The EB-5 visa for Immigrant Investors is a United States visa created by the Immigration Act of 1990. This visa provides a method of obtaining a green card for foreign nationals who invest money in the United States.[1] To obtain the visa, individuals must invest $1,000,000 (or at least $500,000 in a targeted employment area), creating or preserving at least 10 jobs for U.S. workers.[2]
If the foreign national investor's petition is approved, the investor will be granted conditional permanent residence valid for two years.[3] Within the 90 day period before the conditional permanent residence expires, the investor must submit evidence documenting that the full required investment has been made and that 10 jobs have been maintained, or 10 jobs have been created or will be created within a reasonable time period.[3]
In 1992, Congress created a temporary pilot program designed to stimulate economic activity and job growth, while allowing eligible aliens the opportunity to become lawful permanent residents.[4] Under this pilot program, foreign nationals may invest in a pre-approved regional center, or "economic unit, public or private, which is involved with the promotion of economic growth, including increased export sales, improved regional productivity, job creation, or increased domestic capital investment." Investments within a regional center provide foreign nationals the added benefit of allowing them to count jobs created both directly and indirectly for purposes of meeting 10 job creation requirement.[5]
Foreign investors' use of the EB-5 program has been far less than originally anticipated by Congress.[6] In 2005, a Government Accountability Office report found that investors were not utilizing the program because of “an onerous application process; lengthy adjudication periods; and the suspension of processing on over 900 EB-5 cases—some of which date to 1995—precipitated by a change in USCIS’s interpretation of regulations regarding financial qualifications.”[7] However, in 2011, USCIS began making a number of changes to the program in hopes of increasing the number of applicants.[8] By the end of the 2011 fiscal year, more than 3,800 EB-5 applications had been filed, compared to fewer than 800 applications in 2007.
The Startup Visa Act (projected EB-6 visa), introduced in Congress in 2010 and subsequently in 2011, is planning to use unallocated numbers from the EB-5 visa.
Alabama Center for Foreign Investment Regional Center
Geographic Area Covered: State of Alabama
Allowed Activities: Heavy and light manufacturing; agriculture; high technology; construction; hospitality, resort and service industries (hotels, restaurants, resorts, golf courses, entertainment, and the like); schools, health care facilities, and infrastructure; and cruise line support services.
Arizona EB-5 Regional Center (Green Card Fund)
Geographic Area Covered: State of Arizona
Allowed Activities: Healthcare (Hospitals and Medical Office Buildings); Education; Hospitality (Hotel & Motel); Residential; Retail; Office; Restaurants; Banking; Technology; Distribution; Heavy and light manufacturing; Construction
Central Arizona Regional Center (CAzRC)
Geographical Area Covered: Pinal County
Allowed Activities: Hospitality, Distribution, 3rd Party Logistics, Wholesaling, Retail, Restaurants
American Logistics [International] Regional Center
Geographic Area Covered: South Central Los Angeles, with an emphasis on the cities of Carson, Compton, parts of the cities of Lynwood and Long Beach, the Wilmington
Allowed Activities: 1) Advanced logistic operations; 2) U.S. Customs bonded warehouse services; 3) U.S. Customs approved Centralized Examination Station.
California Consortium for Agricultural Export
Geographic Area Covered: San Joaquin Valley, CA
Allowed Activities: An agricultural investment program purchasing and converting fallow or row crop lands into permanent commercially viable fruit and/or nut trees and grape vines for the domestic and export markets, wineries, and elevator platform machinery manufacturing.
California Energy Investment Center, LLC
Geographic Area Covered: Counties of Fresno, Merced, Fresno, Kings, Tulare, Kern, San Bernardino, San Benito County, Riverside,
Stanislaus, & Imperial, CA
Allowed Activities: Alternative Energy Technologies: Fossil Fuel, Solar Power, BioEnergy, Wind, Geothermal, Water & Environmental.
California Global Alliance Regional Center
Geographic Area Covered: Central California
Allowed Activities: Hotels, Restaurants, Retail shopping centers, Retail automotive dealerships, nursing home and assisted living facilities, casinos
California Investment Immigration Fund, LLC
California Military Bases (CMB) Geographic Area Covered: Former military bases located in Sacramento, San Bernardino, and Riverside Counties, CA
Allowed Activities: Redevelopment and rebuilding of former military bases.
California Wineries & Vineyards, LLC Regional Center (CWVRC)
Geographic Area Covered: Napa & Sonoma counties, CA
Allowed Activities: Purchase vineyards and wineries and invest in troubled wineries.
El Monte Regional Center
FFC-East Bay Regional Center
Geographic Area Covered: Alameda and Contra Costa Counties
Allowed Activities: Equity funding of or third party loans to enterprises engaged in real estate construction, renovation and management; construction and development of infrastructures; design, development and operation of manufacturing facilities; and design, development of support services for specialized software and/or hardware; and preliminary funding for biotechnology development. Industry clusters include the following: Healthcare; Logistics; Digital Arts; Food Manufacturing and Distribution; Biotechnology (R&D and Manufacturing); and Clean or Alternative Energy
Imperial Regional Center
Geographic Area Covered: Heber and surrounding areas in Imperial County, CA
Allowed Activities: Mixed use commercial projects designed to attract high volume consumers in retail, wholesale, dining, entertainment, and hospitality industries
Los Angeles Regional Center
Geographic Area Covered: All Los Angeles County
Allowed Activities: Real Estate Construction and Management within the following industries: Hotel, Manufacturing, Retail, Medical Offices, Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities
California Global Alliance Regional Center
Geographic Area Covered: 12 Counties in Central California
Allowed Activities: Automotive, Hotel, Restaurant, Office, Nursing Home
Los Angeles County Regional Center
Geographic Area Covered: Los Angeles County
Allowed Activities: Agriculture & food processing, alternative energy, health services, higher education, motion picture & film, technology and transportation.
Regional Center Properties, Inc.
Geographic Area Covered: Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside, Orange, and San Diego Counties, CA
Allowed Activities: Mixed use shopping centers
Regional Center Management Los Angeles
Geographic Area Covered: Los Angeles Enterprise zone to Eastside Enterprise Zone and the area in between bordered by Glendale Blvd and the Santa Monica Freeway
Contact Info: commercial/industrial developments; Private/public arrangements with governmental agencies, non-profits or others to develop civic/public facilities and infrastructure; Renovation of functionally obsolete buildings; Residential developments; Capital, loans, or investments to businesses in RC area; Establish or invest in lending institutions
South East Los Angeles RC (SELARC)
Geographic Area Covered: City of Vernon, CA (Southeast of LA)
Allowed Activities: Food products; Apparel manufacturing; Transportation and warehousing; Household furniture and furnishings
Victorville Regional Center Geographic Area Covered: City of Victorville, CA (Northeast of LA)
About: City (Government Sponsored Project)
Project: Infrastructure Development at Southern California Logistics Airport
Status: Defunct.
American Hospitality Investments LLC has a number of qualified traditional EB-5 Investments in the hospitality industry that are real estate backed.
DMG Studio Holdings, LLC in Stratford, CT has a significant number of qualified EB-5 Investments in the digital media industry that are backed by real estate and other underlying assests such as IP and FCC licenses.
Hartmann Development LLC Has a significant number of qualified EB-5 Investments in the Digital Media Industry that are backed by Real Estate, We also have Resort Properties Museum and Marinas & Construction Companies. We have Associates in Hong Kong, Main Land China, Tokyo & South Korea to help you.
Capital Area Regional Center (CARC)
Geographic Area Covered: Washington, DC; Alexandria, VA; Montgomery and Prince Georges Counties, MD; and Arlington and Fairfax Counties, VA
Allowed Activities: Mixed hotel, office, retail and residential space; Soccer stadium; Conference center space; Industrial space
EB-5 America
Geographic Area Covered: District of Columbia
Allowed Activities: Hospitality; Mixed use real estate construction
Florida Regional Center is an approved EB-5 Regional Center in Palm Beach County, Florida. Its allowed activities are Mixed-Use Commercial Projects, Hospitality, Retail, Restaurant, Office Space, Marina and Entertainment. Its current project is the Town of Jupiter's downtown district, Harbourside Place.
Palm Coast Florida Regional Center Geographic Area Covered: St. Johns, Flagler, Brevard, Orange, Volusia, Seminole, and Indian River Counties. Allowed activities: Hotel, Shopping Centers, Light Manufacturing, Office, Medical Office
Florida Equity & Growth Fund Regional Center (FEGF-RC)
Geographic Area Covered: Florida High Tech Corridor
Allowed Activities: Traveler accommodation; Food services and drinking places; Retail trade; Real estate; Manufacturing; Performing arts; Museums, historical sites & similar institutions; Professional scientific and technical services.
Florida Overseas Investment Center
Geographic Area Covered: All of Florida
Allowed Activities: Hotel and Hospitality, Retail Shopping, Industrial, Restaurant, Office Buildings, Hospitals and Senior Care Facilities, Agriculture, Educational Facilities, Sports Entertainment, Energy, Food Processing, Mixed Use Projects.
Lake Buena Vista RC
Geographic Area Covered: Orlando-Kissimmee Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area
Allowed Activities: Development and expansion of Lake Buena Vista Resort Village and Spa
Lake Point EcoVentures RC
Geographic Area Covered: Martin, Palm Beach, Okeechobee, and St. Lucie Counties
Allowed Activities: Rock mining, mineral extraction, ecosystem restoration, waste water treatment, farming/agriculture, land renovation, asphalt, trucking, railing, barging, etc.
Palm Beach RC
Geographic Area Covered: Miami-Dade and Monroe counties
Allowed Activities: Intermodal traffic and cargo distribution center; Manufacturing and research facilities; Commercial and office space; film and TV production
South Atlantic Regional Center
Geographic area covered: Palm Beach county
Allowed activities: Senior Housing, Hotel, Retail, Restaurant, Office, Medical Office, and Industrial
South Florida Investment Regional Center (SFIRC)
Geographic area covered: Monroe and Miami-Dade Counties, FL
Allowed activities: Construction of a hotel complex (includes spa, restaurants, and retail space).
The Atlanta EB-5 Regional Center Geographic area covered: Atlanta MSA Allowed Activities: Commercial Real Estate Development
Hawaii DBEDT Regional Center
Geographic Area Covered: the entire Hawaii state
Allowed Activities: Tourism of all kinds; Technology, Research & Development and Life Sciences; Transportation in Air, Harbors and Highways; Trade & Manufacturing; Health Services: Hospitals, Nursing homes, Private medical offices, In-Home healthcare, Outpatient services, Ambulance services and Laboratories; Agriculture and Food Processing, Aquaculture, Major agricultural production, Exotic and specialized crops; Higher Education, both Exported and Foreign Students; Leashold improvements in commercial real estate; Alternative energy in Geothermal, Hydro-power, Ocean Thermal, Solar and Wind; and Motion Picture and TV Productions
Golden Pacific Ventures Regional Center
Geographic Area Covered: Hawaii County
Allowed Activities: Farming tropical fruits: Lychee, Longan, and Rambutan.
CMB, California Military Base. Main offices in Illinois
Chicagoland Foreign Investment Group (CFIG) Regional Center
Geographic Area Covered: Illinois Counties of Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, McHenry, Will, Lake, Kankakee, Boone, Winnebago, Ogle, and Stephenson.
Allowed Activities: Accommodation, Agriculture, Education, Entertainment, Health Care, and Manufacturing
Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED)
Geographic Area Covered: Iowa
Allowed Activities: Dairy farms
Kansas Bio-Fuel RC, LLC
Geographic Area Covered: 21 counties in Southwest Kansas
Allowed Activities: Development and operation of fuel grade ethanol production facilities
Midwest EB-5 Regional Center
Location: 2612 Vine Street, Cincinnati, OH 45219
Geographic Area Covered: Kentucky counties of Campbell, Kenton and Boone
Allowed Activities: Hotels; Restaurants; Retail Stores; Condominiums/Apartments; Office Buildings; Light Industrial/Warehouse; Continuing Care Retirement Community; Mixed Use: Retail Store, Condominiums and Apartments; Mixed Use: Office Buildings and Retail Stores
Gulf Coast Funds Management, LLC
Geographic Area Covered: States of Mississippi and Louisiana
Allowed Activities: Shipbuilding; Food Processing; Manufacturing
New Orleans' Mayor's Office RC
Geographic Area Covered: New Orleans
Allowed Activities: Leasehold improvements to fixed asset commercial buildings sector; Mobile medical services facilities sector; Commercial lodging, hotels, and hospitality sector; Mixed-use real estate construction/reconstruction sector; Mixed-use residential lease and rental properties sector; Arts and sciences industry sector.
Noble Coastal Ventures—Louisiana Mississippi Regional Center Geographic Area Covered: States of Louisiana and Mississippi
Allowed Activities: Leasehold improvements to fixed asset commercial buildings sector; Mobile medical services facilities sector; Commercial lodging, hotels and hospitality sector; Mixed-use real estate construction/reconstruction sector; Mixed-use residential lease and rental properties sector; Arts and sciences industry sector; Harbor facilities sector; Gaming and casinos sector; Marine sector.
Maryland Center for Foreign Investment, LLC (MCFI)
Geographic Scope: Counties of Baltimore City, Baltimore, Carroll, Hartford, Anne Arundel, Prince George’s and Howard in the State of Maryland
Allowed Activities: Commercial Real Estate Development; Arts, Entertainment and Recreation
Detroit Immigrant Investor Regional Center 1200 Sixth Street Detroit, MI 48226 USA
EB-5 Michigan Regional Center, LLC in East Lansing, Michigan (MI) Name: EB-5 Michigan Regional Center, LLC Street: 333 Albert Ave, Ste 500 Postal address: East Lansing, MI
Clark County Regional Center / Landmark Development Partners, LLC
Geographic Area Covered: Clark County
Allowed Activities: Light Industrial/Warehouse Space, multi-story office building, retail mall shopping center anchored by two larger stores, and skilled nursing facility
Nevada Regional Economic Development Center (NREDC)
Geographic Area Covered: Nevada
Allowed Activities: Service Industry, Infrastructure, Waste Mgmt & Transportation.
American Dream Fund - Las Vegas
Geographic Area Covered: Clark County
Allowed Activities: Casino, Food and Beverage, Hotel, Senior Care
New Jersey Regional Center, LLC
Geographic Area Covered: Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Mercer, Middlesex, Passaic, and Union Counties, NJ
Allowed Activities: Hotels; Restaurants; Retail stores; Office buildings; Light industrial warehouses; Civic buildings; Apartments/Condominiums; Mixed use I (hotel/retail/apartments); Mixed use II (office buildings/retail/condominiums)
NYC Metro Regional Center, LLC
Geographic Area Covered:
New York counties of New York (Manhattan), Queens, Kings (Brooklyn), Richmond (Staten Island), Bronx, Nassau (Long Island), Suffolk (Long Island), Westchester; and New Jersey State Counties Bergen, Passaic, Morris, Essex, Hudson, Union, Somerset, Middlesex, Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean, Burlington, Atlantic
Allowed Activities:
Construction, Travel Accommodation (Hotel Operations), Food Services and Drinking Places (Restaurants), Retail Trade (Retail Stores), Medical Offices, Securities & Investment, Insurance, Legal, Accounting, Architects, Advertising & Public Relations, Miscellaneous Professional Services, Parking Facilities (Parking), Educational Facilities, Art Galleries and Cultural Centers, Civic Organizations, Conference Centers (Facilities Support Services), Management of Residential Apartments
New York Immigration Fund, LLC
Geographic Area Covered: New York counties of the Bronx, Kings, Queens, Richmond, New York (Manhattan) and Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk)
Allowed Activities: Capital loans & investments; building renovation; real estate development (mixed use); hospitality; industrial space; conference space; U.S. Customs Bonded warehouse services; nursing homes; assisted living facilities; health services & medical technology; manufacturing; and technology
Federal New York Metropolitan Regional Center
Geographic Scope: New York County, Bronx County, Queens County and King’s County
Industries: Medical Offices, Hotel, Restaurant, Commercial Offices, Retail, Entertainment and Recreational Facilities, Conference and Exhibition Center Facilities
New York City Regional Center, LLC (NYCRC)
Geographic Area Covered: New York City counties of Bronx, Kings, Queens, and New York (Manhattan)
Allowed Activities: Hotels; Restaurants; Retail stores; Office buildings; Light industrial warehouses; Civic buildings; Apartments/Condominiums; Mixed use I (hotel/retail/apartments); Mixed use II (office buildings/retail/condominiums)
Upstate New York Regional Center (UNYRC)
Geographic Area Covered: 22 counties of Western upstate New York
Allowed Activities: Agriculture, Natural Resources and Mining; Manufacturing; Trade, Transportation and Utilities; Information; Financial Activities; Leisure and Hospitality; Professional and Business Services; Education and Health Services; Other Services.
Buffalo Regional Center
Geographic Area Covered: Buffalo, NY
Cleveland International Fund
Geographic Area Covered: Northeast Ohio
Allowed Activities: Health Services & Medical Technology; Hotels; Restaurants; Retail stores; Office buildings; Light industrial warehouses; Civic buildings; Apartments/Condominiums; Mixed use I (hotel/retail/apartments); Mixed use II (office buildings/retail/condominiums)
Midwest EB-5 Regional Center
Geographic Area Covered: Ohio counties of Hamilton, Butler, Warren and Clermont
Allowed Activities: Hotels; Restaurants; Retail Stores; Condominiums/Apartments; Office Buildings; Light Industrial/Warehouse; Continuing Care Retirement Community; Mixed Use: Retail Store, Condominiums and Apartments; Mixed Use: Office Buildings and Retail Stores
Philadelphia PIDC Regional Center
Geographic Area Covered: Philadelphia County, PA
Allowed Activities: Tourism; Trade; Technology; Higher Education; Transportation; Leasehold improvements of commercial office space
Pennsylvania DCED Regional Center
Geographic Area Covered: most counties of PA
Allowed Activities: Tourism and hospitality; Technology; Transportation; Manufacturing and Trade; Health services; Agriculture and food production; Higher education; Leasehold improvements to commercial office and mixed-use spaces.
Carolina Center for Foreign Investment RC
South Dakota SDIBI
Geographic Area Covered: Eastern South Dakota
Allowed Activities: Animal dairy farm operations; Animal heifer ranch operations; Animal feedlot operations; and Meat processing and packing operations.
Utah Regional Investment Fund, LLC (URIF)
Geographic Area Covered: Utah
Allowed Activities: Manufacturing, Food and Beverage, and Healthcare
Mountain States Center for Foreign Investment (MSCFI)
Geographic Area Covered: Utah
Allowed Activities: Hospitality, resort and service industry, horse ranch development, high technology, health care services and innovation, entertainment, educational, and infrastructure
Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development EB-5 Regional Center
Geographic Area Covered: The entire state of Vermont
Allowed Activities: Ski Industry Development, Manufacturing, IT, Professional Services, Education, Health Care
Aero-Space Port International (ASPI)
American Life Ventures Everett, Washington
Geographic Area Covered: City of Everett, WA
Allowed Activities: Renovation of Industrial facilities or new construction of facilities to be leased to business tenants engaged in light manufacturing, or retail sales activities.
American Life Seattle RC/Golden Rainbow Freedom Fund
Geographic Area Covered: Jackson County, Oregon and the City of Seattle Neighborhood Reinvestment Area, WA
Allowed Activities: Air cargo and manufacturing facility; Commercial/industrial/residential development; Provide capital, loans or investments; Establish or invest in lending institutions
American Life Ventures, Tacoma, Washington
Geographic Area Covered: City of Tacoma, WA
Allowed Activities: Renovation of industrial facilities or new construction of facilities to be leased to business tenants engaged in light manufacturing, warehousing, or retail sales activities
American Life Ventures, Lakewood, Washington
Geographic Area Covered: City of Lakewood, WA
Allowed Activities: Renovation of industrial and commercial facilities or new construction of facilities to be leased to business tenants engaged in light manufacturing, warehousing,hospitality industry or retail sales activities
Whatcom Opportunities RC
Geographic Area Covered: Whatcom County, WA
Allowed Activities: Assisted living facilities for the elderly
Ecorntech Regional Center
Geographic Area Covered: 164-acre (0.66 km2) park located at Arlington Prairie Industrial Park, 101 Skyline Dr., Arlington, County of Columbia, Wisconsin Allowed Activities: The production and sale of Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) and the production and sale of Cornstalk Polymer Composite (CPC).
Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce
Geographic Area Covered: Southeastern Wisconsin
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