The EB-5 visa program is operated by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The program was established by the United States Congress in 1990 to facilitate increased investment in the U.S. economy. The EB-5 investor visa program enables foreigners who make an investment in a U.S. business to obtain a green card and become lawful permanent residents, and potentially become citizens of the United States.
The required investment amount is either $900,000 or $1.8 million, depending on which project you invest in. If you invest in a targeted employment area (TEA) the investment is $900,000, and if you invest elsewhere the minimum required investment is $1.8 million. EB-5 investments must lead to the creation of at least 10 fulltime U.S. jobs for at least two years. This creation, or preservation, of jobs must occur within two years of the investor’s conditional permanent residency and entrance into the United States. Jobs created in EB-5 projects are defined as direct, indirect or induced. In the direct investment context, the EB-5 visa applicant must prove that the EB-5 capital resulted in the actualization of direct jobs of employees working directly in the business in which the investment was made.
EB-5 investor visa applicants have two main investment options. They can either invest directly or through an EB-5 Regional Center. Direct investors must find their own investment project and must take a direct managerial role in overseeing that project. Direct investment is best for those who want more hands-on control of their investment and the project that received their investment.
To learn how you can apply for this investor visa program, contact Mantra Law Office. We have handled several direct and EB-5 Regional Center investments.
E-2 TREATY INVESTOR VISAS
The E-2 nonimmigrant classification allows a national of a treaty country (a country with which the United States maintains a treaty of commerce and navigation) to be admitted to the United States when investing a substantial amount of capital in a U.S. business. Certain employees of such a person or of a qualifying organization may also be eligible for this classification. Treaty investors (E-2) direct the operations of an enterprise in which they have invested, or are actively investing, a substantial amount of money.
To qualify for E-2 classification, the general requirements for a treaty investor are:
• You are a national of a country with which the United States maintains a treaty of commerce and navigation;
• You have invested, or are actively in the process of investing, a substantial amount of capital in a bona fide enterprise in the United States; and
• You are seeking to enter the United States solely to develop and direct the investment enterprise.
To learn how you can apply for this E-2 Treaty investor visa program, contact Mantra Law Office. We have handled several E-2 visas successfully and our clients have even become Permanent Residents
The Mantra Law Office represents individuals, families, and businesses before the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the US Department of Labor (DOL), the US Department of State, and the US Consulates.