Eb5 Investors Visa for Hotel Industry

The EB5 Investment visa was introduced in 1990 to encourage foreign investors seeking commercial opportunities in the US. Over the years the EB5 Investment visa has gained popularity amongst foreign investors who wish to explore the US markets for commercial gains. Statistics shows that major chunk of EB5 investments come from China.  It is as if the Chinese have found a new, unexploited opportunity in the US.

However what the Chinese have discovered is nothing new. It is the flourishing hotel industry which has long since proven to strengthen the US economy which is attracting the foreign investments. Investing in the burgeoning hotel industry assures the foreign investor of returns on his investment and also guarantees him the generation of job opportunities required to meet the visa criteria. Investing in the hotel industry is as close as a foreign investor gets to an assurance of getting a try at permanent US citizenship.

To understand why a foreign investor would want to invest in the hotel industry, one has to have a better understanding of the EB5 Investment Visa.

Understanding the EB5 Investor Visa
Foreign investors who want to invest $100,000 or $500,000 in a business within the US can apply for the EB5 Investor visa. The conditions of the visa however limit the business venture to those areas defined as Target Employment Areas by the Government. The business proposed by the investor has to necessarily generate a minimum of ten full time employment opportunities. If these conditions are met the Government issues a two year conditional visa to the investor.

In these two years the investor has to make sure that the promised employment has been generated and provide proof of a successful business venture. Within these two years the investor has to invest the entire said investment amount in the business. Any other costs borne owing to this business, like fees and other charges have to be paid by the investor apart from the investment amount. Upon successful completion of two years, the investor can apply for a resident permit and upon five years of successfully conducting business within the US, he can apply for permanent citizenship.

EB5 and the Hotel Industry
Building classy, luxurious and extravagant hotels is an expensive affair. The cost of infrastructure is high. Right from land or property to construction upon this property everything bears a significant cost. This is where foreign investors have an important role to play. One or more foreign investors decide to invest in building a new hotel either independently or for a group of hotels. The hotels generate lucrative revenues making sure the investors get back their investment and also generate employment opportunities which give the holder of an EB5 Investment visa a chance to apply for permanent citizenship in the US. This has attracted many foreign investors from all over the world and especially China. More and more Chinese capital is now focused on contributing towards the development of hotel industry in the US.