WR Immigration Podcast: Chatting with Charlie: February EB-5 Investor Visa Outlook

Five Things Investors Should Ask When Selecting an EB-5 Project – Due Diligence 101

By: Joseph M. Barnett, Esq. With 39,443 I-526 EB-5 petitions filed in the past three fiscal years, at least $19 billion has been invested in the U.S. economy through the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program during the period from October 1, 2014 to September 30, 2016.  As of May 30, 2017, there are 1,258 Regional Centers designated by USCIS.  Regional Centers offer a variety of investment opportunities to prospective immigrant investors, including real-estate development, hotels, manufacturing, medical facilities, and shopping complex, among many others. Accordingly, EB-5 investors now have an array of choice.  Selecting an immigration compliant project is the most important aspect of the process. Before investing, investors should perform extensive due diligence to ensure that they will receive a permanent green card, as well as ensuring the likely repayment of their EB-5 capital investment upon final approval of the case. Below are five items prospective EB-5 investors should ask prior to making an EB-5 investment decision: Reputation and EB-5 Experience of the Regional Centers and Developers. It’s critical to understand who will be using EB-5 capital to create jobs for U.S. workers.  Who are the principals, and what are their qualifications?  Do they have a track record of previously successful EB-5 projects? […]