Current Administration Proposes Significant Changes to EB-5 Program

  Yesterday, the Obama administration announced potential changes that could significantly impact the EB-5 investor visa program.  The EB-5 investor visa was originally established by Congress in 1990 to attract foreign investment and stimulate the economy in hopes of spurring job creation in the United States.

 

Ramos_Maria
Maria del Carmen Ramos

Yesterday, the Obama administration announced potential changes that could significantly impact the EB-5 investor visa program.  The EB-5 investor visa was originally established by Congress in 1990 to attract foreign investment and stimulate the economy in hopes of spurring job creation in the United States. Continue reading “Current Administration Proposes Significant Changes to EB-5 Program”

EB-5 Regional Center Annual Reports are Due by December 29, 2015

Maria del Carmen Ramos
Maria del Carmen Ramos

During its most recent stakeholders teleconference, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) reminded participants that regional center reports for 2015 Fiscal Year were due on October 1, 2015, and must be filed by no later than December 29, 2015. USCIS recommended that regional centers complete all fields on Form I-924A, and timely file the required reports. Continue reading “EB-5 Regional Center Annual Reports are Due by December 29, 2015”

New System, Same Result

 

Mechelle Zarou
Mechelle Zarou

The new “two-pronged” priority date system announced recently by the U.S. State Department appears, thus far, to promise more of the same for foreign nationals in historically over-subscribed visa categories. Continue reading “New System, Same Result”

USCIS Suspends Final Adjudication of Employment-Based Adjustment Applications Until October 1, 2015

Maria del Carmen Ramos
Maria del Carmen Ramos

Effective September 24, 2015, USCIS will suspend final adjudication of employment-based Adjustment of Status Applications. Continue reading “USCIS Suspends Final Adjudication of Employment-Based Adjustment Applications Until October 1, 2015”

EB-5 Retrogresses By Two Years in May 2015 for Nationals of China

Mechelle Zarou
Mechelle Zarou

The Department of State has released its Visa Bulletin for May 2015 and, as predicted back in October 2014 by Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division, Charles Oppenheim, the EB-5 category will retrogress for nationals of China.  The cut-off for processing will be May 1, 2013.  The cut-off date for a foreign national is established by the filing date of the I-526 Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur and is shown on the receipt notice in the “Priority Date” box.  As such, Chinese nationals who wish to adjust their status to legal permanent resident in May 2015 must have a priority date of May 1, 2013 or earlier. Continue reading “EB-5 Retrogresses By Two Years in May 2015 for Nationals of China”

Come on, Nightline?!

Maria del Carmen Ramos
Maria del Carmen Ramos

If it’s not bad news, it won’t get good ratings?  When Nightline recently reported on the EB-5 program, “Whistleblowers:  US gave visas to suspected Forgers, Fraudsters, Criminals,” alleging that it is prone to fraud, they were looking for good ratings.  Why not report on what the EB-5 program does for the U.S. economy?  Why not report about foreign nationals bringing large amounts of money to the U.S. to invest in businesses with the requirement that they create full time jobs for TEN U.S. WORKERS? Continue reading “Come on, Nightline?!”

USCIS Updates EB-5 Processing Time Information

Mechelle Zarou
Mechelle Zarou

On February 11, 2015, U.S. Immigration & Citizenship Services released an updated EB-5 Processing Report reflecting average processing times for the Immigrant Investor Program Office as of December 31, 2014.  Continue reading “USCIS Updates EB-5 Processing Time Information”

USCIS Terminates 16 EB-5 Regional Centers

Maria del Carmen Ramos
Maria del Carmen Ramos

Last October, we advised our readers that U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) had sent out several Notices of Intent to Terminate (NOITT) regional center designation to various regional centers around the nation. We also warned that this appeared to be an upcoming enforcement trend by USCIS to address complaints of fraud and abuse in the EB-5 Regional Center Program.  Continue reading “USCIS Terminates 16 EB-5 Regional Centers”

Top Twelve EB-5 Countries by US Immigrant Visa Issuance

Mechelle Zarou
Mechelle Zarou

According to the U.S. Department of States’ Report of the Visa Office 2014, below following is a ranking of the top EB-5 countries ranked according to the number of EB-5 visas issued in the 2014 fiscal year. Continue reading “Top Twelve EB-5 Countries by US Immigrant Visa Issuance”