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Tag Archives: EB-5 Program

By Nataliya Rymer on Posted in EB-5 Program, Retrogression, U.S. State Department, Vietnam Retrogression

The U.S. State Department has released its monthly Visa Bulletin for the month of May 2018.  Notably, the priority dates for the Regional Center EB-5 category for nationals of Vietnam have become subject to retrogression.  As of May 1, 2018, only those approved Vietnamese EB-5 investors under the Regional Center Pilot Program whose EB-5 petitions… Continue Reading

By Robert Y. Maples on Posted in EB-5, EB-5 Program, Omnibus Appropriations Act

Today, President Trump signed the Omnibus Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2018, that includes an extension of the EB-5 program until Sept. 30, 2018, along with the Conrad 30 program for foreign doctors and the Special Immigrant Religious Workers program.  The bill also includes a 3-year reauthorization of the E-Verify program (Sept. 30, 2020). Today’s… Continue Reading

By Robert Y. Maples on Posted in Continuing Resolution (CR), EB-5 Program

Tonight, by a vote of 245-182, the House approved it’s version of the 5th Continuing Resolution (CR), funding government operations and extending government programs, such as EB-5, until March 23.  The bill now proceeds to the Senate for further consideration. As of this writing, it is expected that the Senate will continue overall budget negotiations… Continue Reading

By Robert Y. Maples on Posted in Continuing Resolution (CR), EB-5

Tonight, House Appropriations Chairman, Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), filed a fifth short-term Continuing Resolution (CR) extending government funding and important programs, such as EB-5,  from Feb. 8 until March 23.  After late-night Conference meetings, House Republicans developed the framework and timing of the CR. The CR is expected to be acted upon by the House later this week. … Continue Reading

By Robert Y. Maples, , and on Posted in Continuing Resolution (CR)

By a vote of 266-150 on Jan. 22  (three days after  the previous extension deadline of midnight on Jan. 19), the House passed the Senate amendment, extending Continuing Appropriations for government services and programs to Feb. 8. The bill now goes to the president who is expected to sign it into law. Today’s action extends… Continue Reading

By Laura Foote Reiff on Posted in Continuing Resolution (CR), EB-5, Government Shutdown

Late Friday (Jan. 19)  the U.S. Senate failed to pass the House of Representatives approved Continuing Resolution (or CR).  As of January 20th the federal government is in a shutdown.  It appears that the Senate will attempt another CR vote to extend vital programs, such as EB-5, through Feb. 8, 2018. This vote could come… Continue Reading

By Robert Y. Maples on Posted in Department of Homeland Security, EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, USCIS

On Jan. 17, The Center for Regulatory Effectiveness (The CRE), a Washington D.C. administrative watchdog group, filed a petition with the Department of Homeland Security to reform the EB-5 program to create jobs in rural America and areas of high unemployment.  In making the announcement, The CRE posted:

By Kristen W. Ng, , and on Posted in Conrad 30 Waiver Program, E-Verify, EB-5 Program

By a vote of 231-188 on Dec. 21 (before the previous extension deadline of midnight on Dec. 22), the House passed the Senate amendment to H.R. 1370 extending Continuing Appropriations for government services and programs to Jan. 19. Upon passage, H.R. 1370 was sent immediately to the Senate, where it passed by a vote of… Continue Reading

By Laura Foote Reiff and on Posted in Continuing Resolution (CR), EB-5 Program

A Continuing Resolution (CR) has been filed as of last Saturday, Dec. 3, 2017, to serve as a vehicle to extend government operations through Dec. 22, 2017, thus preventing a government shutdown. The CR may be voted on as early as Wednesday or Thursday of this week.  There is also talk of doing another short-term… Continue Reading

By Sylvia Sobczyk on Posted in EB-5, EB-5 Program, I-526, Immigrant Investor, USCIS, Visa

USCIS recently announced the release of a new edition of Form I-526, with the new edition dated 04/10/2017. Starting on June 9, 2017, USCIS will only accept the 04/10/2017 edition.  Until then, investors can use the 12/23/2016 edition. Both editions of Form I-526 are available to download at no cost on the USCIS website. Investors… Continue Reading

By Dillon Colucci on Posted in EB-5 Program, USCIS

EB-5投资移民的一个关键要求是需要每个投资人以优势证据（“preponderance of evidence”）表明，他们投资到新商业企业的资金来自合法来源。由于许多国家的货币限制，投资人可能会通过私人资金交换的方式来与第三方互换货币。这种类型的私人货币兑换和在中东流行的“哈瓦拉”系统可能比较相似。 在典型的EB-5货币互换中，投资人将以本地货币转入第三方（实体或自然人）的账户中。然后，第三方再以等额的美元资金转入投资人的海外账户。投资人然后把收到的美元投资到一个新的商业企业。该投资人将妥善记录此货币互换交易，并提交I-526请愿书。通常情况下，投资人并没有提供关于第三方资金来源的任何信息. 直到最近，美国移民局并没有质疑协助货币互换的第三方的资金来源。不过，美国移民局似乎已经改变了内部政策，并已开始对每个使用第三方协助资金交换的案件发出补件要求。该政策似乎针对所有第三方，无论是实体还是自然人。因此，已经提交I-526申请，但未提供文件证明第三方资金来源的投资人应开始考虑，并为可能发出的补件要求做准备。尚未提交I-526申请，但打算使用第三方资金交换方式来将货币转到美国的投资人应考虑收集有关第三方资金来源的文件，这样可能有助于减少收到补件要求的可能性。

By Dillon Colucci on Posted in EB-5 Program, USCIS

A crucial requirement of the EB-5 Program is that each individual demonstrate by a preponderance of evidence that the monies invested in a new commercial enterprise were derived from a lawful source. Due to currency restrictions in many foreign countries, individuals may swap currency in a private exchange of funds. This type of private currency… Continue Reading

By Dillon Colucci on Posted in EB-5 Program, I-526, I-924, Immigrant Investor, Immigration, Regional Center, USCIS

The Immigrant Investor Program office (IPO) has decided to hold in abeyance I-526 Petitions until the adjudication of an associated Exemplar I-924 Petition, even when an associated I-526 Petition is past posted processing times. This has had a particularly detrimental effect on I-526 Petitions filed prior to Sept. 30, 2015, when there was a surge… Continue Reading

By Greenberg Traurig on Posted in EB-5, EB-5 Program, Events

Greenberg Traurig’s EB-5 team will sponsor and participate as an organizing committee member of the 2017 Invest in America Summit and Exhibition, the largest USA-themed investment conference and exhibition in China, with attorneys Kate Kalmykov and Laura Reiff as VIP speakers. The Summit will travel to four Chinese cities in 2017. Event dates and locations… Continue Reading

By Greenberg Traurig on Posted in EB-5, EB-5 Program, Eb-5 Regional Center, I-526, I-829, I-924, USCIS

On March 3, 2017, the USCIS Immigrant Investor Program Office (IPO) held an EB-5 Stakeholder Engagement in which several important updates to the program were provided. “Unofficial” Statistics for Fiscal Year 2017 From October to December 2016, USCIS saw a surge in petition filings, likely due to an upcoming sunset in the EB-5 regional center… Continue Reading

By Laura Foote Reiff on Posted in EB-3, EB-5, EB-5 Program, Visa

On Jan. 24, 2017, Senators Grassley (R-IA) and Feinstein (D-CA), the Chair and Ranking Committee members of the Senate Judiciary Committee introduced bill S. 232 to terminate the EB-5 Visa Program and to reallocate the employment creation visas to the other employment-based visa classifications. The bill would eliminate both the direct and regional center program… Continue Reading

By Jennifer Hermansky on Posted in Department of Homeland Security, EB-5, EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program

On January 13, 2017, the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Making (“NPRM”) seeking to amend the current EB-5 regulations.  As required by the Administrative Procedure Act, DHS has published the  NPRM in  the Federal Register for notice to the public and has given the public a three (3) month… Continue Reading

By Laura Foote Reiff, , and on Posted in Department of Homeland Security, EB-5, EB-5 Program, USCIS

On Jan. 9, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) published a notice that, as of Jan. 6, it had completed its review a proposed rulemaking that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) had drafted to make changes to the current regulations as they relate to the EB-5… Continue Reading

By Kristen W. Ng and on Posted in Department of Homeland Security, EB-5, EB-5 Program, USCIS

On Dec. 20, 2016, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requested that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) review a proposed rule making that would make changes to the current regulations as it relates to the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program.  The title of this rule is “Improvement… Continue Reading

By Greenberg Traurig on Posted in Department of Homeland Security, EB-5, EB-5 Program, Eb-5 Regional Center, I-526, I-829, I-924, Posts in Chinese

在今年5月4日，美国国土安全部在联邦公报(Federal Register)上公布了拟定的新收费提案，征求公众意见。请查看我们之前的博客。该拟定的新收费提案于今年10月24日作为最终案通过，并将在本月(12月)晚些时候正式生效。 从今年12月23日起，递交给美国移民局的多项移民申请，非移民申请，身份调整申请和入籍申请的费用都会上涨。一些常见申请费上调项目请参见下表： 移民局的申请费用将平均上涨21％。然而，从上表可以看出，EB-5类别相关的申请费用上调最高，I-526和I-924的升幅都超过100％，并且推出了新的3,035美元的I-924A表格的申请费用。 EB-5区域中心需要每年提交一份I-924A表格（今年，2016年12月29日），或根据要求证明其继续资格指定，以前没有与此申报相关的费用。 美国移民局自2010年11月以来没有调整过申请费用表。由于移民局的运转的资金完全来源于申请费用，移民局强调费用上调是必要的，以用来支付日益增加的财政开支和人力成本，包括案件审核，欺诈检测，国家安全和客户服务相关的成本。我们希望，随着这些改进也将加快移民局的案件审理时间。 我们建议申请人提前将所有即将提交的文件提交给美国移民局;所有申请必须在2016年12月21日之前寄出，因为2016年12月22日是USCIS接受当前申请费的最后日期。自2016年12月23日起，移民局将拒绝那些没有提供上调后的申请费的申请。

By Greenberg Traurig on Posted in Department of Homeland Security, EB-5, EB-5 Program, Eb-5 Regional Center, I-526, I-829, I-924, Immigration, USCIS

On May 4, 2016, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register inviting public comment on a proposed increase in the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Fee Schedule, which we previously wrote about. This proposed rule was subsequently adopted as final on Oct. 24, 2016, and… Continue Reading