With the H-1B visa a lottery and EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 immigration visas plagued by processing times stretching into decades, the EB-5 visa can be a smart choice for Indian students planning to study in the USA. India is a nation of students with close to 50 percent of its population aged below 25. And studying abroad,…
With EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 visas plagued by issues like very tough qualifying requirements or processing times stretching into decades, the EB-5 visa is the simplest and fastest route to the US green card. Within the EB-5 visa, less than one in 10 investors opt for the direct investment route. For the rest, investing in a new…
With tech layoffs highlighting the drawbacks of the H-1B visa, more and more Indians are exploring the EB-5 visa route to settle in the US. Investing $1.05 million, or $800,000 in case of a Targeted Employment Area, in a new commercial enterprise and creating at least 10 jobs in the US will help the investor qualify for…
Three Reasons Why 2023 May Be The Best Time To Apply For The EB-5 Visa The best opportunity for investment immigrants from India and China to apply for the EB-5 visa may have arrived in 2023. No Backlog in Reserved Categories Enacted in March 2022, the Reform and Integrity Act introduced reserved categories in the…
The EB-5 program has long been a source of inexpensive and low-risk capital for real estate developers across the US. How have the changes introduced by the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 impacted this aspect of the program? The increase in minimum investments and reauthorization of the Regional Center program have dominated the…
Did the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act just revive the Regional Center Program that lapsed in June 2021, or did it create a whole new program? This question has led to a fresh round of uncertainty and confusion for Regional Centers in the US and EB-5 investors across the world. This question is key to…
The UK has shut down its Tier-1 Investor visa program in a decision that has taken the global investment immigration industry by surprise. The abrupt decision is designed to punish wealthy Russians given the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Setup in 2008, the program ceased to exist with effect from February 17, 2022. National Security Concerns…
After months of uncertainty about minimum investment requirements, Regional Center Program reauthorization, and the continuation of the program, the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 has put the visa right back on track. The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 The law contains the following changes and modifications to the EB-5 visa program:…
The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program was created in 1990 and continued pretty much unchanged for close to three decades, except for the introduction of the Regional Centre pilot program in 1992. And now, between 2019 and 2021, the program has seen an 80 percent increase in minimum investments followed by the unanticipated lapse of the…
The expiry of the US EB-5 Regional Centre program has led to a lot of speculation about the program’s future. Is this the end of the Regional Centre program? Will all EB-5 investors have no option but to use the direct investment route to qualify for the US green card? Or is this the beginning…
Pandemic or no pandemic, Indian demand for the EB-5 visa, the Tier-1 Investor visa, and other golden visa programs of EU countries continues to grow unabated. EB-5 I-526 filings by Indians surged by more than 400 percent between 2016 and 2019. In 2019, more than 7,000 high net-worth individuals (HNIs) moved out of India. Despite…
India is a significant source of demand for investment immigration programs across the world. From the US EB-5 visa and Portugal’s golden visa to Malta’s citizenship program, India topped the list of countries with the highest investment immigration inquiries in 2020. The pandemic and all its disruptions notwithstanding, wealthy Indians showed keen interest to invest…
A new U.S. bill is proposing to eliminate the per-country cap for all employment-based green cards, including the EB-5 visa. Currently, the EB-5 program has an annual quota of 10,000 visas with a per-country cap of around 700 visas. If excess applications are received, then these are carried forward to the next year. The net…
The USCIS has issued major policy guidance clarifying important issues related to the redeployment of capital under the EB-5 program. Why EB-5 Capital Redeployment? A general understanding of the EB-5 timelines and how the investment is structured between the NCE and JCE is essential to understand the need for the redeployment of capital. Steps No…
With China’s monopoly on the US EB-5 visa program easing in recent years, America’s investment immigration category has witnessed a steady rise in demand from other markets, including Vietnam, India, Taiwan, and Brazil. While China still dominates in terms of absolute numbers, India has been fastest to move into EB-5 regression, with demand jumping in…
The US EB-5 visa has seen a significant shift in the source countries of candidates, according to the latest data. Between 2014 and 2019, Chinese candidates have surged and then crashed, with the shortfall being made up by Indians and Vietnamese candidates. Like all immigration programs, the EB-5 faces an uncertain future with the impact…
There has been a steady uptick in demand for the UK’s Tier 1 Investor visa among wealthy Chinese investors with total applications rising by more than 100 percent between 2015 and 2019. Demand among investors from mainland China has surged by close to 170 percent, while total applications from Hong Kong, although much lower in…
US Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced a shift from first-in-first-out processing of EB-5 I-526 petitions to a visa availability approach. This change is set to come into effect from March 31, depending on the impact of shutdowns due to coronavirus. Understanding this Change Currently, USCIS processes I-526 petitions in the order in which they…
New EB-5 regulations came into force on November 21, 2019, which means all I-526 petitions filed on or after this date must comply with the new rules. Analysis of the changes reveals that the new rules related to designation and adjudication of Targeted Employment Areas are likely to have a bigger impact on EB-5 investors…
With the US hiking investment limits for the EB-5, is it time to for Canada to revive the suspended Canada Immigrant Investor Program? As the US implements a massive 80 per cent hike in minimum investments for the EB-5 program, it is an appropriate time to question the rationale behind Canada’s decision to completely ignore…
With more than 50 programs globally, the investment immigration industry has been growing steadily despite concerns over lack of transparency, inadequate due diligence, misuse by tax evaders and even exploitation by terrorists. While there is tough competition among countries to attract investment immigrants, there is no race-to-the-bottom scenario where programs with the lowest thresholds are…
India became the third country after China and Vietnam to hit EB-5 retrogression in July 2019. The EB-5 program allots 10,000 visas every year to investors and their dependent family members and an additional per-country cap of around 700 visas. Retrogression occurs when a country exceeds this cap, leading to an additional wait between I-526…
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has published the final rules modifying the US EB-5 visa program. The initial Notice of Proposed Rule making (NPRM) was first published in the Federal Register on January 13, 2017. The changes will take effect from November 21, 2019, and will see the most important changes to the EB-5 visa program in nearly 30 years. These changes include an increase in minimum investment, centralized designation of Targeted Employment Areas (TEA), and retention of earliest priority date for an EB-5 applicant compelled to file multiple I-526 petitions. Changes to the Investment Requirement Category…
Wealthy Indians are targeting citizenship by investment or permanent residence by investment programs in developed countries. Important benefits of a second citizenship or residency include: Ease of travel. Access to business opportunities. Life in a more secure and developed community. Education and career prospects for children. Popular Programs among the Indian Elite The number of…
The latest EB-5 visa retrogression data reveals that mainland China remains the largest source of applications for the visa. However, 2018 was the first year since 2013, when China hit its annual quota cap for the first time, that cumulative applications from other countries outnumbered Chinese EB-5 applications. In 2018, other countries accounted for 52…
The EB-5 visa is fast becoming a popular option for Indians studying in the US seeking a hassle-free route to a green card. The US is a popular study destination among Indians. Three out of every ten Indian international students study there. Quality of education apart, attractive post-study opportunities and a straight-forward route to permanent…
The U.S. EB-5 investment immigration program has been granted a further temporary extension, this time until December 8, 2017. The extension of the program was part of the Continuing Appropriation Act signed into law by President Donald Trump during September. Had the act not been signed, the previous temporary extension would have expired on September…
The US investment immigration program, the EB-5 visa, is a small program that contributes less than 2% of the total number of immigrants entering the United States each year. Around 4000 families gain the right to live in the USA through this program. Yet, this program, allowing affluent individuals to obtain the US Green Card…
The US EB-5 visa program was introduced to help boost investment and job creation in the United States through issue of permanent residence to individuals investing between $500,000 and $1 million in commercial enterprises in the USA. While the program rules are the same for all investors, applicants must consider important practices to avoid complications…
Introduced to attract foreign investment and facilitate job creation in the US economy, the program has become very popular among affluent investors since the recent global recession. Recently, the US Congress has extended the investment immigration program till September 30, 2016. There are many myths and misconception surrounding the US EB-5 program. The EB-5 Visa…
While the USA has always been a preferred destination for immigrants, rich as well as poor, there is growing demand for economic citizenship or investment immigration programs among affluent individuals including American citizens seeking opportunities outside the USA. Investment immigration is becoming popular internationally because it enables wealthy individuals move to a stable political and…
The US Congress has extended the EB-5 Regional Center Program until September 30, 2016, without planned modifications. The program offers permanent residence to applicants investing $500,000 to $1 million in real estate projects which create at least 10 jobs for citizens or permanent residents in the country. The annual cap of 10,000 visas includes applicants…
With growing lobby for an increase in the minimum investment requirement under the EB-5 program and a bar on gerrymandering, real estate developers have intensified lobbying efforts to ensure high-end projects not cut off from this affordable source of funding. The EB-5 visa offers fast-track permanent residence to immigrants investing at least $500,000 in targeted…
The US EB-5 program offers permanent residence to investors making at-risk investments of $1 million in an enterprise or Regional Center, which is reduced to $500,000 if such enterprise or Regional Center is located in a rural area or a Targeted Employment Area. Further, the investment must, in order for the applicant to qualify for…
The US EB-5 program offers permanent residency to wealthy investors who invest at least $500,000 in eligible job-creating enterprises and ventures. This program, which was introduced in 1990, has been very popular amongst foreign investors seeking fast-track permanent residency in the world’s most- developed country. While the program’s supports highlight the benefits enjoyed by real…
With the US Congress opting for a temporary extension of the EB-5 Program, immigrant experts and economic analysts anticipate lawmakers will introduce significant changes to the new program in mid December 2015. This is the period when a further renewal is required for the program to continue. Here are some of the areas for anticipated…
With the US Congress preferring a temporary extension of the EB-5 program until December 2015, wealthy investors are rushing to apply for the US Green Card under the existing rules. With the controversial program coming under fire from critics for low investment requirements, widespread gerrymandering, and lack of oversight, immigration experts anticipate lawmakers to introduce…
The EB-5 program provides wealthy immigrants with the option of acquiring a coveted US Green Card in a relatively short span of about years. The EB-5 program offers permanent residence in the US for applicants investing at least $1 million; $500,000 in case of a Regional Center in a rural area or a high-unemployment area;…
Despite significant differences in policies and practices, there are some areas, like measures that boost investment and enhance job creation without putting additional strain on the economy or the tax payers, where members of the Congress from the Republican and the Democratic parties adopt a bipartisan approach. This is why the renewal of the US…
The US state of Maine is looking to start its own EB-5 regional center to help attract more direct foreign investment, according to the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development (MDECD). “The state is interested in establishing a state-run EB-5 regional center in the absence of activity within existing EB-5 regional centers in Maine,”…
According to New World Wealth’s annual review of the migration patterns of worldwide millionaires, the United Kingdom is the most popular top migration destination for millionaires seeking a second passport. Between 2000 and 2014, the UK granted citizenship to more than 125,000 foreign millionaires, more than twice the number granted citizenship by the US, which…
There have been two important developments in the US EB-5 program that can have a significant impact on demand for the program amongst Chinese investors, and also on the way the program is run in the future. A significant issue affecting applicants from China is that of the Chinese retrogression. To understand what is retrogression…
US senators have introduced legislation to renew the EB-5 regional center program that is set to expire in September. The American Job Creation and Investment Promotion Reform Act would renew the EB-5 program for another five years, while also providing investors with greater protections, and giving US authorities greater powers to terminate regional center programs…
The US has seen a 150% increase in the number of Indian applicants for its EB-5 immigrant investor program over the past few years. The scheme is becoming increasingly popular with high net worth Indians who want to move to America in the belief that America can offer high-quality tertiary education to their children. Statistics…
After a gap of 20 years, the USA and Vietnam reestablished diplomatic relations in July 1995. The next two decades saw more than half of US Fortune 100 companies establishing their presence in Vietnam, and the Asian country becoming an attractive investment destination for American investors. In an ironic twist, there is an increase in…
Wealthy Chinese nationals are expected to take up most of the expanded immigrant quota of the United States’ EB-5 investor visa scheme, according to a report on Chinese International Migration by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Centre for China and Globalization. The US government announced last year that it would increase the…
Calls for reforming the US investment immigration program are increasing with the EB-5 program coming under criticism for deviating from its original purpose. Growing demand for a hike in the minimum investment required under the program is being justified on the grounds that immigrants should be required to pay more money to become residents of…
Overview of the Tax Implications of Gaining Permanent Residence through the US EB-5 Visa EB-5 Visas allow foreign entrepreneurs and business owners to acquire conditional residency in the United States of America. This conditional residency can be followed by an application for permanent residency in the country. The economic opportunities and the political freedom that…
USA Investment Immigration Visa: Costs of Residency For high net worth individuals, the investment requirement under the USA Investment Immigration visa (around $1 million or $500,000) is a small price to pay considering the benefits of obtaining permanent residence in the USA. For an ultra high net worth investor from China, the visa’s cost is…
Considering the significant demand for EB-5 visas amongst high net-worth individuals globally, the consideration of relinquishment of US residency or citizenship may not seem noteworthy. There have been instances, however, where those seeking investment immigration in the USA have found the complicated and costly tax structure and related trade-offs to be unacceptably expensive. It is…
The tax structure applicable to foreigners in the United States of America has been specifically designed to reduce the ability of individuals to operate outside the jurisdiction of the IRS. In foreign countries, tax authorities often lack the ability to enforce tax laws as effectively as the IRS. Hence, many foreigners who obtain residency in…
The EB-5 visa program was set up in 1990 as an attempt to promote job creation in the US economy by creating an inflow of capital investments from investors residing in foreign countries. The EB-5 program is administered by the USCIS. The visa program has a built-in sunset clause that comes into effect every three…
Internal investigations conducted by the Department of Homeland Security have found allegations of intervention of a top DHS official into EB-5 projects backed by Virginia Gov Terry McAuliffe and Senator Harry Reid to be true. The report prepared by the DHS Inspector General holds the deputy secretary of DHS guilty of creating the impression of…
Generally, investments under the EB-5 investment immigration program are structured as equity or debt investments. Debt Model This model involves the creation of two enterprises—a New Commercial Enterprise and a Job Creating Enterprise. The investor makes the capital investment in the NCE. The NCE loans the capital to the JCE, which then uses the funds…
The process of becoming a naturalized US citizen involves an oath where the immigrant declares that he or she absolutely and entirely renounces and abjures all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign country or entity of which he or she has been a subject or citizen in the past. The precise and clear wording seems…
The Immigrant Investor Pilot Program, hereinafter referred to as the Pilot Program, was created under Section 610 of Public Law 102-395 (Oct. 6, 1992) and was subsequently extended through 2015. Under the Pilot Program, the requirements related to EB-5 investment are essentially the same with the distinction that the Pilot Programs permits investments affiliated with…
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