WHAT IS THE EB-5 PROGRAM?

The United States Immigrant Investor program is called the EB5 program which is short for:  Employment Based 5th Preference.  Success for immigrant investors in this program results in a permanent United States residency (green card for themselves and qualified family members under the age of 21 at the time of filing the initial petition).  The United States program requires Immigrant Investors to make an at-risk investment ($1.05 million or $800,000 depending on several factors) that creates no fewer than 10 new American jobs.

More information about the EB-5 program can be found at the USCIS website.

WHAT IS AN EB-5 REGIONAL CENTER?

An EB-5 Regional Center is an organization, designated and regulated by USCIS, which facilitates investment in job-creating economic development projects by pooling capital raised under the EB-5 Immigrant Investor program. Regional centers can be publicly owned, (e.g. by a city, state, or regional economic development agency), privately owned, or be a public-private partnership.

Regional Centers maximize the program’s job creation benefits by facilitating the investment of significant amounts of capital in large-scale projects often in coordination with regional economic development agencies which use the EB-5 funds to leverage additional capital.

Regional Centers use economic analysis models, including those developed by the U.S. Department of Commerce, to demonstrate that job creation targets required by law have been achieved. For investments made through Regional Centers, at least 10 direct, indirect or induced jobs must be created.

All investment offerings made by EB-5 Regional Centers are subject to U.S. securities laws, enforced by state securities regulators and the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission.

WHAT DO REGIONAL CENTERS DO?

  • Identify investment opportunities that will create jobs in local communities, often in partnership with economic development agencies.

  • Assist in marketing those investment opportunities to investors from around the world.

  • Ensure that the investment offering complies with federal and state securities laws and SEC regulations as well as specific EB-5 requirements.