Thursday, February 16, 2017

A Brief Look at the EB-5 Visa Investor Program


A full-service money management and brokerage firm that serves clients nationwide and internationally, International Assets Advisory is based in Orlando, Florida. International Assets Advisory’s services include the EB-5 Visa Investor Program. 

The EB-5 Visa Investor Program arose out of the Immigrant Investor Program first administered by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in 1990. The program was developed by Congress to stimulate the US economy by creating job and capital investment opportunities for foreign investors. A USCIS-designated pilot program enacted two years after the EB-5’s establishment began setting aside EB-5 visas for Regional Centers to promote further economic growth. 

To qualify for an EB-5 visa through the EB-5 Visa Investor Program, individuals must invest in a new commercial enterprise that meets certain criteria. Commercial enterprises must have been established on or after November 29, 1990, and undergone investment expansions by a 40 percent increase in net worth or employee base. Enterprises established before November 1990 may also apply in the event they undergo significant restructure to create a new commercial enterprise. Additionally, enterprises with holding companies and wholly-owned subsidiaries also count, provided they hold a for-profit status.