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Kristina Kurkuliak 19.11.2018

Since day one, the EB-5 “Golden Visa” program has faced this or that form of criticism: Not everyone is satisfied with the whole “putting citizenship on sale” thing, and several cases of abusing the program have been revealed and investigated. Nevertheless, the US Congress keeps greenlighting the program that is essentially a window of opportunity for non-resident investors and their families to obtain the rights to settle and work in the US, as well as obtain a green card.

Latest updates on EB-5

In March 2018, the Congress has yet again extended the duration period of the EB-5 visa program until September 30, 2018. Although the conditions of the program remain unchanged, experts predict that the minimum investment amount may go up soon.

Currently, high net worth and financially independent individuals are required to invest from at least $500,000 to $1,000,000 in the US economy. The amount depends on the project that the investor chooses. Half a million goes for high unemployment or rural areas, while the $1 million is to be invested in any other area type and creation of at least 10 jobs for US citizens.

There are several proposed cost changes to the program. The minimum investment amount may go from $500,000 to $800,000, $925,000, or even $1.3 million, according to different drafts. As for the second investment option, $1 million could turn into $1.025 million, $1.2 million, or $1.8 million. This, of course, would cause a serious dip in the number of applicants.

To EB-5 or not to EB-5

Compared to the non-immigrant employment-based H1B-type visas that are especially popular with Indian and Chinese nationals, the investor visa is shorter and has less strenuous requirements.

Today, the US president Donald Trump is famously focused on tightening immigration laws. His administration says he’s not opposed to immigration, but rather, looks for the ways to eliminate the nooks and crannies for illegal actions in this field.

The popularity of the EB-5-type investor visa continues to grow as one of the quickest, perfectly legal ways to relocate to the US. The government only opens about 10,000 EB-5 spots for applicants per year, and China, India and Vietnam are the three leading nations seeking settlement in the States. So the news about increasing investment amount will surely generate a higher, more desperate interest from individuals who would like to make it while they can still afford the sensible price range.

A word of advice from Migronis on Eb-5 investor visa

Like we mentioned above, there are two ways to apply for your EB-5 visa, that is, through investing either in government-approved targeted employment areas, or outside. Generally, Indian and Chinese investors should research and choose the projects and areas very carefully.

Also, as per rules of the program, each year, no more than 700 citizens of one and the same country are granted the desired visas. Which means that, once the 700 applicants per country limit is hit, the visa processing and issuance period gets longer.

Applying in the nearest time will save you money and time!

Interested in more detailed information about EB-5 Investor Visa program? Contact us!