EB-5 investors from Washington 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 Washington.
The EB5AN State of Washington Regional Center
Potential EB-5 investors may select EB-5 investments located anywhere in the United States. Those living in Washington, however, may simply want to invest in projects located within the state, and EB5AN already has a USCIS-approved regional center in Washington.
The EB5AN States of Washington & Oregon Regional Center covers all counties in the state of Washington, including the largest cities in the state. Bellevue is a city in the Puget Sound region of Washington State and is often considered a suburb of Seattle. Bellevue was voted the fifth-best place to live in the United States. Redmond is a city in King County famous for being home to Microsoft Corporation, and it has a large presence over the area. It is also the self-proclaimed biking capital of the country.
Green Card Benefits for Washington EB-5 Investors
The direct benefits of making an EB-5 investment in Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington
Washington: Population and Income Demographics
According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the State of Washington has a population of approximately 5.4 million people over the age of 16. Of this, there are approximately 3.5 million people in the labor force, with 3.1 million who are employed and 327,000 who are unemployed.
Washington: General Economic Outlook
Washington covers an area of 71,362 square miles, with a width of 360 miles and a length of 240 miles. This implies a population density of 104.9 people per square mile, which makes Washington the 25th-most densely populated state in the United States.
The capital of Washington is Olympia, the largest city is Seattle, and the largest metro area is the Seattle metropolitan area. The gross domestic product (GDP) of Washington in 2010 was $341 billion. This implies a compound annual growth rate from 2000 to 2010 of 4.10% and a per capita GDP of $45,599. Washington has the 14th-largest economy in the United States by GDP.
Significant businesses within the state of Washington include the design and manufacture of aircraft (Boeing), automotive (Paccar), computer software development (Microsoft, Bungie, Amazon.com, Nintendo of America, Valve Corporation, ArenaNet), telecom (T-Mobile USA), electronics, biotechnology, aluminum production, lumber and wood products (Weyerhaeuser), mining, beverages (Starbucks, Jones Soda), real estate (John L. Scott), retail (Nordstrom, Eddie Bauer, Car Toys, Costco, R.E.I.), and tourism (Alaska Airlines, Expedia, Inc.). Washington has significant amounts of hydroelectric power generation.
EB-5 Investors from Washington
EB5AN has EB-5 investment projects that are available to residents of the state of Washington. EB-5 investors from Washington can inquire about EB-5 investment projects that are currently open to investment and are sponsored by an EB5AN EB-5 regional center.
EB-5 investors from the following Washington cities and others are encouraged to reach out and learn more about the EB-5 investment process:
No matter where you live in Washington, if you are a foreign national considering making an EB-5 investment, the team at EB5AN can help. Click here to schedule a call to learn more about currently available EB-5 investment opportunities.
