60 Years of Immigration Experience.
Employment Based Immigration.
Family Based Immigration.
Free Consultation
Resource Library
- Work Permits and Employment Authorization
- Removal and Deportation
- Non Immigrant Visas
- Student Visas
- Aliens of Extraordinary Ability in the Arts (O-1) Visas
- Business and Visitor (B-1 and B-2) Visas
- Exchange Visitors (J-1) and Waivers of the Two-Year Foreign Residence Requirement
- L-1 Intracompany Transferees
- Non Immigrant “Working” Visas
- Religious Worker Visas (R-1)
- The J Visa Category – Exchange Visitors
- Trade NAFTA for Canadian and Mexican Citizen Professionals
- Treaty Trader and Treaty Investor (E-1 and E-2) Visas
- “Specialty Occupation” Working (H-1B) Visas
- Student Visas
- For Lawyers
- Business Activities Permissible on A “B-1/B-2” Visitor Visa or Under the Visa Waiver Program
- Employer Sanction Provisions
- Employer Sanctions and Discrimination
- Love, Marriage, Greencards and Divorce
- Obtaining a Green Card Through Investment
- The Only Thing Every Consumer Lawyer Needs to Know About Immigration Law
- Family Based Green Cards
- Employment Based Green Cards
- Aliens of Exceptional Ability in the Arts, Sciences and Business (O-1)
- Employment-Based Permanent Resident Status (“Green Card”)
- Exchange Visitor (J-1) Visas
- Intracompany Transferee (L-1) Visas
- L-1 Visa and Permanent Resident Status Based on Being a Multinational Manager or Executive
- Obtaining a Green Card Through Investment
- Obtaining Permanent Residence Through a Job Offer and Permanent Labor Certification
- Obtaining Permanent Resident Status Through the National Interest Waiver
- Permanent Resident Status Based on Being an Alien of Extraordinary Ability in the Arts, Business or Sciences
- Specialty Occupation (H-1B) Visa
- The ten conditions that the American business certifies
- Treaty (E) Visas
- Citizenship and Naturalization
- About U.S. Immigration Law
- A Glossary of Immigration Terms
- An Overview of U.S. Immigration Law
- Basic Ways to Become a Lawful Permanent Resident
- Basic Ways to Become a U.S. Citizen
- Change of Address Procedures
- Criminal Offenses Involving Immigration Law Violations
- Grounds of Deportation
- Grounds of Exclusion
- Major Categories of Non Immigrants
- Other Categories of Aliens “Legally” in the U.S.
- Rights and Obligations of Aliens
Our Office Location
Location:
16255 Ventura Blvd
Suite 1000
Encino, CA 91436
Obtaining a Green Card Through Investment
Immigration Attorneys in Los Angeles, Lawyer, Lawyer, Attorney > For Lawyers > Obtaining a Green Card Through Investment
(1) Introduction
On November 2, 2007, the Wall Street Journal published an article: “Got $500,000? The U.S. Awaits (Government’s EB-5 Program Offers Foreign Investors Green Cards for Job Creation)”.
A Federal program known as EB-5 (Immigrant-Investor Visa), administered by the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (“USCIS”), encourages foreign investors to invest their way to living in the U.S.A.
Morrie Berez, chief of the EB-5 program at USCIS, stated: “The opportunity is truly beautiful to individuals who want to live and contribute their energy in the United States, and it creates economic growth and especially jobs for Americans.”
There are 10,000 EB-5 Visas available every year, and only 867 issued in 2007. Based on the favorable currency arbitrage (Euro/Dollar, UK Pound/Dollar) the EB-5 Visa is a cost-effective, time-efficient way to immigrate to the U.S.
An investor (and immediate family) can now obtain green cards (Permanent US Residency) with an EB-5 Visa by investing $500,000 into a Government approved Regional Center (currently, over 30 Regional Centers). Investors receive the security of permanent US residence without repeated visa applications. Citizenship may be obtained after five years.
The investment may be made in one of three forms with the EB-5 Visa:
1. Invest $1,000,000 into a business and hire ten employees anywhere in the USA, or
2. Invest $500,000 and hire ten employees in an area where the unemployment rate exceeds the national average by 150% or the rural population is less than 20,000, or
3. Invest $500,000 into a Government designated Regional Center and avoid direct employment.
The $500,000 investment is the least expensive way to satisfy the visa requirements in order to receive the permanent green card after the two-year period. Although the first two types of investment lead to permanent green card status, they require an additional showing that at the end of the two year period, ten qualified individuals have maintained jobs in the targeted employment area.
The minimum period of the investment is approximately three years. Once an investor emigrates they may apply to have ‘conditions’ removed after 1 year and 9 months in the USA. Processing takes up to six months. ‘Conditions
removal’ means that the investment is no longer tied to the EB5, and the investor is then free to sell the investment.
The EB-5 Visa investment may be a passive investment, requiring no active business management. With a green card via an EB-5 investment visa investors have the flexibility to take any job, run any business, retire and live anywhere in the USA, with the benefits enjoyed by U.S. citizens including property ownership or education.
Testimonials
“Thanks for coming to the rescue. Without you this complex case would never have ended! Thank you for everything again.”
“Your friendly, caring approach, combined with your knowledge of the rules and the network, provided me with an invaluable level of assurance while I was in the midst of this ‘storm’. At the time I didn’t have a sense if it would take 5 hours or 5 years to return. I appreciate your patient and [...]
“I wanted to put in writing how grateful I am for the terrific legal work you did for my wife ….”
“Ron, I so much appreciate your help, I learned my lesson this time, free stuff is not always free, there are things that are invaluable like having an excellent and knowledgeable attorney. Thank you for everything and you have my recommendation 500%.”
“You have been instrumental in helping me achieve my life-long dreams and projects, for which I cannot find appropriate words to thank you enough.”
“… the best gift you provide this office is the wonderful service you provide to our referrals and I look forward to working with you for many years to come.
“Thank you so very much fordoing such a great job on my application. I never thought I would get permanent resident card in such a short time. Thank you and your staff!”
“I’m just lucky that I found you and I want to thank you very much for all your help.”
“Thank you for all your help in obtaining my citizenship this year. I don’t think that anyone else would have been able to do as good job as you did for me. I was able to complete in the U S. Karate Nationals in time and made a U. S. Team pod this year. I [...]
“Needless to say, I couldn’t have done it without you and I still count my blessing for having found you, many years ago. Every step of the way, you were there; every step of the way you counseled and reassured me. I just wanted to thank you. Your efficiency and meticulousness got me where I [...]
