Some politicians exploit the issue of immigration and paint all immigrants with a broad negative brush. I won’t mention names here, but unfortunately, many fit the description.

Just this election season, the presidential candidate for the Republican Party described Mexican immigrants with one of his recurrent lies, saying “they’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”

The reality is that the U.S. opens its arms to hundreds of tourists, businesspeople, and investors every year, besides benefiting from the labor and taxes paid by 11 million undocumented immigrants.

One of the fastest ways to legally immigrate to the U.S. is through an investor visa.

Entrepreneurs (and their families) who invest in the U.S. and who plan to create 10 or more permanent, full-time jobs for people authorized to work can apply for one of the 10,000 investor visas offered every fiscal year.

However, this requires a lot of money. The candidates must invest $1 million anywhere in the country or $500,000 in a high unemployment or rural area.

According to an article in Forbes, citing data from the U.S. Embassy in Mexico, Mexican investment in the U.S. has increased since the economic downturn of 2008. In 2013, it reached $27.9 billion.

The cumulative data of all foreign investment in the U.S. is currently nearly $1 trillion.

Investors who live outside the U.S. and qualify for this visa need to file Form I-526, Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur.

People who already live in the U.S. can become a permanent resident by adjusting their status, filing first Form I-526 and later Form I-485. Check some limitations of “visa availability and priority dates” and “adjustment of status” pages.

Investors should consult an immigration attorney with experience in investor and business visas for a successful application and approval.