Co-Author: USAVCS
Although there have been numerous articles written about the EB-5 visa many fail to go beyond the basic facts which are: For a $500,000 investment in a US government approved regional center, you can obtain permanent resident status in the USA, quite often in less than six months.
Some articles (often from other attorneys) go into the technicalities of the visa but fail to provide in -depth information on the reality of the regional centers they may recommend, in addition, many attorneys have not visited the centers thus they maybe limited in the advice they can give.
The regional centers and the agents selling them often emphasize how excellent their specific programs are but this information can be extremely limited on impartial substance and fact.
There are concerns that some centers are targeting overseas investors through some of the EB-5 programs simply because, in the current economic climate, they are no longer able to raise funding anywhere else. If the risk is too high for the money markets this should raise questions with potential immigrant investors, assuming they are given the true facts!
It can appear at times that some families are approaching the due diligence process for a $500,000 visa investment with less caution that they would if they were buying a $5000 used car in a foreign country from a particularly unappealing used car salesman. The problem is many fail to realize the implications of what may happen if they make the wrong decision. Families are lulled into a false sense of security simply by being told that a center has a 100% record of success in obtaining the visa. Too many families fail to understand that this statistic is not the most important point. Many families have not been adequately briefed that it is not simply a case of obtaining a visa, it should also be important to keep their visa status and have their investment returned.
If they invest unwisely in an inappropriate regional center a number of things can go wrong, for example:
The Investment fails to attract sufficient investors and so may fail to fund. In this scenario the investor may not satisfy the necessary conditions, investment of funds and the creation of ten jobs, so could ultimately face deportation and /or the loss of some or all of their $500,000 investment.
The regional center program fails to lay out a clear and transparent exit strategy so at best the investor may wait many years for the return of their capital and at worst lose it.
A problem for the potential investor is a very glossy brochure can be dangerously reassuring and/or the words from an agent can be simply propaganda as in certain cases agents can be paid huge amounts of commission for recommending a particular center.
Many of these issues can be avoidable by taking appropriate impartial advice. Many families have chosen the EB-5 visa program, have relocated to the USA within six months, have experienced no problems and seen their investment fully returned as well as receiving interest payments.
For more details on EB-5 investments and the Alien Entrepreneur Investor visa program, contact USAVCS to schedule a consultation with one of our U.S. licensed Immigration attorneys to receive the independent advice you need to help you avoid pitfalls in your applications.
