries. Honolulu has also offered immigrant investors who want to live in America an opportunity to contribute to U.S. economic growth by supporting the EB-5 Regional Center Program.
How to Evaluate EB-5 Investment Projects
When selecting a project to invest in, EB-5 investors based in Honolulu and the surrounding areas in Hawaii are urged to thoroughly evaluate both the financial and immigration risks that are related to the project.
One of the requirements of a successful EB-5 visa investment is that the investment capital must be at risk for the period of investment; this is to ensure that the EB-5 applicant is actually actively investing their capital and not just “buying” their green card. However, “at risk” does not mean that EB-5 investors are required to invest in “risky” projects. EB-5 investors are strongly encouraged to conduct thorough due diligence before making their investment in order to minimize any potential exposure to financial and immigration risk.
To help guide investors through the initial diligence and selection process of EB-5 projects, EB5AN has collaborated with Klasko Immigration Law Partners to produce a highly functional, easy-to-use, EB-5 Project Risk Assessment Tool for EB-5 investors.
Download our EB-5 Project Risk Assessment Questionnaire
EB-5 Investors from Honolulu
Potential EB-5 investors from Honolulu and the surrounding areas in Hawaii are encouraged to inquire about EB5AN regional center sponsored projects that are actively accepting investments.
If you are a foreign national residing in Honolulu or Hawaii currently looking to make an EB-5 investment, no matter where you come from, the team at EB5AN is here to help. Click here to avail a free consultation with our expert team, ensuring a clearer understanding of the EB-5 visa process.
