Gaining entry to the US is refered by the US Citizenship and Immigration Service as an Investment Green Card, an
American Green Card to you and I, it is known as this because it is based on making a substantial financial commitment to create additional employment in the US.
Of the 10,000 investor visas (i.e.,
EB5 visas) available annually, 5,000 are set aside for those who apply for a
green card under the Regional Centre pilot program.
The
EB5 Visa based on a qualifying US investment, provides a
green card before you emigrate. It does not require you to manage the day-to-day affairs of a business, you may invest in an existing or a new business, more than one person may invest and you may be a minority owner.
With a
green card you may live anywhere in the US, no matter where the investment is made, and are free to do whatever you wish, be it work, run a business or retire.
You may qualify for an
EB5
in three different ways:
Invest $1,000,000 and hire ten employees anywhere in the USA, or
Invest $500,000 and hire ten employees in an area where the unemployment rate exceeds the national average by 150% or the rural population is less than 20,000, or
Invest in a Government designated Regional Centre and avoid direct employment.
American Life uses an economist to quantify sufficient indirect employment before making its properties available to
EB5 applicants. It also has its Regional Centre certified as a high unemployment area which keeps the minimum required capital to $500,000.
Funds may come from any legal foreign or US source; including gifts, loans, executive pension funds, trusts and divorce settlements. Whoever receives the
EB5 must make the investment. Borrowed investment funds qualify as long as they are not secured by the assets of the target US investment.
