United States of America - Business & Investment - EB-5 Immigrant Investor
The US EB-5 visa was created by the Immigration Act of 1990 and provides a proven method for foreign investors and their families to obtain a Green Card. Under this programme, an applicant must be willing to make a significant investment in the US, as the fundamental purpose of the EB-5 visa is to stimulate the US economy through job creation and capital investment. In return, foreign immigrant investors are granted all the benefits of US permanent residency.
Active investment
This path requires a minimum investment of a US $1.8 million in a new or existing commercial enterprise, or a minimum investment of US $900,000 if investing in a Targeted Employment Area (TEA)*.
The investment must create or preserve at least 10 full-time jobs for qualifying US workers within two years, excluding the investor and their immediate family, and the investor must actively manage the day-to-day activities or policy formation of the enterprise. Only direct employment is permitted. In addition to satisfying the job-creation requirement, direct investors must also meet several other legal requirements governing all (not only direct) EB-5 investors including, among others, the establishment of a “new commercial enterprise”, investor engagement in enterprise management, and if applicable, the enterprise’s location in a TEA.
* TEA: Rural areas or areas with unemployment of at least 150% of the national average.
Passive investment:
This path requires a minimum investment of US $900,000 into a Regional Center in a TEA, which is a third party-managed investment vehicle that is preapproved by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The investment must create full-time employment for at least 10 qualified US workers. Indirect employment is also permitted. Indirect jobs are those created collaterally as a result of a Regional Center’s dispersal of investments to affiliated new commercial enterprises.
The passive investment is the most popular route because of the expertise of the Regional Centers in managing the substantial administration involved, most notably producing the proof of creation of 10 direct or indirect jobs.
This service is offered by our Sable Investment Migration team on goldenvisa@sableinternational.com.