Foreign investors can either invest through a USCIS-designated regional center or make a direct investment in an EB-5 project. What is a regional center? Regional centers are privately owned economic entities designated by USCIS to promote economic growth within the United States and through the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. Regional centers facilitate EB-5 investments by...
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The EB-5 application process begins with filing an I-526 or I-526E form with USCIS. To file, the investor must have already committed the required capital to a new commercial enterprise (NCE). The minimum investment amount is $1.05 million or $800,000 if the investment is made in a targeted employment area (TEA). The investment must be...
For H-1B visa holders, transitioning to an EB-5 visa can be an attractive option to secure permanent residency. This path eliminates the need for employer sponsorship and can bypass the lengthy visa bulletin backlogs typically encountered when needing to file an I-485 after I-140 approval. Maintaining H-1B Status If an EB-5 applicant is from a...
The Social Security Administration (SSA) issues Social Security Numbers (SSNs) and cards to U.S. citizens, immigrant visa holders, and certain nonimmigrant visa holders residing in the U.S. with work authorization from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Applying for an SSN is free. SSNs are used for reporting earnings and taxes to the IRS,...
May202024
The E-2 visa is an excellent pathway for investors from treaty countries to enter the U.S. and manage their own business. One of the key aspects of securing an E-2 visa is demonstrating a substantial investment in the U.S. enterprise. However, many prospective applicants are unsure if they can use loans to meet the investment...
For many foreign workers in the United States, the H-1B visa program represents an opportunity for professional growth and career advancement. However, navigating the intricacies of the H-1B transfer process can be challenging, especially if you find yourself in a situation where you’ve been benched for an extended period. Being “benched” refers to a scenario...
Navigating the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program’s source of funds requirements demands thorough detail and documentation. For many investors, gifts from family members often present a viable source for their investment. Documentation of gift USCIS requires comprehensive documentation to establish the gift’s legitimacy. This includes a notarized gift affidavit signed by the donor showing their intent...
This week, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC“) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN“) jointly proposed new legislation requiring exempt reporting advisers and registered investment advisers to adopt written customer identification programs (“Proposed Rule“). Complimenting the February FinCEN proposal to designate advisers as “financial institutions” under the Bank Secrecy...