By offering permanent U.S. residency to qualified foreign investors, the EB-5 visa is designed to create growth in the U.S. economy through new jobs and new business investments.
If you are an international investor and you are interested in permanent residency in the United States, the EB-5 visa may be appropriate for you. To begin the visa petition process or to learn more, promptly contact our experienced Las Vegas employment immigration attorneys.
The current EB-5 visa program is set to expire at the end of September. Congress will certainly reauthorize the program, although a number of reforms are being suggested:
- HR 3370, the Entrepreneurial Business Creating Jobs Act of 2015: HR 3370 seeks permanent reauthorization of the EB-5 program and provides additional visas if the annual 10,000 cap is reached. It also includes workable security and compliance measures for the EB-5 regional centers, along with a much more workable definition for designating temporary employment areas (TEAs). The measure would also increase the minimum investment amount required for participation in the EB-5 program.
- HR 616, the American Entrepreneurship and Investment Act: HR 616 seeks to authorize permanently the EB-5 program and provides for a number of reforms. Key provisions include eliminating derivative visas from the 10,000-visa annual limit and reducing processing times for the adjudication process. The measure also strengthens background checks and requires regional centers to be more accountable for their actions.
- HR 2131, an amendment to the Immigration and Nationality Act: HR 2131 is a much more detailed bill that deals with a number of immigration questions. It allows DHS to “immediately terminate” a regional center for noncompliance, and it ties the minimum investment amount for future EB-5 investments to the consumer price index.
The variety of legislative proposals proves how important the job-creating, investment-yielding EB-5 program is to the U.S. and its economic growth. From 2005 through 2013, the EB-5 program generated approximately $5.2 billion dollars in direct investment into the United States.
International investors can best take advantage of the EB-5 program and the abundant investment opportunities in the U.S. by working from the beginning with an experienced Las Vegas employment immigration attorney. The legal help you need is here – don’t wait to make the call.
