Expedited way to obtain a U.S. green card and U.S. citizenship
The time to receive a green card through the EB-5 program is considerably reduced as compared to the employment and family-based green card categories.No Sponsor Needed
Foreign investors do not need sponsorship from an employer or family member.Capital Contribution
Investing through a regional center in a project located in a Targeted Employment Area allows an investor to meet the investment requirement of the EB-5 program with an investment of only $500,000.Permanent Residency
There is an opportunity to apply for U.S. citizenship 5 years after receiving a green card.Flexibility
There are no language, business, or education requirements for applicants. Investors that receive a green card through the EB-5 program are permitted to work and live anywhere in the U.S.Travel
Investors that receive a green card through the EB-5 program can travel to and from the United States without a visa.Education
After you establish residency in the United States you and your children may be able to attend colleges and universities and pay lower tuition rates available to United States residents.
Investor immigration programs can be helpful for staying in the U.S. after college, but that is only a small part of the story. The American education system lures many families to immigrate to the U.S., receiving free public schooling and preferential admission at many institutions. The American EB-5 program requires an at risk minimum capital investment of $500,000 for the duration of the immigration process, which is generally returned in four to five years. Four years at a U.S. private high school costs an average of $60,000, so Permanent Residency can save investors significant amounts of money, per child. Colleges are no exception, as public universities subsidize residents’ costs. UC Berkeley, for instance, costs an additional $100,000 over four years for non-residents.
In addition to financial benefits, immigrants enjoy a number of advantages over international students and non-immigrant workers, including better access to jobs, healthcare, loans and mortgages, investment, and mobility. Most importantly for many immigrant families, Permanent Residents have greater access to educational institutions, including private colleges. Amherst College, a leading private liberal arts institution, accepted only 4% of international applicants, as opposed to a 16.5% acceptance rate for U.S. residents in 2015. Even UC-Berkeley, known for high international acceptance rates, accepts only 10% of international applications as opposed to nearly 20% of domestic applications. Most American universities limit their international students to 10% of the gross student population.
After graduation, students are provided with a one-year period, called Optional Practical Training (OPT), which allows non-immigrants to practice the skills they learned in college if they can find a job opportunity. After OPT, options for staying in the U.S. are limited to going back to school, obtaining an increasingly elusive work visa, participating in investor immigration, and of course marrying a resident. Unfortunately, many employers aren’t willing to hire non-immigrants due to security constraints or the unreliability of the currently inadequate H-1B work visa program. Many recent college graduates cannot find qualifying employment opportunities, because the job has to be directly related to your field of study. In the case that non-immigrants do find a qualifying job, fewer than 30% of applicants are even awarded a work visa due to the H-1B cap random selection process, known by many as “the lottery.”