One of the existing visas is considered the Green Card for investors in the USA
There are many questions about the Green Card and the different ways to obtain it. There is also much talk about the so-called “Investor Green Card”. In the following articles I will cover all about Green Card for investors in the US, what it is and how you could get it.
Permanent Residence, better known as Green Card
Being a permanent resident of the United States is a dream for many. The Government offers different ways so that citizens of other countries of the world can work and live permanently and indefinitely in the United States.
One of the most attractive characteristics of being a permanent resident is that people can become American citizens.
What is the so-called Green Card for investors in the US?
US Immigration offers visas or programs for individuals to obtain residency. These visas are grouped by: employment based, extraordinary abilities, family petitions, among others.
Among all ways available there is a program that allows investors to become permanent resistant straight. The EB-5 (Employment Based) is the one that grants permanent resistance to those who invest money in the United States.
Buy the Residence or “Green Card”?
On the Internet there is a lot of false information of how people can buy the Green Card through this visa. Many people use this idea to sell more visas. This is in fact a very serious program with a very clear objective: improvement the national economy.
We have to be very clear about this: if the investor does not meet the US Immigration criteria, no Green Card will be granted. Likewise, the Immigration Department makes a very detailed and rigorous scrutiny of the applicants, the family group, the origin of the funds, among others.
EB-5 Requirements
In order to apply for permanent residence through the EB-5 visa, you must meet the following requirements:
- Make the necessary investment in a commercial enterprise in the United States; and
- Plan to create or preserve 10 permanent full-time jobs for qualified U.S. workers.
Investment Amount
The amount you must invest to apply for the EB-5 visa will depend on the date you submit your application. If you do it before November 21, 2019, the amounts will be as follows:
- For a standard investment: $ 1,000,000
- For an investment in one of the designated areas (TEA for Targeted Employment Area): $ 500,000. These are areas that generally have high levels of unemployment.
However, if applicable after November 21, 2019, the investment amounts will be:
- For a standard investment: $ 1,800,000
- For an investment in one of the designated areas (TEA for Targeted Employment Area): $ 900,000.
Future adjustments will also be tied to inflation (per the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, or CPI-U) and occur every 5 years.
EB-5 Business Plans
Each time someone applies to an EB-5 and any other investor visa, a business plan has to submitted to Immigration. The business plan will show officials every detail about the investment and generated jobs, among many other aspects.
For EB-5 and any other investor visa, the business plan is considered the backbone of the application. This is why you have to hire experts in the field of business plan writing.
At VisaBP we have more than 16 years of experience creating successful deliverables in the migration area.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
Conclusions
For all those investors who wish to move to the U.S., the Government offers a very attractive route. Basically, the individual has to invest an specific amount of money that generates or maintains jobs and helps the economy to grow.
If you want to know more in detail about this program and other investor visas, please click here.
For those who wish to invest in real estate and apply for an E-2 investor visa, I recommend reading this article: E-2 visa buying real estate.