EB-5 Visa

Is this pilot program still active?
If so, I've been looking it up online and can't seem to find any information on any restrictions or criteria.

I'm 22 years old, and can possibly get access to the 500,000 to 1million needed for this investment in the US.

Would this grant me the ability to work in the states right away? Thanks

EB-5 has been around a long time, are you talking about the immigrant investor centre version of it? This requires you to give $500,000 to an investor centre.

They did renew it, 3,000 visas are available every year for it. Once the investor centre gets the money and it's all certified with USCIS then you can get an immigrant visa, my understanding is that it takes about a year and then you're an LPR. Usually you get your money back after six years with minimal interest. There is however risk involved especially at the moment I would have thought.

My personal thinking on this programme is that because it started in 2003, I don't think anyone is due their money back until October this year and I will be interested to see whether they actually get their money back given how screwed up the economy is in the US. Personally I'd wait a few months beyond that before you venture into it.

There's also the more traditional EB-5 visa which requires you to invest $1 million in a business and the business must hire (not immediately, over time) ten US citizens or LPRs as a result of the investment. Or a $500,000 investment in an economically deprived area.

You might find as a 22-year old that you're better off going for an E-2 non-immigrant visa. The investment requirements are nowhere near as tough but you have to keep renewing it every 2 years.

thanks steven for all your help, i cant express how much i appreciate this.


not sure if E-2 is exactly what i'm looking for though since I will need to have actively run and manage a business (something that I'm not hoping to do). I'm actually trying to find a way to get a visa so I can work FOR a company in the US haha. Any loopholes to this system that I havent read about or something? I dont feel like starting a drycleaner

also, if i fund a business or something, and that business goes bankrupt, do i have to invest another sum of money every year i want to renew this E-2 visa?

The business must be in continuous operation for E-2. If it fails or closes down, you no longer have status in the US at that point. With EB-5 you get LPR status immediately, so if the business fails you get to stay. However, both E-2 and EB-5 are extremely complex and USCIS aren't going to let you get a visa (especially for EB-5) without a solid business plan and evidence you will follow through on it.

More info at: http://toronto.usconsulate.gov/content/ ... ment=evisa

hey Steven, i was reading on some various sources and for example, Wikiepedia (i know its hardly the most accurate) states that:

" But for those who would prefer a passive role in the management of their investment, do not wish to be involved in the creation of the 10 U.S. full time jobs, and would rather limit their investment to $500,000 USD, then the Regional Center, or EB-5 Pilot Program is the better immigration option."

I may have interpreted this whole thing incorrectly, but I thought you could simply invest into the immigration center and they would handle the investing for you, or that I could find a way to have a non-controlling interest so as to not have to worry AS much about the day to day operations.

That's what I posted above, it's called the "immigrant investor centre" program now or something like that, 3,000 visas available a year.

i heard the program is ending at the end of September! Anywhere we can follow to see if they're going to extend this incentive program?

Read what I said, they renewed it.