If you’re a foreign investor looking to manage a business in the U.S., you have a lot of visa options available to you. You know that a successful enterprise depends on decisions that you make at the very beginning—and that you only have one chance to get it right. So how can you be sure that the EB-5 investment visa is the right way for you and your family to come to the U.S.?
Our California based immigration lawyers can help you take the guesswork out of the EB-5 process. In their FREE report, they offer step-by-step information on coming to the U.S. with an EB-5 visa—including filing paperwork, getting visas for your family members, and transitioning your visa into a green card. Get your copy of the Complete Guide to the EB-5 Green Card: Critical Knowledge for Investors Who Want to Make the Best Decisions for Themselves and Their Families.
What Are the Benefits of the EB-5 Investor Visa?
While many immigration visas offer opportunities to foreign nationals, the EB-5 visa is particularly attractive because it is a green card visa. This means that, if approved, you and your family will enjoy:
- All the benefits given to every other United States resident
- Unrestricted access to the U.S. (for both business and personal use)
- Unlimited residency in the U.S. (no renewals or re-application requirements)
- Freedom to live and work anywhere in the country
- Potential to run or own your own business anywhere in the nation
- Permanent green cards for you and each qualified member of your family
- The ability to attain legal U.S. citizenship after five years of residence
Do You Qualify for an EB-5 Investor Visa?
The EB-5 green card is an investment visa and requires the beneficiary to place a substantial amount of his or her funds into a U.S. business. Our Eb-5 lawyer explains that there are two ways of fulfilling this obligation:
- Direct Investment – Investors who choose to create a new enterprise, purchase an existing business, or reorganize a former business into a new entity must invest a minimum $1,050,000 into the commercial venture. In cases where the business is located in a rural area or an area of high unemployment the investor may invest $800,000.
- Regional Center Investment – Investors may invest in a business in an area that has been designated by USCIS as having an especially high need for economic stimulus. The minimum investment in regional center businesses is $800,000.
Regardless which of these forms your investment takes, you will be responsible for creating at least 10 full-time U.S. jobs as part of your visa commitment. At the end of your two-year conditional residency, USCIS will evaluate your business and determine if you have invested the full amount of capital, and created the required number of jobs. If you have fulfilled the terms of your visa, you may apply to remove the conditions on your visa and enjoy unrestricted access to the U.S. with your permanent green card.
How to Apply for an EB-5 Visa?
As the investor, you may submit your own petition for an EB-5 visa to USCIS. However, you will also have to submit a number of documents, records, and other vital paperwork before you may be granted approval. Many applications are denied the first time they are reviewed because of a lack of sufficient evidence to support the beneficiary’s application.
If you want your investment visa application approved as quickly as possible, you should have a trusted EB-5 lawyer review your petition and help you collect the necessary evidence for USCIS approval. At Jatoi & de Kirby, APC, our EB-5 lawyer can help you throughout the application process, advise you on how to invest your EB-5 funds, help you find the proper classification for your business venture, and help you achieve your family’s goal of becoming permanent U.S. residents and eventually citizens.
Contact us today at 415-969-6834 for more information, to order your FREE copy of our EB-5 investment guide, or to set up a consultation with an EB-5 lawyer. Our friendly and helpful staff is always ready to assist new clients—including an exclusive Chinese-speaking staff and lawyers to serve our EB-5 clients in the Far East.
