EB-5 Program
OBTAIN PERMANENT RESIDENCY STATUS IN THE USA THROUGH INVESTMENT
You can invest in the United States in one of two ways:
- Invest $1,000,000 (one million US dollars) in a private investment. You must create 10 direct jobs.
- Invest $500,000 (five hundred thousand US dollars) through an approved Regional Center.
To encourage immigration through the EB-5 program, Congress created a separate EB-5 category that sets aside 3,000 green cards each year for foreign investors who invest in designated regional centers.
What is a Regional Center?
Regional centers are entities approved by the U.S. federal government to seek and accept foreign investment under the EB-5 program. Regional centers often encompass an entire city or part of a state.
The EB-5 Regional Center Program allows a person and his or her immediate family members to obtain a green card (i.e. live permanently in the U.S.) by investing US$500,000 into a regional center investment project located in a targeted employment area and creating or saving 10 U.S. jobs.
A regional center must receive full approval and designation from the United States Department of Homeland Security and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Why Invest in the US through a Regional Center?
The Regional Center program has grown dramatically over the past seven years because foreign investors now realize the benefits of pursuing a green card via this route. It is considered one of the most flexible foreign investor programs in the world.
Many foreign investors prefer pursuing their investment through a regional center since the program does not require the entity in which the foreign investor puts his or her money to itself employ 10 U.S. workers. Instead, it is sufficient if 10 or more jobs will be created directly or indirectly as a result of the investment.
By pursuing a green card through a regional center, foreign investors are not required to manage their investment on a daily basis and are permitted to pursue other professional and personal ventures.
The EB5 program is one of the most flexible immigrant investor programs in the world. The program has:
- No language requirement
- No minimum education requirement
- No business or management experience requirement
- No quota backlogs (there are multi-year backlogs for many employment and family-based green card categories, but there is no quota backlog for the EB-5 investor category)
- No sponsor needed (foreign investors use their own personal funds and do not require sponsorship from either an employer or a family member)
- Investment capital can come from a gift, inheritance, business ownership or any other lawful activities
Benefits of Obtaining a Green Card
The primary reason for a foreign investor to invest in a USCIS Approved Regional Center is to obtain a green card.
Upon receipt of a green card, the investor and his family (spouse and children under the age of 21 at the time of the application) are entitled to many of the same benefits as other lawful U.S. permanent residents. The benefits include:
- Live, work or retire anywhere in the U.S. (not limited to New York)
- May work and spend time in other countries as long as a residence is maintained in the U.S.
- Sponsor green cards for relatives
- No authorization from USCIS required to accept employment
- Children admitted to public universities at same costs as U.S. residents
- Eligible for U.S. citizenship 5 years after receiving conditional green card
Benefits of Obtaining a Green Card via the Regional Center Program
Benefits include the following:
- 3,000 green cards reserved each year specifically for foreign investors in the Regional Center program
- No excessive waiting periods or quota backlogs (there are multi-year backlogs for many employment and family-based green card categories)
- No sponsor needed (foreign investors use their own personal funds and do not require sponsorship from either an employer or family member)
- Foreign investors are not required to manage their investment on a daily basis so they may pursue other professional and personal ventures
- Investment capital can come from a gift, inheritance, business ownership or any other lawful activities
- No language requirement
New York Immigration Fund, Regional Center
NYIF was designated as an approved EB-5 Regional Center by United States Citizen and Immigration Service on July 12, 2010
Benefits of Obtaining a Green Card via the NYIF
There are definitive advantages to investing in a well-funded, professionally-run regional center such as the NYIF. These include:
- Satisfy job creation requirements by counting both direct and indirect jobs
- The NYIF’s job creation methodology has been approved by the USCIS
- Invest in projects overseen or developed by New York government agencies, economic development non-profits and/or well known real estate firms
- Invest in projects specifically selected to create a significant number of jobs
- Investment held in a protected escrow account at HSBC Bank until approval of 1-526 petition
- Invest in one of the most dynamic economic markets in the world
- The NYIF team of professionals will assist you throughout the application process
Mehreen Shah, Esq. is one of the principals of NYIF .
For further information: Contact us today!
New York City & Long Island
NYIF is based in New York City and Long Island.
New York City is a leading global city, exerting a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, and entertainment. The city is also an important center for international affairs, hosting the United Nations headquarters.
New York City is a global hub of international business and commerce and is one of three “command centers” for the world economy (along with London and Tokyo). The city is a major center for finance, insurance, real estate, media and the arts in the United States.
Many major corporations are headquartered in New York City, including 44 Fortune 500 companies. New York is also unique among American cities for its large number of foreign corporations. One out of ten private sector jobs in the city is with a foreign company. New York City is home to some of the nation’s and the world’s most valuable real estate.
Long Island is an island just east of Manhattan. Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs (Queens and Brooklyn) of New York City, and two of which (Nassau and Suffolk) are mainly suburban. Both the longest and the largest island in the United States, it extends 118 miles (190 km) from New York Harbor, and has a maximum width of 23 miles (37 km) between the northern (Long Island Sound) coast and the southern Atlantic coast.
NYC and Long Island do not comprise of only Americans but have a mix of cultures from around the world New York City is exceptionally diverse. Throughout its history the city has been a major point of entry for immigrants. In New York, no single country or region of origin dominates, about 170 languages are spoken in the city which makes having a business here exciting. There are more business opportunities here than in any other place in the US. NYC embraces all new ideas. The public transport system is well connected making it easy to commute without a car. This kind of public transport is not available in any other city. People are vibrant and energetic, and life is fast paced here, which means work gets done faster. Since 2005 the city has had the lowest crime rate among the 25 largest U.S. cities, having become significantly safer. Education opportunities are excellent in this city. The city’s public school system, managed by the New York City Department of Education, is the largest in the United States. The city has dozens of other smaller private colleges and universities, including many religious and special-purpose institutions.