Client Login / Register

Address:

Wall Street Plaza
88 Pine Street, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10005


Phone:

212.668.0690


Fax:

212.668.0691


Email:

info@canamenterprises.com

THE PROGRAM > Overview

Several countries have developed immigrant investor programs, which offer permanent residency visas or green cards to qualified investors. The most prominent countries that have developed such programs are Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The U.S. immigrant investor program provides for the issuance of "conditional" or temporary (two-year) green cards to qualifying investors and their families who invest a minimum of US$1 million (US$500,000 in designated target employment areas) in businesses that create at least ten full-time permanent jobs for U.S. workers. Provided that the investment is maintained and achieves the job requirements of the EB5 program, "unconditional" or permanent green cards will be issued after two years.

Advantages of the EB5 Program

The U.S. immigrant investor program is the most flexible in the world.

The U.S. has no requirements as to age, business training and experience, or language skills. Permanent residents need not be continuously and physically present in the United States, and they can maintain business and professional relations in their country of origin.

The U.S. immigrant investment program also allows investors a great deal of freedom because it does not require immigrant investors to manage their investment on a daily basis, but rather, to 'actively engage' in a business enterprise, meaning they can be limited partners and pursue other professional or personal ventures.

Moreover, should the investor and his or her family elect to become U.S. citizens, the time spent as conditional permanent residents is credited towards the five year lawful permanent residency requirement for U.S. citizenship.

As a permanent resident, the investor and his or her family are free to return to their homeland for visits or business purposes, as long as a residence is maintained in the United States.

Benefits of the EB5 Investor Visa

Upon receipt of conditional permanent resident status, the investor and his or her (spouse and children under the age of 21 at time of application) are entitled to the same benefits as other lawful permanent residents. Some of these benefits include:

  • Living and working anywhere in the U.S.
  • No employment authorization required to accept employment
  • Ability to develop and run your own business
  • Sponsor green cards for your relatives
  • Travel outside of the United States and return to the United States without a visa
  • Education benefits of permanent residents such as admission to state universities at resident costs
  • Become a U.S. citizen once you have been a permanent resident for more than five years

Program History

The U.S. immigrant investor program, which grants an EB5 investor visa, was introduced in 1990 and attracted a relatively small number of immigrants. In 1993, the U.S. government modified its 1990 immigrant investor program. It retained the 1990 regulations, but established a Pilot Program under which "regional centers" designated by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), now the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), could be established.

Through a designated regional center, the job creation requirements are more flexible and investment opportunities can be made via limited partnerships each with a number of immigrant investors. Regional centers have been allotted 5,000 of the total 10,000 EB5 visas available through the U.S. immigrant investor program on an annual basis.

Established in 1993, the Pilot Program was scheduled to expire in 1998, but has been extended without interruption three times–most recently to September 30, 2012. The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and Association to Invest in the USA (IIUSA) —a trade group—are currently lobbying to make the Program permanent.

USCIS: United States Citizenship and Immigration Services

Under the Homeland Security Act of 2002, the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was transitioned into the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on March 1, 2003. All service and benefit functions of the INS, including responsibility for regulations governing the U.S. Immigrant Investor Pilot Program, were transferred to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which was established within DHS. In January 2005, USCIS established the Investor and Regional Center Unit (IRCU) to oversee and administer all aspects of the EB5 investor visa category and the Pilot Program.

The USCIS is responsible for the administration of immigration and naturalization adjudication functions and establishing immigration services policies and priorities. USCIS allows the DHS to improve the administration of benefits and immigration services for applicants by exclusively focusing on immigration and citizenship services. Fifteen thousand (15,000) federal employees and contractors working in approximately 250 headquarters and field offices around the world comprise the USCIS.

For additional information regarding the U.S. immigrant investor program, please visit the USCIS website.
Next page
 
   

No offer to sell any security is made by this website. Offerings will be made pursuant to exemptions from registration requirements set out in applicable securities laws. This website is a summary only of certain important matters relating to offerings and is qualified in its entirety by the detailed information in the offering materials. Prospective investors should take note of the risk factors described therein.