The Power of an EB-5 Visa

American immigration was always a complicated field, but now it has become even more fraught with complexity and legal peril. It’s important to understand different types of visa applications and how to use them in detail.

At One Key Visa, we help out with all sorts of visas from student or tourist visas to L-1 visas and beyond. The EB-5 visa is a less prominent and often less understood type of visa that can actually benefit immigrants with considerable cash or net worth who want to invest in creating or expanding an American business.

Here are some things to think about when contemplating an EB-5 visa to the United States.

Core Eligibility

The basic rule of the EB-5 visa is that, with a minimum investment in a business or financial project, the petitioner can bring themselves and family members to the United States for long-term residence. That’s a specific model for these applications that rests on the capital involved and the business plan that is attached to it.

“Bring Your Money”

The more cynical among us would say that the EB-5 visa is simply a way for U.S. officials to broadcast that they like immigrants to bring a lot of money with them to invest in the American economy. However, rules do apply to the EB-5 visa. It’s not as simple as just flashing $100,000 and bringing your family to the US.

We help consult on eligibility and other issues with EB-5 visas including timelines, the nature of a business plan and everything else that’s involved. This process can be complex and require close consultation with skilled advisors.

EB-5 Modernizations

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has advertised various changes to the EB-5 visa investor program as of November 2019.

Some of these involve specifications on targeted employment areas (TEAs) because it makes a difference where the investors want to start a business, and others involve USCIS details on conditions and restrictions.

Petitioners also need to navigate today’s turbulent political climate and quickly changing rules on immigration, as well as the work of various federal agencies.

For example, USCIS, in general, sees enormous backlogs related to new asylum conditions, new visa conditions and new processes for both legal and illegal immigration.
We can sit down with you and talk in more detail about all of these things to help you come up with the right plan. In dealing with the realities of American immigration in detail, we help clients to understand and utilize their diverse visa options.