EB5 Investors: USCIS Launches New $20K Fee for EB-5 Regional Centers, Managing Partner Bernie Wolfsdorf Responds

Mar 7, 2023 | Investor Visas

The Department of Homeland Security has posted a Federal Register notice alerting EB-5 stakeholders that the USCIS will begin collecting funds for the EB-5 Integrity Fund to administer the EB-5 Regional Center Program, as required by the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022.

In their blog piece analyzing this update, EB5 Investors Magazine staff reached out to WR Managing Partner Bernie Wolfsdorf for comment. In the article, Wolfsdorf states, “[t]he decision by USCIS to collect a $20,000 Integrity Fee from regional centers in addition to all the other fees collected, is highway robbery, especially when coupled with the threat to terminate the designation of any regional center that does not pay the fee within 90 days of the due date.”

To read the entire blog piece, visit the EB5 site>>

Related Posts:

DHS to Withdraw Trump Opposition to International Entrepreneur Parole Rule

There have been reports that U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) will soon be withdrawing the Trump Administration’s plan to remove the International Entrepreneur Parole Program. This would be part of President Biden’s and DHS’ Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ “America First” policy of growing the U.S. economy The International Entrepreneurial Parole provides eligibility to certain entrepreneurs to enter the United States under DHS’ parole authority, if they: Possess a substantial ownership interest in a start-up entity created within the past five years in the United States that has substantial potential for rapid growth and job creation. Have a central and active role in the start-up entity such that they are well-positioned to substantially assist with the growth and success of the business. Will provide a significant public benefit to the United States based on their role as an entrepreneur of the start-up entity The spouse of a foreign entrepreneur granted parole may also be eligible for parole and can apply for work authorization once present in the United States.  Additionally, President Biden’s immigration plan includes the creation of a new visa category to allow cities and counties to petition for immigrants to support their growth.  It states: The disparity in economic […]

Could the China EB-5 Visa Waiting Line for FY 2021 (October 2020) Be About 8 Years For a New Case?

By:  Bernard Wolfsdorf A silver lining exists for some immigrants due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. With most U.S. consulates closed or limited to emergency visa processing, there will be many more employment based (EB) immigrant visas available in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 which starts on October 1, 2020. The Immigration and Nationality Act provides that if the full quota of family-based visas is not used in any fiscal year, then the unused numbers are added to next year’s employment-based immigration quota.  The October 2020 Visa Bulletin indicates that the employment-based quota will be 261,500 – almost double the usual annual quota. This is all-time high – as opposed to the usual 140,000 visas. With U.S. Consulates operating at minimum capacity together with Presidential Proclamations suspending most family-based immigrant visas – there has been a huge “spillover” of at least 120,000 visas available in FY 2021. EB-5 gets 7.1% of those.  So, in addition to the normally allocated 10,000 visas, the EB-5 category will get at least 8,566 extra visas for a total of around 18,566 visas. These additional visas, together with future unused visas resulting from the November 21, 2019 Modernization regulations that increased the minimum investment to $900,000 for Targeted Employment and Rural areas, could […]