Under section 203(b)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C. § 1153(b)(5), 10,000 immigrant visas per year are available to qualified individuals seeking permanent resident status on the basis of their engagement in a new commercial enterprise. Of the 10,000 investor visas (i.e., EB-5 visas) available annually, 5,000 are set aside for those who apply under a pilot program involving an CIS-designated “Regional Center.”

A "Regional Center:"

·         Is an entity, organization or agency that has been approved as such by the Service;

·         Focuses on a specific geographic area within the United States; and ,

·         Seeks to promote economic growth through increased export sales, improved regional productivity, creation of new jobs, and increased domestic capital investment.

A current active list of “Regional Centers” includes:

Eligibility Requirements:

Permanent resident status based on EB-5 eligibility is available to investors, either alone or coming with their spouse and unmarried children. Eligible aliens are those who have invested -- or are actively in the process of investing -- the required amount of capital into a new commercial enterprise that they have established. They must further demonstrate that this investment will benefit the United States economy and create the requisite number of full-time jobs for qualified persons within the United States.

In general, "eligible individuals" include those:

1. Who establish a new commercial enterprise by:

·         creating an original business;

·         purchasing an existing business and simultaneously or subsequently restructuring or reorganizing the business such that a new commercial enterprise results; or

·         expanding an existing business by 140 percent of the pre-investment number of jobs or net worth, or retaining all existing jobs in a troubled business that has lost 20 percent of its net worth over the past 12 to 24 months; and

1. Who have invested -- or who are actively in the process of investing -- in a new commercial enterprise:

·         at least $1,000,000, or

·         at least $500,000 where the investment is being made in a "targeted employment area," which is an area that has experienced unemployment of at least 150 per cent of the national average rate or a rural area as designated by OMB; and

1. Whose engagement in a new commercial enterprise will benefit the United States economy and:

·         create full-time employment for not fewer than 10 qualified individuals; or

·         maintain the number of existing employees at no less than the pre-investment level for a period of at least two years, where the capital investment is being made in a "troubled business," which is a business that has been in existence for at least two years and that has lost 20 percent of its net worth over the past 12 to 24 months.

Processing Steps:

Is it important to note that the immigration service only grants the investor a conditional two year permanent residency status.  The steps include:

Step 1: File Form I-526 Immigrant Petition for Alien Entrepreneur to establish EB5 investment eligibility.

Step 2: File I-485 Application to Adjust to Permanent Resident once Form I-536 is approved.

Step 3: File I-829 Application to Remove Conditional Residence for Alien Entrepreneur before the expiration of the two year conditional residency expires, the applicant must reapply for.  Once this application is approved, the application will be granted a ten year permanent resident.

Contact an Experienced EB5 Attorney Today for a Free Case Review – 800.993.9097