To acquire an EB-5 visa, you must invest at least $900,000 in a company in a rural area or in a region with a high unemployment rate, and at least $1,800,000 in other areas. It is also important to establish ten full-time employees. Let’s see other related details regards US citizenship by investment.
- What Is the EB-5 Immigration Program?
The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is one of five employment-based immigration programmes in the United States. It was established in 1990 by the United States government to boost the economy, generate employment, and promote foreign investment in American firms. The term EB-5 refers to the employment-based fifth priority visa that participants are granted.
Entrepreneurs, their wives, and unmarried children under the age of 21 are all eligible to apply for a green card through the E5-5 programme. This article will provide you with all of the information you need to obtain US citizenship via investment and become a permanent resident.
- EB-5 Green Card and US Citizenship Through Investment
Entrepreneurs and their families can get permanent residency in the United States under the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa Program. Although this is not traditional citizenship by investment scheme, after 5 years of permanent residency, you can get citizenship by naturalisation. The EB-5 programme has three qualified investment alternatives.
- The monetary investment amounts are the same for all three options:
-Direct investment of $1.8 million
-$900,000- A reduction in investment for enterprises in a Targeted Employment Area (TEA), which is characterised as a rural region or an area with a high unemployment rate (at least 150 per cent of the national average).
- What are the prerequisites for an EB-5 visa?
In addition to the monetary investment criteria, candidates must fulfil a number of other qualifications and conditions in order to qualify for permanent residency and US citizenship by investment programme. The main restrictions and qualifications imposed by each investment choice are outlined here.
- General specifications:
-You must be at least 21 years old.
-Be able to make the needed investment using lawfully acquired resources and demonstrate the source of investment funds.
- Requirements for a new business:
To satisfy the EB-5 programme requirements for this investment option, the new company must:
-Have been founded after November 29, 1990 *If founded on or before this date, the firm must have been reformed to become a fundamentally new enterprise, or grown via investment to produce a 40% increase in net value or staff count. For instance, if the company was a restaurant, it may be restructured into a store.
-Create at least 10 full-time jobs for US residents or Green Card holders within two years, excluding the investor and their family members.
-Benefit the American economy.
-The investor must be actively involved in the firm, either directly or indirectly as a corporate officer or board member.
- Requirements for a regional centre:
Create full-time jobs for at least ten eligible Americans. Indirect employment is acceptable, which means that the investor does not need to demonstrate that they produced ten new jobs for US employees, but just that the regional centre created ten or more jobs, directly or indirectly, or boosted regional productivity.
- Investment in a troubled firm:
The business must retain the same level of employment as existed previous to the investment.
The investor must be personally or indirectly involved in the administration of the firm as a corporate officer or board member.
- Removing constraints
Conditional EB-5 Green Card holders can request to have the conditions lifted after complying with the terms of the US Immigrant Investor Program for 24 months. Once accepted by US immigration officials, EB-5 participants become unconditional legal permanent residents of the United States.