The EB5 Immigrant Investor Visa Program: A Foreign Investment In America’s Future

The Eb5 (5th employment based visa preference) immigrant investor visa program was created by Congress as part of the Immigration Act of 1990.These visas are available to foreign investors who seek to invest at least one million dollars into a new or pre-existing American business or a government certified Regional Center.This investment can be reduced to a half a million dollars if the investment is made in a targeted employment area.The term targeted employment area is defined as an area where the unemployment rate is at least 150% that of the national average.Regardless of the investment amount, it must result in at least ten new full-time jobs being created for American workers.These visas present a fantastic opportunity to foreign investors who have the necessary funds to satisfy the requirements of the visa.The EB5 program does not require the investor to have any specific education, business or even language capabilities.While it can be difficult for a foreign investor with limited experience to manage an investment such as this and see it through to the required creation of ten jobs, this is where Regional Center investments become a much more attractive option.With Regional Center investment through the eb5 visa program, much of the work is already done by the time the investor gets on board.Typically the specific investment has already been located, a business plan is in place and the investment is able to me made quickly and confidently.While this can be a great opportunity for investors who wish to begin their eb5 investor process immediately, it also offers another, perhaps even more attractive advantage to those foreign investors who may be lacking business experience.With Regional Center investments, much of the management of the investment is handled by the Center itself, taking this burden off the investor.Many foreign investors find this to be a very positive aspect of Regional Center investmentsFeature Articles, as this lessened burden frees up their time to pursue other interests while they wait out the two year period it takes for their green card visa to become unconditional.