IMMIGRANT INVESTORS

USA is the most popular destination for all categories of immigration. Unfortunately only 10 000 candidates are accepted every year into the US under the investor program. Also, the US program is very active kind of program where the investor needs to be heavily involved in running the business.

Green Cards through investment are available to anyone who invests a certain amount of money U.S. by creating a business or expanding one that already exists. The investor must be active in the management of the company. A number of investors may join together in creating or expanding a U.S. business and each may qualify for a green card through the single company. However, the individual investment of each person must still be for the minimum qualifying amount, and each investor must be separately responsible for the creation of new jobs. 10,000 principal applicants a year are approved for a green card through investment (spouses and family members are not considered principal applicants). Out of the 10,000, 3,000 are allocated to so call “targeted employment areas.”

Principal Requirements:

Direct investment in the U.S. in the amount of $1 million dollars or more in a new business or expansion of an existing business which employs at least 10 full-time U.S. workers.

Direct investment in certain “targeted employment areas” in the amount of $500,000 or more in a new business or expansion of an existing business which employs at least 10 full-time U.S. workers. “Targeted employment areas” include rural areas or urban areas with an unemployment rate certified buy the state government to be at least 150 per cent of the national average. Rural areas are defined as any location not part of an official metropolitan statistical area or not within the outer boundaries of any city having a population of 20,000 or more.

Family members of the applicant do NOT count toward the employment requirement of 10 U.S. workers.

Several investors may join together in creating or expanding a U.S. business and each may qualify for a green card through the single company. However, the individual investment of each person must still be for the minimum qualifying amount, and each investor must be separately responsible for the creation of 10 new jobs.

Certain investments in “troubled Business” can be exempted from the requirement to create 10 new jobs.

The investor (applicant) must be active in the management of the company.

You must maintain the investment in the U.S. for at least three years.

Your principal residence must be in the U.S.

You are subject to U.S. Taxation on worldwide income.

You cannot remain outside the U.S. for more than one year at a time without special permission.

Green Card is initially issued on a conditional basis for a period of two years.

Eligibility
Permanent resident status based on EB-5 eligibility is available to investors, either alone or coming with their spouse and unmarried children. Eligible aliens are those who have invested — or are actively in the process of investing — the required amount of capital into a new commercial enterprise that they have established. They must further demonstrate that this investment will benefit the United States economy and create the requisite number of full-time jobs for qualified persons within the United States.

In general, “eligible individuals” include those:

1. Who establish a new commercial enterprise by:
   • creating an original business;
   • purchasing an existing business and simultaneously or subsequently restructuring or reorganizing the business such that a new commercial enterprise results; or
   • expanding an existing business by 140 percent of the pre-investment number of jobs or net worth, or retaining all existing jobs in a troubled business that has lost 20 percent of its net worth over the past 12 to 24 months; and
2. Who have invested — or who are actively in the process of investing — in a new commercial enterprise:
   • at least $1,000,000, or
   • at least $500,000 where the investment is being made in a “targeted employment area,” which is an area that has experienced unemployment of at least 150 per cent of the national average rate or a rural area as designated by OMB; and
3. Whose engagement in a new commercial enterprise will benefit the United States economy and:
   • create full-time employment for not fewer than 10 qualified individuals; or
   • maintain the number of existing employees at no less than the pre-investment level for a period of at least two years, where the capital investment is being made in a “troubled business,” which is a business that has been in existence for at least two years and that has lost 20 percent of its net worth over the past 12 to 24 months.

For more details on the US program, visit the official US government website.

If you want to understand which investment immigration program is best suited to your situation, fill out this short contact form. We will get back to you very shortly.