How has COVID changed the global migration landscape?

Oct 12, 2021 | Global, Investor Visas

A once-in-a-century pandemic brought the world to a screeching halt and upended daily life. Freedom of mobility was put on pause as travel restrictions, lockdowns and border shutdowns became the new norm. All industries worldwide were impacted. In the global residency and citizenship by investment industry, the pandemic had a slightly unexpected impact among investors and entrepreneurs. The pandemic brought forward a new perspective on planning and a heightened interest in enhanced global mobility through RCBI programs in a post-pandemic world.

Where is the industry headed? WR Immigration Managing Partner weighs in – read the entire Q&A here.

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7 Things to Know About Converting an E-2 Visa to an EB-5 Green Card

By: Joseph Barnett, Esq., Bernard Wolfsdorf, Esq., and Robert Blanco, Esq. 80 countries have treaties with the U.S. that permit foreign nationals to obtain E-2 Treaty Investor visas, which allow an investor or certain key executives permission to work in the U.S. However, the E-2 visa does not lead to a U.S. green card, and minor children can only stay on their parent’s visas until reaching 21 years old.  So, the question arises: How may an E-2 Treaty Investor convert his/her nonimmigrant visa to an EB-5 investor green card to allow him/her to remain permanently in the U.S., and after 5 years, apply to be a U.S. citizen. Careful planning and having a detailed strategy is essential to ensure that E-2 investors carefully structure their E-2 business in order to possibly convert the visa into an EB-5 green card. Introduction The E-2 Treaty Investor visa grants nonimmigrant status to nationals of a treaty country (not Brazil, Russia, India, or China) who invest a substantial amount of capital in a U.S. business. Qualified Treaty Investors are issued an E-2 visa valid for up to five years, depending on their country of citizenship and reciprocity. Extensions of stay may be granted in increments of up to two years each, as long […]

Bloomberg Article: Revival of the EB-5 Visa Program

The EB-5 visa program coveted by many wealthy overseas investors is being revived after changes aimed at curbing abuses. The EB-5 visa program has attracted $37 billion in foreign investments since 2008 and the queue of wealthy applicants from China to India is growing. Earlier this year, the Biden administration signed a law that steps up audits and site visits to deter fraud, while also creating a path for some to skip the backlog of cases if they’re willing to invest in rural areas or places with high unemployment. Roughly 100,000 EB-5 visa applicants with some $15 billion in committed investments had been in limbo since the program lapsed, trade group Invest in the USA estimates. The fresh rules are unleashing pent-up demand. Bernie Wolfsdorf, WR Immigration’s Managing Partner and a former president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said his firm has been working overtime and hiring new staff to adjust to demand from countries like India, which has eclipsed the number of petitions filed from China. Drawing such investors could help prevent a brain drain, since many wealthy emigrants’ children study at top US schools, he said. Read the entire Bloomberg article here.