Many foreign nationals want to relocate to the United States and enjoy the country’s strong economy, political stability, high standard of living, and delightful culture. Perhaps the best way to obtain permanent resident status in the United States is to participate in the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. The EB-5 program, which has been active since […]

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is famous for offering foreign nationals the opportunity to immigrate permanently to the United States in exchange for an EB-5 investment in a qualifying U.S. business, termed “new commercial enterprise” (NCE) in the EB-5 world. Though the EB5 investment journey may be quicker and easier than many other routes of […]

The popularity of the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is undeniable—since 2008, the program has skyrocketed in demand, becoming a popular means of obtaining U.S. permanent resident status for foreign investors around the world. Nonetheless, the program remains controversial in the United States, and a sea of policy issues undermine its effectiveness for EB-5 investment participants, […]

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is one of the best ways for foreign nationals and their families to relocate to the United States and enjoy the country’s thriving economy and delightful culture. To qualify for permanent resident status, foreign nationals must make an EB5 investment in a qualifying U.S. enterprise and create or preserve at […]

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released the Visa Bulletin for August 2021, which contains thrilling news for the EB-5 investment industry. In many cases, the monthly Visa Bulletin reports long, stagnant wait times for EB-5 investors from backlogged countries. In contrast, the August 2021 Visa Bulletin has positive news for Chinese and […]

There’s hardly a person in the world who hasn’t been affected by the worldwide pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus. With millions of deaths, small businesses decimated, and public life entirely shut down, the world has never seen anything like it. EB-5 investment stakeholders were among those affected—2020 was, in various ways, not a good […]

There is a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the current state of the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. June 2021 was a pivotal month in the history of the EB-5 program—on June 22, the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of California ruled to invalidate the EB-5 Final Rule. This measure had raised the minimum […]

More than 30 years have passed since the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program was introduced in 1990, and a lot can change over three decades. The program spent its first two decades with little attention, issuing only a small portion of its annual 10,000 EB-5 investment visas. But after the 2008 financial crisis, popularity skyrocketed as […]

The U.S. government’s administrative decisions regarding the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program have occasionally resulted in sudden or unexpected changes to the program’s regulations. For example, the EB-5 industry was rocked by the news that the regional center program had expired on June 30, 2021. Under the program, foreign nationals were able to make EB-5 investments […]

When marketed to prospective foreign investors, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is generally framed in terms of its benefits to foreign investors: for a one-time, largely passive EB-5 investment, a foreign national from any country can relocate to the United States and gain permanent residency for themselves and their immediate family members. But an EB5 […]

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is widely viewed as an asset to the U.S. economy. Since 1990, the EB-5 program has allowed foreign nationals to apply for permanent resident status after investing the required amount of capital in a qualifying U.S. business. Since every EB5 investment must create the required number of jobs, the program […]

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program offers foreign nationals a chance to start a new life in the United States in exchange for a qualifying EB-5 investment in a new commercial enterprise (NCE). EB-5 investors hail from all around the world and come from various backgrounds and walks of life, so a one-size-fits-all solution doesn’t accommodate […]

The first half of 2021 has been a suspenseful six months for the EB-5 investment community, with stakeholders bating their breath as they watched the rapidly unfolding developments in the EB-5 space. The EB-5 Regional Center Program has been a hallmark of EB-5’s success throughout the 2010s, when EB-5 demand reached an all-time high and […]

In light of the EB-5 regional center program’s expiration on June 30, 2021, many EB-5 investors and industry stakeholders are concerned about the EB-5 investment program’s future. However, despite the cause for concern, most industry representatives remain convinced that the regional center program will be reauthorized shortly. Many are pointing to direct investments as a […]

Given that the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is designed to bestow U.S. permanent residency rights upon applicants in exchange for a successful EB-5 investment in a qualifying project, U.S. citizens are ineligible to participate. Foreign nationals residing in the United States on other visas may also overlook the program, since they’ve already attained residency rights. […]

All around the world, foreign nationals rely on the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program to pursue a new, promising life in the United States for themselves and their immediate family members. U.S. permanent resident status for an EB-5 investor and their family offers invaluable benefits, such as facilitated enrollment at U.S. colleges, state-of-the-art health facilities, and […]

Participants in EB-5 investments have long been concerned about processing times, which have grown increasingly longer throughout the 2010s as with a rise in EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program demand and a fall in United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) productivity. It has become commonplace to wait two or three years to receive conditional permanent […]

One of the key issues that has plagued the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program in the late 2010s has been the emergence—and continued deepening—of EB-5 backlogs. Backlogs are not unique to the EB-5 program—rather, they’re due to a United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) policy that restricts annual visa allocation based on country of citizenship. […]

Those in the EB-5 investment community have faced their fair share of challenges throughout the late 2010s and into the 2020s, including a global pandemic, but as the world begins to open up after COVID-19, the EB-5 world is being confronted with more hardships. Most pressingly, the looming sunset date of June 30, 2021, on […]

On June 22, 2021, Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley of the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of California (the “Court”) issued an order granting summary judgment in Plaintiff’s favor in the matter of Behring Regional Center LLC V. Chad Wolf, et al. In summary, Plaintiff sought both (1) a declaratory judgment that the Final […]

It’s been a while since a monthly Visa Bulletin from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has offered the EB-5 investment community good news of any magnitude. The three-week jump in the Chinese final action date in the June 2021 Visa Bulletin was good news, but only because the Chinese final action date hadn’t […]

Throughout the beginning of 2021, EB-5 investment participants have faced an uncertain battle for the continued authorization of the EB-5 Regional Center Program, through which more than 95% of EB5 investments are made. The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program itself is a permanent government program, but the regional center program, which allows United States Citizenship and […]

In the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, as in life, there are no guarantees. There are no steps an EB-5 investor can take in preparing their I-526 petition to guarantee that United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will approve. The majority of I-526 petitions are approved, so anyone who makes an EB-5 investment has a […]

Throughout the late 2010s, EB-5 investors and other stakeholders have grown wary of policy updates from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which have often been negative—and applied retroactively. A case in point is the redeployment policy update that came in July 2020, which the immigration agency applied retroactively by officially terming it a […]

In 2021, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program community has been abuzz with the very real possibility of EB-5 Regional Center Program suspension after June 30, 2021. Traditionally, the regional center program has been reauthorized in conjunction with a broader government spending bill that was guaranteed to be passed. But when Congress reauthorized the program in […]

When the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program was first created in 1990, it didn’t garner a lot of attention, and for years, the program failed to dole out the majority of the visas allocated to it each year. The 2008 crisis was a turning point, and what started as a slow increase blossomed into skyrocketing demand, […]

If a foreign national wishes to make an EB-5 investment in a more prosperous future for themselves and their immediate family members in the United States, they must fulfill a number of strict EB-5 program requirements. Perhaps the most stringent is the source-of-funds requirement, which forces EB-5 investment participants to compile a comprehensive paper trail […]

In 2021, EB-5 investors and other stakeholders in the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program industry have faced an uncertain future, with the EB-5 Regional Center Program scheduled to expire on June 30, 2021. The regional center program, which oversees a large network of EB-5 regional centers across the country through which foreign nationals can make more […]

On May 26, 2021, a congressional hearing was held for Ur Jaddou, President Biden’s nominee to lead United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Speaking before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Jaddou emphasized her commitment to reducing ever-increasing visa backlogs at USCIS. Jaddou’s nomination is one more move in a string of initiatives the Biden administration […]

Coming out of the tumultuous year of 2020, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program has continued to face hardship and uncertainty in the first half of 2021. The EB-5 Regional Center Program, an integral part of the popular residency-by-investment program, is slated for termination on the sunset date of June 30, 2021, following its separation from […]

Any foreign national interested in the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program as a relatively quick and simple way to gain U.S. permanent residency rights for themselves and their qualifying family members should familiarize themselves with the I-526 petition. This important petition is an immigrant investor’s first contact with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and […]

Interested in forging a new life in the land of the free? The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program makes it possible. Tens of thousands of immigrant investors and their families have already set up house in the United States after completing a successful EB-5 investment. Investors need only make a largely passive investment of $900,000 (if […]

Every month, the U.S. Department of State – Bureau of Consular Affairs releases a new Visa Bulletin for employment-based and family-based immigration to the United States. With demand for immigration to the United States far outpacing the supply of visas, country-based annual visa caps result in lengthy backlogs for nationals of certain countries, and the […]

If a foreign national makes an EB-5 investment in a qualifying project and fulfills the various requirements laid out by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), they—and their immediate family members—will receive permanent resident status in the United States. In terms of qualifying for a green card, all EB-5 projects are equal—all successful EB5 […]

Permanent resident status in the United States is something most people in the world can only dream of. Boasting the world’s largest economy, unparalleled freedom, and state-of-the-art health and education facilities, the United States is the number one destination of immigrants worldwide. The problem is that immigration is difficult, especially when it’s to such a […]

All around the world, foreign nationals have their sights set on immigrating to the United States. There are indeed many immigration programs in the United States that allow talented foreign nationals to set up house in the land of the free, whether permanently or just for a temporary period. But not all U.S. immigration programs […]

For many EB-5 investors, the ultimate objective is not U.S. permanent resident status but rather U.S. citizenship. While permanent residents enjoy most of the same rights and freedoms as U.S. citizens, there are limitations: permanent residents are barred from taking up political office, and they must avoid spending too much time abroad, lest they risk […]

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program represents one of the most popular ways for foreign nationals with the financial means to gain permanent residency in the United States, offering permanent resident status in exchange for a substantial, lawfully sourced, job-creating investment in a qualifying EB-5 project. But it is simultaneously demonized in the press and branded […]

While an EB-5 investment can be a lucrative financial decision that generates a handsome return on investment, most EB-5 investors participate in the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program primarily—or even solely—to obtain a U.S. green card and live permanently in the United States. This makes the likelihood of EB-5 approval the driving factor behind many foreign […]

The United States is the most sought-after destination for students around the world, with top-ranked Ivy League colleges and other highly esteemed institutes dotting the country. Every year, thousands of foreign nationals enter the United States on an F-1 student visa to pursue a four-year university degree and, hopefully, obtain a job in the United […]

The numerous problems that have plagued the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program in the 2010s are well known. 2020 was a particularly difficult year for the residency-by-investment program—and for much of the world—due to the devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the significantly diminished EB-5 investment demand inspired by the Modernization Rule’s higher minimum required EB5 […]

If the popularity of the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is anything to go by, it offers important benefits to foreign nationals who choose to embark on an EB-5 investment journey. Throughout the program’s three-decade history, it has helped hundreds of thousands of investors settle into their new, permanent lives in the United States, all the […]

The EB-5 investment program requires a capital commitment of $1.8 million from an immigrant investor seeking permanent residency in the United States. However, investors can reduce the minimum investment requirement to only $900k if they choose an investment located in a targeted employment area (TEA). An area is considered a TEA if it is located […]

As the world heads into continued turmoil caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released the EB-5 petition processing data for FY2021 Q1 (October–December 2020). This data release closes out the tumultuous year of 2020, and the figures it offers cannot necessarily be extrapolated for future predictions due to […]

Wondering what the final action dates and dates for filing are for backlogged EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program participants in May 2021? The U.S. Department of State – Bureau of Consular Affairs has released the Visa Bulletin for May 2021. While Chinese nationals involved in an EB-5 investment should prepare for another month of disappointment, Vietnamese […]

Every year, thousands of foreign nationals make EB-5 investments, aiming for a brighter future with their families in the United States. The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is largely seen as the quickest and simplest means to permanent U.S. immigration, and generally, those who prioritize care and meticulous due diligence in their EB5 investment process successfully […]

Since 1990, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program has paved the way to permanent resident status in the United States for thousands of immigrant investors and their immediate family members, generally constituting one of the quickest and easiest means of obtaining a U.S. green card. EB-5 investments are generally successful, but the EB-5 program stipulates a […]

When it’s said that the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is among the fastest and easiest ways to immigrate to the United States, that doesn’t mean an EB-5 investment isn’t without its risks. All EB5 investments are inherently subject to immigration risk, and one of the EB-5 program requirements is that the EB-5 investment capital remain […]

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, in place since 1990, offers the ideal opportunity for any foreign investor dreaming of a life in the United States: for $1.8 million—or $900,000, depending on the targeted employment area (TEA) status of the project—investors can make a passive EB-5 investment and gain U.S. permanent resident status for themselves and […]

International travel has become significantly more difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, while travel and immigration to the United States remain challenging during the pandemic, immigration remains a great option in a post-pandemic world. The EB-5 program is considered the most efficient path to obtain U.S. permanent residency. This article explains the benefits to immigrating […]

Four U.S. senators — Tom Cotton, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, and Chuck Grassley — pushed for the suspension of employment-based immigration programs, including the EB-5 program, in a May 7 letter to former President Trump. This effort followed rumors spread by Politico, that former President Trump’s coronavirus relief bill would enact significant changes to the […]

Like most industries, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected many aspects of the EB-5 program. However, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has continued to process EB-5 petition adjudications throughout the pandemic. Foreign investors looking to obtain an EB-5 visa are still able to prepare for and potentially initiate EB-5 investments. In order to complete […]

To say that people around the world dream of a life in the United States would be an understatement. With the world’s strongest economy, world-renowned higher education institutes, and state-of-the-art health care facilities, the United States offers a life that people in most countries can only dream of. Billions around the world have also fallen […]

Whether a foreign national makes an EB-5 investment through a USCIS-approved regional center or directly in their chosen EB-5 project, the outcome of a successful investment is the same: U.S. permanent resident status for the investor and their immediate family members. Success is contingent on meeting the various requirements of the EB-5 program, including investing […]

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is a successful U.S. green-card-by-investment program that, since its inception in 1990, has contributed billions in foreign capital to the U.S. economy and funded the creation of hundreds of thousands of new jobs. The foreign nationals who provide the EB-5 investment capital are issued green cards, assuming their investment satisfies […]

Since 1990, foreign nationals from various countries have taken advantage of the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program to start a new life in the United States with their spouse and unmarried children younger than 21. Investors must part with $1.8 million—$900,000 for targeted employment area (TEA) projects—but an EB-5 investment in a bright, promising future in […]

Since 1990, foreign investors interested in obtaining U.S. permanent resident status for themselves and their immediate family members have had a lucrative option available to do so: the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. For years, the program has granted U.S. green cards to foreign nationals who make successful EB-5 investments, meeting the various program requirements and […]

Try as United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) might to infuse the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program with obstacles and hardships, the residency-by-investment program remains one of the fastest and simplest pathways to permanent U.S. immigration. Since 1990, the program has been issuing U.S. green cards to foreign nationals who make a qualifying EB-5 investment […]

As the EB-5 Regional Center Program sunset date of June 30, 2021, hurtles closer and closer, the EB-5 investment world finds itself in a bind. Without the omnibus government funding bill the program’s reauthorization has traditionally been tied to, the possibility of regional center program termination has become a very real possibility. With three months […]

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, established in 1990, has long been a top choice among foreign investors looking to migrate permanently to the United States. The program was forged by Congress to introduce foreign capital to in-need regions in the United States, fostering economic growth and spurring new job creation. Foreign investors are more than […]

The need for reform has long been noted in the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program community, but action has been slow. Ever-lengthening processing times have plagued the program since roughly 2014, when the infamous Chinese backlog was born. The EB-5 Regional Center Program, which allows foreign nationals to make an EB-5 investment through an approved regional […]

The coming of a new month once again brings a new Visa Bulletin from the U.S. Department of State—Bureau of Consular Affairs. With fiscal year 2021 more than halfway over, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has still done little to use up the more than 18,000 visas allocated to the EB-5 Immigrant Investor […]

2020 was not a good year for participants of the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. It was not a good year for most inhabitants of the planet, as public life began to shut down and people were confined to their homes indefinitely. With shutdowns, lockdowns, and border closures, those who had made an EB-5 investment and […]

As advantageous as the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is for foreign nationals looking for a permanent life in the United States, the slow, inefficient processing practices at United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) can cause major headaches for EB-5 investment participants, particularly those from backlogged countries. The program has been plagued with problems since […]

Though most foreign nationals who participate in the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program do so from their home country, a number of applicants make their EB-5 investment from within the United States. These investors already hold valid non-immigrant visas—such as a student visa or an H-1B work visa—and use an EB5 investment to obtain permanent residency […]

Throughout most of its more than 30-year history, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program has leaned on the ever-popular EB-5 Regional Center Program to help guide foreign nationals through the EB-5 investment process and maximize the job creation potential of the program while protecting investors’ interests. Given the overwhelming success of the regional center program and […]

Calls for reform to the United States’ popular residency-by-investment program, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, have grown louder and more numerous over the years, especially as United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issues continue to accumulate and EB-5 backlogs grow ever longer. EB-5 investment stakeholders have become particularly vocal about the need for EB-5 […]

Lengthy processing times for I-526 petitions have long plagued the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, leaving qualified investors in limbo for years waiting for their conditional permanent resident status. For those unfortunate to hold a passport from a backlogged country—as of March 2021, China and Vietnam—waits are even longer. Despite the ever-growing processing delays, United States […]

Hot off the heels of a tumultuous 2020, which saw a mere 114 new applicants to the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, 2021 is ramping up to welcome far more immigrant investors to the famed residency-by-investment program. Many of these new EB-5 investment participants are living in the UAE, but not necessarily as citizens. The bulk […]

Anyone who wishes to immigrate to the United States by making an EB-5 investment under the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program must set the process in motion by filing Form I-526 with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The program is fairly straightforward, offering foreign investors U.S. permanent resident status in exchange for a qualifying […]

Any foreign investor hoping to immigrate permanently to the United States should consider the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, which offers permanent resident status in exchange for a successful EB-5 investment in a qualifying EB-5 project. For an EB5 investment to be considered successful, it must satisfy a myriad of requirements that make it beneficial for […]

When United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) held an EB-5 engagement presentation on November 11, 2020, it failed to touch on pertinent questions posed by EB-5 industry leaders. However, in a quiet and belated response, USCIS did answer—or at least address—some of the questions it ignored in the public engagement when it updated its […]

Given that the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program constitutes one of the quickest and simplest ways to attain U.S. permanent resident status, its popularity has ballooned over the years since its 1990 inception. The program, originally created to attract foreign capital to the United States and drive job creation, has injected billions in foreign capital into […]

The March 2021 Visa Bulletin is now available through the U.S. Department of State (DoS) website, and news for the EB-5 community as we wrap up the second quarter of FY2021 remains relatively unchanged. The DoS publishes the Visa Bulletin monthly so that petitioners can remain informed on the status of visa availability. Despite hopes […]

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program has remained a favorite U.S. immigration program among foreign investors since its inception in 1990, promising U.S. green cards for a qualifying investor and their immediate family members upon the completion of a successful EB-5 investment that creates at least 10 new jobs for U.S. workers. With EB-5 demand particularly […]

The Hong Kong Autonomy Act is a sanctions package designed to penalize banks that conduct business with Chinese officials and was recently passed in the United States by Congress. These measures were a response to China’s enactment of the new Hong Kong security law—a piece of Chinese legislation that governing bodies across the globe condemn […]

According to statistics pulled from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data for FY2020 Q4 (July–September 2020), new I-526 receipts at the immigration body are the lowest they’ve been in years. While it’s easy to see diminished demand as a reason to steer clear of the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, it may actually […]

Even as the world descends further into COVID-induced chaos in 2021, potential for large-scale positive reform swirls about the EB-5 industry. A month and a half into the year, EB-5 investment stakeholders have witnessed freshly inaugurated President Biden’s pledge to overhaul the U.S. immigration system by clearing up backlogs, shortening processing times, and removing country-based […]

The writ of mandamus: A seemingly singular option in the broken case inquiry system of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), it is an action designed to force the hand of USCIS adjudicators on pending I-526 and I-829 petitions. Unfortunately, this course of action also poses the inherent threat associated with immediate adjudication – […]

Every year since the initiative’s inception, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program has grown in popularity. It was designed to attract foreign nationals to invest in the U.S. economy, and in exchange for a qualifying investment, they and each of their eligible family members may obtain a green card. The most recent fiscal data release reveals […]

The most controversial aspect of the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is easily the few cases of fraud that have cropped up in the program’s history of 30+ years, harped on by the media despite the immense economic stimulation and job creation the program contributes to the U.S. economy. Within the EB-5 world, however, perhaps the […]

It’s hardly a secret that the Biden administration is far friendlier toward immigration than the Trump administration was. While President Trump introduced various hurdles for newcomers to the United States, including an outright ban on most forms of immigration throughout 2020, President Biden has announced that comprehensive legislative reform to United States Citizenship and Immigration […]

Good news for the EB-5 community: Alejandro Mayorkas, Biden’s pick to head the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has officially been confirmed by the Senate. Mayorkas, whose family fled Cuba for Los Angeles when he was just an infant, built an impressive legal career for himself before diving into politics, serving in positions in the […]

To say FY2020 was a volatile year is an understatement. 2020 will forever be known as the year the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world, a crisis that has also had devastating effects on the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program and the thousands of investors in the throngs of EB-5 uncertainty. Those with EB-5 investments active throughout […]

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released the February 2021 edition of its monthly Visa Bulletin to inform petitioners of the state of the visa backlogs in February 2021. As the world hurtles into strengthened COVID-19 travel bans and restrictions following the emergence of new, more contagious strains of the virus, USCIS provides […]

Reform has been a major theme in EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program world for years, with the unresolved problems in the program becoming more and more aggravated each year. In January 2021, EB-5 industry leaders, including Invest in the USA (IIUSA), have made official calls on Congress to finally implement EB-5 program reform as well as […]

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program has long been a popular way for foreign investors to gain permanent residency in the United States for not only themselves but also their immediate family members. In fact, for some, the program has proven too popular—as of January 2021, EB-5 investment participants from China and Vietnam face lengthy backlogs […]

On January 19, 2021, just a day before President Biden’s inauguration, a Senate confirmation hearing was held for Alejandro Mayorkas, Biden’s choice to head the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The secretary of DHS performs important work in overseeing U.S. immigration policy, and as a residency-by-investment immigration program, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program falls under […]

Since the COVID-19 viral outbreak, U.S. financial markets have fluctuated as governmental and regulatory bodies work to respond. Annual business planning and results have already all but gone out the window for many businesses across an exorbitant number of industries this year, and we still have some time before the true impact of these disruptions […]

The choice to participate in the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is a decision that has the potential to change the trajectory of a prospective foreign investor’s life (not to mention that of their eligible immediate family members). The stress of navigating the complexities of today’s EB-5 marketplace and all the decisions involved in making the […]

On January 20, 2021, President-Elect Joe Biden will take over the White House, signaling the end of the Trump administration. Assuming office in the midst of the most severe pandemic since the early 20th century, Biden will undoubtedly have his hands full, overseeing far more than just the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. Nonetheless, the impending […]

Since 1992, two years after the dawn of the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, the regional center route of the EB-5 investment journey has been the preferred pathway to the United States for foreign nationals. The EB-5 Regional Center Program’s popularity is attributable to a number of factors, including the following: the relative security of making […]

The COVID-19 pandemic ripped through the world mercilessly in 2020, leaving economies and livelihoods across the globe in ruin. Even now in January 2021, the pandemic rages on, with strict lockdowns and rigorous border restrictions from the UK to Japan. The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program and the thousands of foreign nationals involved in active EB-5 […]

As custodians of public health during the COVID-19 crisis, governmental bodies all around the globe have found necessity in the temporary limitation of their citizens’ personal freedoms. This is most visible through adjustments to social benefits, the application of travel restrictions, and mandates on who can work and where they may do so, as well […]

The COVID-19 viral outbreak that began in early 2020 has been a major catalyst in the continued fluctuations in the U.S. financial markets. All the careful planning and projecting EB-5 investment teams performed for the year has likely gone out the window, and we won’t understand the extent of the pandemic-related disruptions for quite some […]

The impacts of COVID-19 on the global economy and the changes to day-to-day life on the planet – from social connections and health care to employment and how, when, and where we travel – are topics of conversation at every table. But, as we do in the face of every crisis, the world continues to […]

Industry expert Charles Oppenheim, who heads the United States Department of State’s Visa Control & Reporting Division, provided insights for FY2021 with a virtual keynote address on EB-5 investment visa availability in November 2020. In it, he presented his thoughts on the future effects of consulate activity slowdowns in 2020 and how adjustment-of-status protocols may […]

U.S. financial market conditions have fluctuated wildly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the governmental and regulatory responses that have followed. Existing operations and prospective businesses across a myriad of industries have seen disruptions in both planning and results. While the true extent of pandemic effects has yet to come to […]

Foreign investors looking to permanently immigrate to the United States would do well to consider the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, which is considered among the fastest and simplest ways to attain U.S. permanent resident status. Those who choose to make an EB-5 investment to gain green cards for themselves and their immediate family members are […]

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program has been a favorite among foreign investors since its debut in 1990. Established by Congress to funnel foreign capital into the U.S. economy and drive job creation, the program attracts foreign nationals from all over who infuse their EB-5 investment capital into qualifying new commercial enterprises (NCEs), in exchange receiving […]

With 2020 finally wrapping up after throwing curve ball after curve ball to the entire world, it’s a good time to stand back and take stock of what has happened in the EB-5 industry in 2020. As of December 17, 2020, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has not released detailed data on petition […]

As 2020 winds to a close, the world remains volatile and unpredictable. COVID-19 vaccines are in the works, with the first doses having already been administered in the United States and a handful of other countries, but the pandemic rages on, threatening to keep public life heavily restricted for the foreseeable future. The EB-5 Immigrant […]

Since 1990, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program has provided a relatively quick and simple pathway for foreign investors to obtain U.S. green cards for themselves, their spouse, and their unmarried children younger than 21. Even throughout the turmoil of 2020, with much of the United States shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program […]

As calendar year 2020 comes to an end, fiscal year 2020 already ended on September 30, 2020. The year constituted the most unpredictable and volatile one on record in the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program’s 30-year history, with the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the globe, destroying economies, and placing EB-5 investors waiting for visa interviews in limbo. […]

2020 has been an unprecedented year for everyone, with almost no one on the planet left unaffected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus and the subsequent government measures to contain it have upturned economies, destroyed livelihoods, torn apart families, and ended lives. The EB-5 Immigrant Investor program has not escaped COVID-19’s wrath, either, as the […]

Since the dawn of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), most immigration programs have been subject to country caps—in other words, only a limited number of visas can be allocated to applicants from a given country in a given fiscal year. Considering the stark population differences among countries—China and Grenada are hardly comparable—this practice […]

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is one of the most popular U.S. immigration paths for foreign investors, attracting millions in foreign investment capital to the United States each year. The EB-5 program offers investors two pathways to obtain U.S. green cards for themselves and their immediate family members: direct investment in a qualifying EB-5 program, […]

The last two years saw H1-B visa candidates flocking to the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, thus creating a niche domestic market for developers involved in the EB-5 program. Part of the reason was that visa retrogression drove investors such as those from India to turn to the EB-5 program as a faster alternative route on […]

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, an employment-based U.S. immigration program established in 1990, has been offering foreign investors a valuable opportunity to obtain permanent resident status in the United States for decades. It was designed to be mutually beneficial to foreign investors and the U.S. government—in exchange for a hefty EB-5 investment in a new […]

Participating in the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program can be one of the most exciting pathways a foreign national can take to permanent residency in the United States. While it is arguably one of the easiest ways for qualified investors to secure U.S. green cards for themselves and their eligible family members, there are a lot of moving […]

U.S. Department of State (DOS) Chief of Visa Control and Reporting Division Charles Oppenheim held a virtual keynote address on EB-5 visa availability in mid-November 2020. This webinar followed the opening of the new fiscal year for the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, at which time United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) allocates its annual […]

Starting November 10, 2020, Sarah Kendall and the Immigrant Investor Program Office (IPO) took two weeks out of their not-so-busy adjudication time to disappoint the EB-5 investment industry and avoid questions during their virtual industry forum. Although the event has now ended, interested EB-5 industry participants can access the material from the first day in […]

Immigration industry experts around the globe are taking time to hash out the myriad of challenges faced in recent years, how they impact this sector, and how they will likely continue to do so. In particular, the United States’ residency-by-investment initiative, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, is expected to face its own unique set of […]

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is the pathway of choice to U.S. permanent resident status for foreign investors around the world, and while it is among the easiest and quickest routes to U.S. immigration, it still encompasses a myriad of requirements, such as the “at risk” requirement. EB-5 applicants must maintain their EB-5 investment capital […]

While the industry saw significant delays in the publishing of the November 2020 Visa Bulletin, a closer-to-timely release of December’s bulletin indicates the State Department’s efforts to play catch-up. That said, apart from most countries in the EB-5 program maintaining current final action cut off dates, the news still isn’t as promising as the EB-5 […]

The 2020 U.S. presidential election has been one of the most contentious in recent history, with growing polarization fueling animosity on both sides of the political spectrum. After four tense days of Americans’ eyes glued to the results as they rolled out, Joe Biden was finally declared the projected winner of the election. It’s clear […]

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) regularly releases comprehensive processing data on the different types of petitions it works with on its Immigration and Citizenship Data page, albeit with a several-month-long delay. In November 2020, the immigration body finally published the processing data for FY2020 Q3 (April to June 2020), and it doesn’t paint […]

When foreign nationals commit to making an EB-5 investment in the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, it isn’t clear when exactly they will receive their conditional permanent resident status in the United States. An investor and their immediate family members are eligible for conditional U.S. green cards following approval of the investor’s I-526 petition, but processing […]

1. What is an EB-5 visa? An EB-5 visa is an immigration visa for U.S. permanent residency, also known as a green card. An EB-5 visa is an employment-based green card that is based on U.S. job creation and investment. Most other immigration visas are derived from either family-based relationships or employment-based sponsorships. 2. What […]

Despite the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program being among the quickest ways to obtain U.S. residency, the wait time can be long—often two years and sometimes longer. For EB-5 investors from countries not listed as “current” in the monthly Visa Bulletins, the wait is longer: five to 15 years. The benefits of living in the United […]

Are you aware that if you are an immigrant already living in the United States, you may be able to obtain your green card by making an EB-5 investment? Each year, numerous immigrants invest in the EB-5 program domestically, receiving U.S. permanent resident status for themselves and their immediate family members upon successful completion. So, […]

If anyone looks up the estimated processing time range for I-829 petitions as listed on the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Check Case Processing Times page today, November 3, 2020, they may be in for a shock. The lower figure in the range is 36.5 months—nothing shocking about that number—but the higher figure […]

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program may be one of the quickest and simplest pathways to U.S. permanent residency, but that doesn’t mean the process is necessarily quick or simple. Lengthy wait times have long plagued the EB-5 program, particularly for investors from backlogged countries. Excessive EB-5 demand is clearly one contributing factor to long wait […]

The devastation that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused, including in the United States, is not news to anyone. As the world moves into a second wave and Europe sees the re-emergence of lockdown measures, immigration may be the last thing on most people’s minds. But in fact, the COVID-19 pandemic may present the perfect opportunity […]

A life in the United States is highly sought after among foreign nationals around the world. For foreign investors and entrepreneurs, there exist multiple pathways to gain residency in the world’s largest economy, each with its own pros and cons. Two popular U.S. immigration programs for foreign investors and entrepreneurs include the E-2 visa program […]

One of the many requirements the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program imposes upon those who make an EB-5 investment, the obligation to prove the lawful source of funds of the full EB-5 investment has long represented one of the most challenging aspects of an EB-5 investor’s I-526 petition. While EB-5 investors can use EB-5 investment capital […]

As we enter the second month of FY2021, the EB-5 final action dates show no sign of jumping forward rapidly. The figures come as a disappointment to the many Chinese and Vietnamese applicants with EB-5 investments waiting to finally begin their new lives in the United States. FY2021 has potential to be a phenomenal year […]

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, which carves out a pathway for foreign investors to obtain U.S. green cards for themselves and their immediate family, offers two types of investment projects: those located within a targeted employment area (TEA), and those that are not. The majority of foreign nationals who make an EB-5 investment to obtain […]

The I-526 petition is the first step to initiating the EB-5 process with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). In an I-526 petition, an EB-5 investor outlines details about themselves and their chosen EB-5 project, including the likelihood of the new commercial enterprise (NCE) to create at least 10 new full-time jobs for U.S. […]

While the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is generally the quickest and easiest pathway for a foreign national to gain U.S. permanent resident status, that doesn’t mean the program isn’t complex. Each EB-5 project and each EB-5 investment involves a multitude of factors that an investor must navigate to ultimately emerge victorious with U.S. green cards […]

Foreign nationals making EB-5 investments to obtain U.S. green cards for themselves, their spouse, and their unmarried children below the age of 21 have enough to worry about between the long wait times for I-526 petition adjudication, the rampant EB-5 regional center terminations in 2019 and 2020, and the financial instability of United States Citizenship […]

Foreign nationals who participate in the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program have two pathways to make their EB-5 investment: directly in a qualifying EB-5 project or indirectly through an approved EB-5 regional center. The EB5 investment pathway doesn’t change the outcome for successful investments: U.S. permanent resident status for the investor and their immediate family members. […]

The United States boasts the largest economy in the world and is heralded as a beacon of freedom and liberty—so it’s no wonder foreign nationals from around the world dream of a new life in the United States. Unfortunately, for most, it’s but a pipe dream—immigration is difficult. Foreign investors with the necessary means, however, […]

Foreign nationals who make an EB-5 investment in a qualifying EB-5 project must satisfy numerous requirements to be eligible for U.S. permanent residency, including providing evidence of the lawful sources of their investment capital and ensuring at least 10 new, full-time jobs for U.S. workers are created through their investment. One additional requirement that EB-5 […]

In September 2020, documentation regarding a May 2019 I-526 “reset training” held by the Investor Program Office for USCIS adjudicators was partially released. The I-526 petition is the form every foreign investor must submit to show they have invested the required capital in an eligible EB5 investment project, either directly or indirectly, through an EB-5 […]

October 2020’s Visa Bulletin brings dismal news to EB-5 investors from China and Vietnam. Investors from the two backlogged countries must face an even longer wait for adjudication on their I-526 petitions, as the final action dates have not budged from the September 2020 Visa Bulletin. This could change dramatically in November 2020: October marks […]

Every year, thousands of foreign nationals from around the world pour their dreams—and $1.8 million, or $900,000 if their selected project is in a targeted employment area (TEA)—into the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. Since 1990, the program has allowed countless foreign investors to obtain U.S. permanent resident status for themselves, their spouse, and their unmarried […]

The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated the world, crippling economies, destroying livelihoods, and wreaking havoc on people’s physical and mental health alike. The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program has not escaped the virus’s wrath, with thousands of investors unable to proceed with their EB-5 journey due to the temporary suspension of routine visa services at U.S. embassies […]

The long processing times for EB-5 petitions at United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) are no secret. EB-5 investors regularly have to wait years—as many as five for those from severely backlogged countries such as China—and as of October 2020, USCIS gives little indication of processing times decreasing. Besides the missed opportunity costs of […]

2020 has been a rocky year for just about everyone, individuals and organizations alike, and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has suffered significantly due to the lull in immigration spurred on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Family-based visa processing has been largely suspended, President Trump’s immigration ban on most types of employment-based immigrants has […]

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced a new proposed rule change that would negatively affect the over one million international students currently in the United States. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking; Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission and an Extension of Stay Procedure for Nonimmigrant Academic Students, Exchange Visitors, and Representatives of […]

EB-5 investors who conduct proper due diligence are generally successful. Indeed, most EB-5 investors end their EB-5 journey by obtaining U.S. green cards for themselves and their immediate family members. That being said, each year, some EB-5 investors face denial, halting their dreams of a better life in the United States. The reasons an EB-5 […]

The U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals published its decision allowing the Department of Human Services (DHS) to recommence the implementation of the Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility final rule on September 11, 2020. According to an alert from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the decision stays the injunction, which was issued in […]

Foreign investors interested in relocating to the United States and obtaining U.S. permanent resident status are fortunate that the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, one of the easiest and quickest pathways to U.S. immigration, remains in full swing even after 30 years. The program offers foreign investors U.S. green cards in exchange for an investment in […]

When applying for an EB-5 visa, the first step in the process is submitting Form I-526, Immigrant Petition by Alien Investor, to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). By submitting this petition, the investor proves to USCIS that they meet all the criteria of the EB-5 program—specifically that they have invested the required amount in […]

2020 has been an awful year for almost everybody, and EB-5 visa program participants are no exception. The pandemic-induced temporary suspension of routine visa services at U.S. embassies and consulates has prevented thousands of EB-5 investors and their families from receiving their U.S. green cards and starting their new lives in the United States. But […]

In August 2020, United State Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) split up its estimated processing time range for I-526 petitions into two categories: one for Chinese EB-5 investors and one for investors from any other country. Given that the Chinese EB-5 backlog is massive, with the switch in April 2020 to a visa availability processing […]

In the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, investors have two options for investment: direct investment and regional center investment. While investors can retain more control over their investments through the direct route, engaging in day-to-day management work at the new commercial enterprise (NCE), regional center investment is by far the more popular option. Not only are […]

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is one of the fastest and easiest pathways to permanent resident status in the United States—eligible investments can qualify investors and their immediate family members for U.S. green cards. However, the program is fairly complex, and prospective investors are advised to familiarize themselves deeply with the program before diving into […]

On April 22, 2020, President Trump signed into law an executive order that temporarily suspended various types of immigration for 60 days, spurred on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Two months later, upon the expiration of the proclamation, he expanded the classes of immigrants it covered and extended the ban until the end of 2020, citing […]

When the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the globe in early 2020, it disrupted the lives of nearly everyone on the planet. With mass lockdowns and public life shutting down in most countries, the pandemic has shattered economies, destroyed livelihoods, and ripped families apart, as well as led to thousands of deaths. For investors in the […]

In August 2020, news that United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) would be furloughing around 70% of its employees (over 13,000 people) has long been floating around the EB-5 sphere. The furloughs would have likely dramatically impacted a wide range of immigrants, from K-1 fiancé(e) visa applicants to investors in the EB-5 Immigrant Investor […]

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has long maintained estimated processing time ranges to help investors in the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program gauge how long they must wait for adjudication of their I-526 petition. The estimated time range has traditionally incorporated EB-5 investors of all nationalities, irrespective of how backlogged their country may be. […]

With the global economic shutdowns brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has had more time to dedicate to processing immigration petitions such as Form I-526. The chief of the Immigrant Investor Processing Office (IPO), Sarah Kendall, also announced in a public engagement in March 2020—before the pandemic had […]

A life in the United States is a bright prospect for foreign nationals around the globe, but most wouldn’t dream of relocating without their family. Fortunately, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program allows investors to include their spouse and unmarried children below the age of 21 on their I-526 petition, making the whole family eligible for […]

In July 2020, following the introduction of a controversial Beijing-backed national security law into the Hong Kong special autonomous region, President Trump signed the Executive Order on Hong Kong Normalization, which essentially eliminated any special treatment Hong Kong received as a separate nation from China. Hong Kong previously received separate treatment from China in terms […]

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program was established in 1990 to foster foreign investment in the U.S. economy and create new jobs for U.S. workers. In exchange for their investment, foreign investors are granted U.S. green cards for both themselves and their immediate family members, which is defined as spouse and unmarried children under the age […]

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is one of the quickest and easiest ways for foreign nationals to gain permanent resident status in the United States. Established in 1990, the program continues to be a popular option for foreign investors, with thousands obtaining U.S. green cards through the program throughout its 30 years. The program was […]

EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program participants who file immigration petitions with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will face increased fees starting on October 2, 2020. The immigration agency has announced adjustments to most of its filing fees to varying degrees, depending on the petition. For EB-5 investors, however, the new fees are generally higher, […]

Every year, countless investors from around the world start their journey toward U.S. permanent residency status through the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. The program, established in 1990, allows foreign nationals to apply for a U.S. green card in exchange for an investment in a new commercial enterprise (NCE), contingent on certain requirements. EB-5 investors must […]

Since its enactment in 1990, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program has been a popular way for foreign nationals to obtain U.S. green cards for themselves and their immediate family members. At a glance, the program is quite straightforward—a foreign national invests in a qualifying EB-5 project, and if their investment fuels the creation of at […]