According to multiple media sources and independently confirmed, last week U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) circulated a “Dear Colleague” letter seeking co-sponsors to a process called the Congressional Review Act
Continue Reading U.S. Senator Paul Seeks to Overturn Recent Obama-Era EB-5 Regulations

Robert Y. Maples˘
Robert Y. Maples is experienced in the Washington, D.C. federal, state and public affairs arenas. He has also been an advocate for building pragmatic alliances to resolve major social issues and has pioneered strategies for addressing complex public affairs crises in collaborative versus confrontational contexts. He continues his advocacy of pragmatic alliances in furtherance of client/government collaborations among the Congress and federal agencies, and serves as state counsel on complex client public policy matters. He is experienced in complex problem solving in regulatory and legislative environments and his client interests have led to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) activities and cybersecurity representation.
˘ Not admitted to practice law.
EB-5 Regulations Published for Public Inspection
After more than two and a half years, Obama-era EB-5 immigration regulations are set to be published on July 24, 2019, with an effective date 120 days after publication or…
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House Passes Per-country Cap Elimination Bill that Affects Employment-based Visa Programs such as EB-5
Today, the U.S. House of Representatives approved H.R. 1044, the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2019, that eliminates per-country quotas for all employment-based immigrant visa petitions by a wide,…
Continue Reading House Passes Per-country Cap Elimination Bill that Affects Employment-based Visa Programs such as EB-5
OMB Completes Review of Obama-Era EB-5 Regulations
Today, OMB posted that they have concluded their review of the Obama-era EB-5 regulations. On Jan. 13, 2017, the Department of Homeland Security published a notice of proposed rulemaking to…
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Immigrant Entrepreneurship: An American Success Story
On June 4, 2019, the Kenan Institute released a timely policy brief, “Immigrant Entrepreneurship: An American Success Story,” on the value of highly skilled and motivated foreign entrepreneurs…
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New Leadership at USCIS; Former VA AG Ken Cuccinelli Named Acting Director
Former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has been appointed acting director of USCIS, replacing Acting Director Koumans. Director Koumans replaced Director Cissna on June 3 as acting director.
Below is…
Continue Reading New Leadership at USCIS; Former VA AG Ken Cuccinelli Named Acting Director
Government Accountability Office Agrees to Investigate Immigration Case Backlog at USCIS as EB-5 Adjudication Times Dramatically Increase
On May 31, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus announced, “Following CHC Request, GAO Agrees to Open Investigation into Record-Breaking Immigration Case Backlog at USCIS,” in which Chairman Castro stated…
Continue Reading Government Accountability Office Agrees to Investigate Immigration Case Backlog at USCIS as EB-5 Adjudication Times Dramatically Increase
USCIS Names Acting Director as Director Cissna Exits After Posting Metrics Report
USCIS Deputy Director Mark Koumans has been appointed acting director following L. Francis Cissna’s departure. Mr. Koumans has experience in Custom Border Protection and the U.S. Foreign Service.
Prior to…
Continue Reading USCIS Names Acting Director as Director Cissna Exits After Posting Metrics Report

OMB Releases Spring Unified Regulatory Agenda; Provides Update on EB-5 and Other Pending Regulations
On May 22, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released the bi-annual Spring 2019 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions.
As set forth in a Federal Register…
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New Bill Introduced to Use Economic Abilities of EB-5 to Assist Disaster Recovery in Declared National Disaster Areas
On April 9, 2019, Rep. González-Colón (R-PR-At Large) introduced H.R.2173 – a bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to reserve EB-5 visas each fiscal year for investors in…
Continue Reading New Bill Introduced to Use Economic Abilities of EB-5 to Assist Disaster Recovery in Declared National Disaster Areas