The EB-5 Investor Visa- Not Just For Entrepreneurs

The last decade or so has seen political and economic upheaval in the land of the free, and never before has it been so difficult to gain entry and permanent residency status in the United States. This calls into question Emma Lazarus' beautiful sentiments on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, which cry:

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. The wretched refuse of you teaming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

The United States may not be welcoming the "homeless, tempest-tossed" masses, but there is one "golden door" that remains invitingly open. The economic upheaval and downturn of the last decade or so has left American businesses and enterprises sorely in need of willing investors, and that's good news for any cash heavy foreigners looking to buy in to the American dream. By coming into the country on an EB-5 investor visa, foreigners who are willing to put their money where their mouth is can gain permanent resident status for themselves and their immediate family in a little under three years. Not that the process is easy, and not everybody has a half million dollars to invest in a business venture that may or may not pay off.

What If You Don't Want To Run A Business?

Of course, just because you've got cash in hand and are ready to invest in your future in the United States doesn't mean that your particular version of the American dream includes starting or running your own business. The EB-5 investor visa requires that you do invest in a business, and at a minimum of $500,000, but you don't have to actually start or run your own business unless you want to. For those who prefer to simply invest and let someone else worry about the business details, a Regional Center investment is a great option.

Created by the U.S. government specifically for the EB-5 program, Regional Centers are commercial enterprises that have been officially designated by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) as "targeted employment area" investments. They allow EB-5 investors to fulfill program requirements by funding a pre-qualified business which is designed to create and maintain the mandatory job positions and documentation required by the EB-5.

Regional Center investments are popular with foreign investors who wish to concentrate on a career or education that is unrelated to their investment business. But don't think they offer a free ride. Although Regional Center managers do provide the bulk of the labor and documentation you'll need on the business end of things, the EB-5 application and proof of fulfillment process is a long and drawn out battle through layer upon layer of ruthlessly scrutinized paper work, and most of the foreign nationals who do gain their permanent resident status through the EB-5 visa program owe their success to the expertise and skill and experienced EB-5 consultants.